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| Lisa translating for Baha Habashy's workshop: Living your strengths |
Bobbie Anderson! Oh I’m sorry, I know you are Lisa Anderson, but when I saw you, you reminded me so much of your mom. Do you know that your mother led me to the Lord when I attended her Bible study at Woman-to-Woman over at Memorial Park Pres. Church?
At this point my eyes are filled with tears as we embrace and I praise God for how the Lord used my mom in her life. I return all teary-eyed to the workshop to continue translating and everyone wonders why I am crying:
As I related this story, I said: Where else in the world could you be where you would hear first-hand stories of my mother? Only here in Pittsburgh can stories like these convey the impact my mother had on me and countless others whose stories we’ll never know until we are all together in heaven.
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| George & Bobbie Anderson |
It happened again while we were at Ligonier Camp when Ray Speicher dropped in for a visit. As we introduced him to the team, he told a story about my mother that heretofore I hadn’t known:
After my conversion in Dec 1976, I was attending a Bible study at Ingomar Methodist Church. There I met Betty Pomeroy who was talking to Boobie about the upcoming Easter play at Memorial Park. Bobbie told Betty that she wanted someone a little older than the kids in Memorial Park’s youth group (called F.U.D.D.) to play Jesus. Betty suggested to Bobbie that she call me. I came to Memorial Park to meet and talk with Bobbie about the play. The first person that greeted me was Marcia McCabe who is now my wife of 33 years. Bobbie was also a great encourager and mentor for Marcia.
While I was getting in involved with F.U.D.D. (Fishermen’s Union of Devoted Disciples) and the play, I met Dave Van Gorder and he told me about Vision 77, the evangelistic outreach at North Park. I started to help with the prep for this event and during a time of prayer Bobbie prayed for the Holy Spirit to come fill us. She prayed in tongues and it happened for me as well. Another wonderful thing that happened during the Vision 77 event was my younger brother received Jesus and he was born again by the Spirit. Bobbie in many ways was functioning in an apostolic way to the FUDD leaders and Pastor Jay Passavant. She was bold but gracious and effervescent. I loved her and admired her.
Where but in Pittsburgh could my dear Latin American friends hear first-hand stories about my parents and their impact as parents and fellow co-laborers in God's Kingdom work?
This is one more of the reasons why it was a dream come true for me to have had these Latin Americans in my hometown of Pittsburgh.
Do you have any memory of my mother or father that you would like to post? I would love to hear about it!
3 comments:
Loved hearing about your time in the Burgh and stories about your Mom. I remember in one of her Bible studies she said, "When I get to Heaven, I'm going to see a chart with my name on it and all my sins but beside each one will be written"Redeemed". I have never forgotten that.
Your title is so appropriate: enduring legacy! Of course so many memories continually flood over me when your parents' names are mentioned or thought about in joy. One particular -- non-spiritual -- recollection that I may not have shared with you was an example of Bobbie and George's incredible generosity of spirit. Your Mom had experienced at least one (and perhaps more) disheartening miscarriages when I found that I was pregnant with Doug. All was going smoothly, unlike Bobbie's recent trauma.
What was her response to my happy news? Planning and executing a baby shower in my honor -- I still cherish a photo of the gift-opening, at which the guests all gushed over the tiny layette items while our hostess must have been doing the acting job of her career...covering her own broken heart. To add another layer of unselfishness to the occasion, your burly father had decorated the petit four dessert treats which we all devoured. He was also the first drop-in guest to "meet" Douglas just days after his birth. They were born to be parents, and as you know, Brian joined the family several months later! These are all sweet reminders of those early days of marriage and family-building which in the case of Andersons/Browns became a lifetime of sharing the deepest friendship I have ever known.
Thanks for this lovely vignette of your nostalgia time in Pittsburgh, Lisa. You are carrying on a precious tradition. aunt bettybb
What a great heritage you have, Lisa. I think I met your Mom during one of my trips to Memorial Park. Those of us who grew up in Christian homes have so much to be thankful for!
Jack
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