The Hippie Scene Degenerates The hippie thing was done by the summer of 1968, and by 1969the Haight-Ashbury had utterly changed. Long gone was the1967 Summer of Love, but despite the radical change, theunabated influx of kids from all over the country continued, likely

because the hippie thing had moved eastward over the previous year.

They were easy to spot with their sleeping bags and suitcases and

were the kids I approached and shared the message of Jesus with.

They were often runaways, and what they found in the “liberating

mecca of love” disillusioned and discouraged them. Now they were

scared, broke, and desperate. The girls had often been molested in

one way or another, and the guys often turned to drug dealing and

prostitution.

The Switchboard was a hippie organization set up to assist America’s

youth looking for a new way of living and provided “trip masters”

for those wishing to expand their minds by taking LSD. Owsley

was the favorite brand then, and several trip masters turned out to be

little more than rapists. One day, angered by tales I had been hearing

from both young men and women,1 I walked into the old Victorian on

Fell Street, where the Switchboard was housed, and standing in the

large front office I began calling them out, challenging them all to a

fight, right then and there. I cut loose with, “You raping, robbing jerks,

you need to go to prison, and I’m going to see to it, if you continue,

you %$#*&+$s.” Not too Christian, perhaps, which is debatable, but

1 On Haight Street I was known as someone to turn to, and it was not unusual

for emergency cases to find their way to me. I found that the local police and medical

people were extremely helpful and competent in those days.

Chapter 14

Early Leaders in

Marin County

46 Chapter 14

considering my size and physical condition in those days, few would

have wanted to accept the challenge.

The predators had descended into the district by the middle of

1968. Even the motorcycle gangs were there in large numbers. People’s

minds had indeed been expanded by marijuana, LSD, peyote,

magic mushrooms, and mescaline, so that heroin and meth were

becoming the new drugs of choice. No one wore flowers in their hair

anymore. Drug dealers were everywhere, as were the pimps and the

porn makers. Good-looking young flesh, mostly white, was up for

grabs. This is not racist in any sense, just true.

The kids kept coming, and once in a while we were able to rescue

some. We sent many young people home on buses, trains, and planes.

Sometimes parents traveled long distances by car to claim their children.

I must relate a story, since I have included her biography in this

book. We called her Mary K., and she had sunk to real lows by the

summer of 1968. She had been a high class business professional but

heroin did her in. There she was, standing on Haight Street, flagging

down cars. I called out to her, she stopped and listened, and as I presented

the forgiveness we have in Jesus, she was immediately converted

right in front of me. I took her to Zion’s Inn, and she lived with

us for about a year, until she married a young man who attended the

Tuesday night Bible Study. Mary K. was one of the original members

of Joyful Noise, and through her testimony at our concerts in high

schools and churches around the state, I would estimate that several

hundred kids’ lives where changed. She is someone special, and so is

her husband Chuck Mancebo.

Sometime in 1970, I turned my attention exclusively to Marin

County where I was living, since the work there was in full bloom.

Leaders Emerge

In 1969, I had met Mike Riley and Roger Hoffman, both students

at Golden Gate Seminary. Like Paul Bryant and Oliver Heath, they

were attracted to a different kind of Christian ministry and were also

interested in the charismatic part of the Jesus Movement. They soon

saw that we were in desperate need for some theologically trained

people, so Mike and Roger led the opening of a new Christian house

Early Leaders in Marin County 47

in Mill Valley on Ethel Avenue. At one point they asked me to come

to the school they attended, my old alma mater, to meet a friend of

theirs who had expressed interest in working with us. His name was

Bob Hymers.

Bob, whose full name is Robert Leslie Hymers, Jr., would play a

very large role in the ministry we were developing in Marin. He was

one of the best preachers I had ever heard; yet he was quite different

in many ways. A Southern Baptist, not the slightest charismatic, but a

real fighting fundamentalist, he loved evangelism and was tireless in

this area. A brilliant man of the highest IQ I had ever met (during his

high school years in Los Angeles he would be the lead in several plays

at once and could memorize all the lines without confusing them), he

and I became close friends.

Bob, Moishe Rosen, and I

became fairly well suited to different

kinds of ministry: demonstrations,

protests, infiltrating

anti-war demonstrations, book

burning events, picketing the Russian

Consulate in San Francisco,

and other forms of street evangelism,

including street preaching

and the use of tracts, known as

broadsides. It was Moishe who,

being older than Bob and I and

with experience and inventiveness

we could not match, spurred

us onto these new approaches.

