Phoenix, Arizona (1926)
A precious child of God helped us financially, and on the first of March, 1926, we arrived in Arizona. We were welcomed by former Ashland families though we had not been acquainted with any of them before. Within two weeks the terrible headaches ceased, and my husband was like a new man. Having found a group of people who were not satisfied in the churches they were attending, Bro. Bolender wrote the District Superintendents of California, Texas, and Nebraska concerning organizing an International Apostolic Holiness Church in Phoenix. He received encouragement from both Texas and California. The latter offered to take the new work into the California district.
A minister by the name of Nearing from Texas had lived near Phoenix for some time. He learned of our interest in starting the church. Soon plans were made for a tent meeting. The two ministers preached alternating nights. The Lord blessed those efforts and at the close of the meeting a church was organized with 17 adult members. That was the start of what is now the First Wesleyan Church of Phoenix.
A Sunday School Superintendent was elected and other officers. When balIots were cast for the pastor, Bro. Nearing was elected. This was a severe disappointment, but we tried to, and I hope we did, conceal our feelings. When we were alone that night, we talked and prayed. Hadn’t God been laying Phoenix on our hearts for months? Had not God delivered my husband from those awful headaches? (One very fine head specialist in Cincinnati had told him it might be a brain tumor). Had he not visited and prayed with these five fine families that now were making the foundation of a solid church? Did not he write surrounding superintendents concerning the possibilities of the church? All this came as a shock and real blow. Yet we knew Romans 8:28 was still true.
My husband had found a little work and got a few dollars during the tent meeting, but we had a family of four and it seemed almost impossible to get a job. The call to God’s work was first in our lives. One day very soon Bro Bolender said, "The Lord tells me, if I fast one meal and pray 2 ½ hours daily, He will work things out for us.” In less than a week a telegram came from Rev. R. R. Sharp, District Superintendent of Nebraska district which read, “Will you accept the pastorate of Oshkosh Church.” We knew God had answered and accepted the call.
We counted what money we had, but did not have enough to buy two tickets. I suggested that my husband take Warren, our three year old with him as he could check his trunk on his ticket and travel free. There was enough money for me to go to Prescott Arizona. I would stay with my sister until he could send for us. It was a happy visit for Juanita and me to be with my sister and her husband. She was the sister who had been like a mother to me after Mother’s death. At that time they had a small ranch in a beautiful little valley seventeen miles from Prescott. When Bro. Sharp met the train and they went for the trunk, they were informed that it was overweight. My husband counted his money and there was not enough to pay overweight charges. His embarrassment could have been worse had Bro. Sharp been a stranger. But they had attended God’s Bible School together and they had been Roscoe and Harry to one another.
They had rented a nice little house for us partly furnished. We had a few things to come from Phoenix by freight. In about two weeks Juanita and I were on our way, and made the trip safely. Our good friends, the Sharps, helped us so much as we adjusted to our new environment and learned to know the people.
A minister by the name of Nearing from Texas had lived near Phoenix for some time. He learned of our interest in starting the church. Soon plans were made for a tent meeting. The two ministers preached alternating nights. The Lord blessed those efforts and at the close of the meeting a church was organized with 17 adult members. That was the start of what is now the First Wesleyan Church of Phoenix.
A Sunday School Superintendent was elected and other officers. When balIots were cast for the pastor, Bro. Nearing was elected. This was a severe disappointment, but we tried to, and I hope we did, conceal our feelings. When we were alone that night, we talked and prayed. Hadn’t God been laying Phoenix on our hearts for months? Had not God delivered my husband from those awful headaches? (One very fine head specialist in Cincinnati had told him it might be a brain tumor). Had he not visited and prayed with these five fine families that now were making the foundation of a solid church? Did not he write surrounding superintendents concerning the possibilities of the church? All this came as a shock and real blow. Yet we knew Romans 8:28 was still true.
My husband had found a little work and got a few dollars during the tent meeting, but we had a family of four and it seemed almost impossible to get a job. The call to God’s work was first in our lives. One day very soon Bro Bolender said, "The Lord tells me, if I fast one meal and pray 2 ½ hours daily, He will work things out for us.” In less than a week a telegram came from Rev. R. R. Sharp, District Superintendent of Nebraska district which read, “Will you accept the pastorate of Oshkosh Church.” We knew God had answered and accepted the call.
We counted what money we had, but did not have enough to buy two tickets. I suggested that my husband take Warren, our three year old with him as he could check his trunk on his ticket and travel free. There was enough money for me to go to Prescott Arizona. I would stay with my sister until he could send for us. It was a happy visit for Juanita and me to be with my sister and her husband. She was the sister who had been like a mother to me after Mother’s death. At that time they had a small ranch in a beautiful little valley seventeen miles from Prescott. When Bro. Sharp met the train and they went for the trunk, they were informed that it was overweight. My husband counted his money and there was not enough to pay overweight charges. His embarrassment could have been worse had Bro. Sharp been a stranger. But they had attended God’s Bible School together and they had been Roscoe and Harry to one another.
They had rented a nice little house for us partly furnished. We had a few things to come from Phoenix by freight. In about two weeks Juanita and I were on our way, and made the trip safely. Our good friends, the Sharps, helped us so much as we adjusted to our new environment and learned to know the people.
