M U N G E R continued them that w ill surprise you. Our Recreation
Reaped D iv idends F our years ago Basil Costerisan of Bakersfield, Calif, came to the B ible Institute o f Los Angeles. H e soon found out that, like most o f the other students, some older Christian was m aking his study possible. In the case o f Basil Costerisan the behind-the-scene don or was M rs. R. F. Curtis o f M e r id ia n ,
I rem ember the tim e H e inquired about the playroom . I was h op in g H e w ou ld n ot ask m e about that. Th ere w ere certain associations and friendships, activities and amuse ments that I w an ted to keep fo r m y self. I did n ot think Christ w ou ld en joy them or approve o f them , so I evaded the question. But there came an evening w h en I was lea vin g to jo in some com panions — I was in colleg e at the tim e — and as I was about to cross the threshold, H e stopped m e w ith a glance. “ A re y ou g oin g out this even ing?” I answered, “ Yes.” “ G ood,” H e said, “ I w ou ld like to go w ith y ou .” “ Oh,” I replied rather awkwardly. “ I don ’t think, Lord, that y o u w ou ld rea lly w an t to go w ith us. Let’ s go out tom orrow n igh t. T om orrow n igh t w e w ill go to prayer m eeting bu t ton igh t I have another appointment.” H e said, “ T h a t’s a ll righ t, bu t I though t w hen I cam e in to y ou r h om e w e Were go in g to do everyth ing together. W e w ere g oin g to be partners. I w an t y o u to know that .I am w illin g to go w ith y ou .” “W e ll,” I said, “ w e w ill go some place together tom orrow n igh t.” But that evening I spent some m iserable hours. I fe lt w retched. W h a t kind o f a friend was I to Christ, w h en I was deliberately lea ving H im out of m y associations, d oin g things and g oin g places that I knew v ery w e ll H e w ou ld n ot en jo y ? W h e n I returned that evening, there was a lig h t in H is room and I w en t u p to talk it over w ith H im . I said, “ Lord, I have learned m y lesson. I cannot have a good time w ith ou t you. W e w ill do everyth ing together from n ow on.” T h en w e w en t d ow n in to the rumpus room o f the house and H e transformed i t H e brough t in to life real joy , real happiness, real satisfaction, real friendship. Laughter and music have been rin g in g in the house ever since. M y friend , there is n o real jo y in the w orld like m ak ing Christ you r com panion in everything. H e is no joy-k iller. H e is a joy-giver. In H im v\e find our highest happiness. Bring H im in to every phase of -your life, even this one o f y ou r recreation and fun. Lord and Master of All Th ere is just one m ore matter that I m igh t share w ith you . One da y I found H im w aitin g for m e at the door. Th ere was an arresting look in H is eye. H e said to m e as I entered, “ Th ere is a pecu liar odor in the house. Th ere is som ething dead around here. It’s upstairs. I think it is in the hall-closet.” As soon as He said the words, I knew w ha t H e was
California the Institute has ob tained George M . R ichardson to jo in its staff o f field workers. A fter seven years as pastor of the First Brethren Church o f Bell flower, R ichardson resigned to take the field job. H e’s a native Kansan and he attended the University of Kansas w here he m ajored in jou r- , nalism and psy chology. Richardson has
T ex. Mrs. Curtis had never seen Basil. She had a few dollars and she felt that she w anted to use the m on ey to train some y oun g person fo r Chris t i a n s e r v ic e . Each year for fou r years 'M rs. Curtis sent her check to cover the cost o f train in g Basil. Th is s u m m e r M r s . Curtis was reap in g part o f her
extensive experi ence in B ible conference a n d e v a n g e l i S tic work. H e was pastor o f the First Brethren Church in G len dale fo r five years before g o in g to Bellflower and he was su perintendent of the Sailor’s Rest M ission in San Pedro fo r fou r years. H e has also been used
GEORGE M. RICHARDSON Into the Field
in bu ild in g n ew churches under the sponsorship o f the Brethren H om e M issions Council. H e has been a Los Angeles resi dent for 30 years. H e is married and he and his w ife, Loreze, are parents of three m arried daughters and grandparents o f three girls. H e is a veteran o f W o rld W a r I and served in F ran ce fo r eighteen months w ith a com bat in fan try unit. in g m e about a little tw o-by-fou r closet. I said inw a rd ly, “ Th is is too much. I am n ot g oin g to give H im the key.” “ W e ll,” H e said, reading m y thoughts, “ if y ou think I’m g oing to stay u p here on the second floor w ith this odor, y ou are mistaken. I w ill take m y bed out on the back porch. I’m certain ly n ot g oin g to put u p w ith that.” A n d I saw H im start d ow n the stairs. A ga in m y heart smote me. W h e n y ou have com e to know and love Christ, the w orst th ing that can happen is to sense H is fe l low sh ip retreating from you. I had to surrender. “ I’ll give y ou the key,” I said sadly, but y ou have to open up the closet; y ou ’ll have to clean it out. I haven’t the strength to do it.” “ I know ,” H e said, “ I kn ow you haven’t. Just give m e the key. Just
dividend. Basil Costerisan and w ife Betty sailed for Singapore under appointm ent w ith C h rist fo r Indo n esia F ellow sh ip . A n d M rs. Cur tis was asking fo r another student to sponsor. T h e story o f M rs. Curtis and Basil Costerisan is the story o f h ow B iola has been able to train y oun g people at a m in im um cost to the student. A n d to tell this story to the peop le o f Southern talking about. Yes, there was a small hall-closet up there on the landing, just a few feet square, and in that closet, beh ind lock and key I had one or tw o little personal things that I did n ot w an t an ybod y to know about and certain ly I did n ot w an t Christ to see. I knew they w ere dead and rotting things. A n d yet, I loved them so and I wanted them so for m y self that I was afraid to adm it th ey w ere there. I w en t up the stairs w ith H im and as w e m ounted, the odor becam e stronger and stronger. H e pointed at the door and said, “ It’s in there! -— Some dead th in g !” I was angry. That’s the on ly w a y I can pu t it. I had given H im access to the lib ra ry, the d in in g room , the draw ing room , the workshop, the rumpus room , and n ow H e was ask
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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