Led by Moishe, we quickly organized

many demonstrations. We

regularly managed to get leaflet

materials composed and prepared

for printing, placards made by the dozen, and the call put out to be at

a certain place at a certain time. Hundreds of Jesus freaks would show

up, marching and handing out flyers. It was a wild and exciting time.

Moishe taught me how to get media coverage from radio, newspapers,

and television stations at whatever event we were up to; it

48 Chapter 14

worked wonderfully well. The attention we received served to inspire

other Jesus freaks all over the country to try the same things; thus it

served as a kind of cross-pollinization process, and the same sort of

strategies began to spread across the nation.

Bob was an exciting preacher, and we brought together many of

our Bible study groups and material to new Sunday evening gatherings.

We met in San Rafael at both the Lucas Valley Community

Church, pastored by Dale Nystrom, and The Christian Church, pastored

by Chuck Boman. We also rented out the Episcopal Church in

San Rafael’s suburb of Lucas Valley.

I was attracted to the Presbyterian form of government as

opposed to either the congregational style I had learned as a Baptist,

or an episcopal, hierarchical style, like the Catholic or Episcopal

churches. As a result, we developed an eldership structure within our

Christian House Ministries. By the time Mike, Roger, and Bob came

along, our eldership consisted of Mark, Kenny, and me. Some other

key leaders, who later became elders, were Bob Gaulden, Bob Burns,

and Cliff Silliman. Paul Bryant and Oliver Heath had already moved on

to other things, so Mike, Roger, and Bob joined Mark, Kenny, and me

to form a group of elders; I served as the senior elder, but this was all

informal and not recorded in any way. This came about in 1971, but I

am getting ahead of my story.

A Special Appeal to Muslim Readers

Some of what you will find in this book may well upset you. If I were Muslim, yes, I would be offended at some points in this book, and especially with the first essay, “Who is Muhammad’s Gabriel?”

My appeal to you is to have the courage to read the difficult passages. Finding truth and reality is far more important than protecting ourselves from sharp challenges.

Faith must be anchored in ultimate truth and not in traditions. Christians face this on a constant bases and indeed it makes us stronger. So then dear Muslim reader, my hope and prayer is that you will have the strength and courage to look at material that will in fact contradict what you believe.

Essays on Islam

Original Introduction to Islamic Studies: Equipping the Christian Witness to Muslims

Any, all, or parts of the following essays may be used by anyone for whatever purpose, freely, without any consideration or money changing hands. If desired, references may be made without mentioning the articles or author.

The reader will notice differences in my orientation or feelings toward Islam in the essays. The tenth essay was written in late 2016, while the seventh is from 2002. I did not include the earliest essay, because when I wrote it I was quite angry toward Muslims and Islam in general. The more I learned about Islam and especially the more I engaged with Muslim people directly, my views softened, in that I realized Muslims were caught in the vice grip of an exceedingly unhealthy religious system.

The Islam of the extremists is purer, more traditional, and more radical than that practiced and understood by moderates. Only a small percentage of Muslims know much about their religion; the zealous Muslim knows much more about Islam and understands that if he or she has a chance of going to paradise rather than hellfire, it is necessary to be a very fervent follower of Islam.

Most Muslims want to live and let live. But their entire identity, their worldview, is Muslim. They cannot imagine being anything but Muslim. Outreach to Muslims is then dependent on the miracle working of God; the new birth is from above.

To be clear, I see Islam as wrongly oriented and founded. I no more accept Islam as a revelation from God than I do Hinduism, Buddhism, Shamanism, and the belief systems of many neo-pagan groups.

All organized religions are flawed, including Christianity. I am a Baptist pastor who understands that Baptists are flawed as well. Any and every institution with humans involved will be corrupt to some measure, some more than others. I definitely believe that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself and that God sent His only Son to take our sin upon Himself—to die, be buried, and be resurrected. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. There is salvation in no one but Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

A challenge to the reader: Which essay would be appropriate to give to a Muslim and which would not? All the essays are written for Christians who have an interest in understanding Islam. Some are “softer” than others and may be used as a Gospel tract, so to speak, and given to Muslim people. Some are “harder” and would likely repel a Muslim reader. As Christians, we do not “pull punches.” At the same time, we hope to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Our goal is to present the message of Jesus Christ to all people of the world including Muslims.

A note to readers who are feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point. There is so much to learn about Islam and all that goes with it. There is indeed a steep learning curve, and the journey up the initial curve is painful and frustrating. I not only have been there, but in many ways, I am yet struggling up the incline. It is little by little for sure. And I must confess that when I speak with Muslims, I find I really don’t have to know all that much about Islam; this is necessary only when dealing with the imams and scholars. A good grasp of the essentials of Biblical Christianity is what counts the most. We simply present the message of the person and work of Jesus Christ. That is it, the basic evangel. And you will be surprised how many Muslims are eager to hear it.

Preface

Introduction

One. The Sabbath

Two. Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Three. The Feast of Firstfruits

Four. Pentecost or The Feast of Weeks

Five. The Feast of Trumpets

Six. The Day of Atonement

Seven. The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles

Eight.  The Sabbath Rest of the People of God

Nine. Concluding questions: coincidence, evangelism, conspiracy, or something

else?

Bibliography

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Preface

Introduction

One. The Sabbath

Two. Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Three. The Feast of Firstfruits

Four. Pentecost or The Feast of Weeks

Five. The Feast of Trumpets

Six. The Day of Atonement

Seven. The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles

Eight.  The Sabbath Rest of the People of God

Nine. Concluding questions: coincidence, evangelism, conspiracy, or something

else?

Bibliography

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Preface

Introduction

One. The Sabbath

Two. Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Three. The Feast of Firstfruits

Four. Pentecost or The Feast of Weeks

Five. The Feast of Trumpets

Six. The Day of Atonement

Seven. The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles

Eight.  The Sabbath Rest of the People of God

Nine. Concluding questions: coincidence, evangelism, conspiracy, or something

else?

Bibliography

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Two of the seminary students of the newspaper classified ad,

“Seminary Student and Crew” were Paul Bryant and Oliver

Heath, in their first year at Golden Gate Seminary. Both had

established ties with Southern Baptists and were, in fact, raised in

SBC churches. Perhaps because of that, they wanted something new

and different, and they found it with our Christian House Ministries.

Paul and Ollie joined with us in 1968. The requirement was singular:

a desire and willingness to follow Jesus. Ollie went on to start

a Christian house in Mill Valley, and Paul established Berachah House

in San Anselmo, a town in Marin next door to San Rafael.

Berachah means “blessed” in Hebrew, therefore a house of blessing,

and it definitely was. Gloria Ladd owned both houses, the Greenfield

house called Zion’s Inn and the house on Knoll Road in San

Anselmo we called Berachah House.1

Every bedroom in the house was claimed days before we took

possession of it, with two occupants in each of four small bedrooms.

No one paid rent, no one turned over their money to Paul, and there

were no demands, but now eight young men needed to go to work.

Thus was born a house painting business. At one point we had three

crews going, and I spent my time giving estimates based on $5 per

hour per painter and making sure the crews were properly equipped.

We could paint most houses in one week, and we did good work. With

three painters per job, a customer got a house painted for around

$600 plus materials, which was a good deal then.

1 Gloria, sadly, ended up with a wild Pentecostal cult, and due to strange

prophesies, murdered both of her teenage sons and wound up spending the rest of

her life in a psychiatric prison. It was a horrible event that shook the tiny Christian

community, and it still impacts it to some degree.

Chapter 13

Berachah House

Berachah House 43

A young man who came to the Tuesday night Bible study on Greenfield

in 1968 was Mark Buckley, who later married a young woman in

the ministry and also started a construction crew. Mark contributed

greatly to our Christian House Ministry and became a house leader

and a pastor—really an amazing man. I still have the hammer Mark

gave to me back then (some forty-five years ago now), when I worked

with his crew putting shingles on the sides of a house he was working

on in San Anselmo.

Mark married Kris Kenner, and together they operated Solid

Rock, our Christian House in Novato. Mark later became the founding

pastor of the Church of the Open Door in Novato and oversaw

the Christian bookstore there, one of several we opened. Mark and

I, along with Kenny Sanders, whom I will discuss soon, became very

close and essentially guided the JPM in Marin. Mark later moved to

Phoenix, Arizona, and founded what soon became a large church.

A tall, thin, longhaired hippie named Greg Beumer lived in Berachah

House, as did Malcolm

Dawes; they both played guitar

and became key members

in our band, Joyful Noise.

Most of the practices for the

band in its early days were at

Berachah House. Greg wrote

his first song with a Christian

theme entitled, “You’ll Never

Get to Heaven on LSD,” and it

became the most popular of

all the songs Joyful Noise ever

performed. Everyone liked to

think up new verses with substances

or behaviors well-suited to the hippie life but ill-suited to a

Christian one.

At the house, Paul taught a Bible study for kids who attended

Drake High. I recall an incident that occurred at the house, which

reflects some of the trials and tribulations of running such a place.

It must have been Easter, 1970, and one of the occupants of the

house had arranged for the people who showed up at the regular

Tuesday night Bible study to gather Easter Sunday morning wearing

44 Chapter 13

nothing other than sheets. He made it clear: even under garments

were not acceptable. No, everyone was going to greet resurrection

Sunday with nothing on besides a sheet.

The mother of one of the girls who attended the study at Berachah

House called me. Her daughter had told her mother what was

afoot. Not too pleased, I rushed over to the house, learned that Paul

was away in San Diego with his family, gathered the occupants, and

let them have it. The instigator would not back down but tried to justify

himself with weird, icky-gooey, spiritual talk. Seeing that he was

about to prevail, I was forced to utter a phrase that served me well

during those years: “You have two choices—101 South or 101 North.”

Highway 101 cuts through the county north and south and was the

main way in and out. His choice was south, meaning San Francisco, so

I dropped him off at a freeway onramp.

Berachah House survived for a couple of years but folded when

Paul married. It was one of the first of its kind, and perhaps thirty or

more young men lived there. One of these was Kenny Sanders. When

I first met him, I could not see his face for the longish, tangled hair

that obscured it. Kenny, whose father had been one of Martin Luther

King’s attorneys, was one of the first black hippies to show up, and he

became a major part of our ministry in Marin County and later on in

Petaluma in Sonoma County.

Kenny later led a painting crew, was a fabulous painter, a part of

Joyful Noise, the founding pastor of Church of the Open Door in Petaluma,

and along with Mark Buckley and me, a director of the entire

ministry. He married Mary Jensen, who was a student at San Rafael

High School and led the small Christian group there; Mary was a tireless

evangelist whose witness led to the conversion of Bob Burns,

who became one of the pastors in the Church of the Open Door family.

Kenny and Mary later had three children, and Kenny became a medical

doctor with Kaiser Permanente. Now retired, Kenny is attending

seminary2 and doing mission work along with Mary.3

2 Most of the leaders in our Bay Area ministry never attended seminary or

Bible college. They were self-taught people who took advantage of the continuing

stream of discipleship programs we involved ourselves in.

3 Mary Sanders became an artist, and her consistent testimony and witness

saw many come to Christ as a result.

You may not even be from a background like mine. But I know that if you are not in relationship with Jesus, some part of you longs for peace, joy, hope, and purpose. There are millions of stories about people searching for these very treasures, but many are disillusioned after time. No matter what you try, what you strive for, or what you believe you want in this life, nothing will ever fill the void in your heart until you surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Jesus gives life. He heals our wounds. He gives us freedom from fear and bondage to ourselves. New thoughts and ways of relating become ours as we learn to forgive and put others before ourselves. No life is too broken for Jesus to mend.                                                                 

       Reconciliation is possible with God and others, because He took our sin upon Himself on the Cross. His immense act of love literally frees us from the obligation of working to “pay” for our sins, as so many religions are hopelessly striving to do.                                                                

       I believe that when human beings come into an intimate relationship with the God of the Bible, they develop a true sense of morality. God is all love, but He is at the same time, absolutely just. The two work hand-in-hand beautifully.                                                                         

       Now, the essence of my whole life is to “Serve God by serving others”. My purpose is to share the gift I have received, and what has worked so extremely well for me. You can take it or leave it – it’s your free choice. But who wouldn’t want joy and life satisfaction? Who doesn’t crave a release from intense self-hatred and hopelessness? And just as importantly, please realize that the choice you make to accept or reject Jesus will decide your eternal destiny.                                                                                                  

       I have finally found what I have always been looking for, indeed, what I believe every soul searches for. Jesus wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you, no matter where you are or where you have been.                                                                                               

       I implore you to invite Jesus into your heart today. If you are at the end of your rope; if you are through trying to live life according to your rules; and if you want to experience real peace, joy, and love, now is the time to surrender your life to Christ. Please pray with me:

Jesus, I have been searching for peace and happiness my whole life. I have tried everything to fill the emptiness in my heart, but I haven’t found anything that really works. I now realize that it’s because I have never confessed my sin to You and received forgiveness for my selfish ways. I now admit that I have done a poor job of running my life. I ask you for forgiveness for everything I have done against You, myself, and others. I want to start a new life with You, one filled with contentment and purpose. I want to live for something greater than myself. I want to commit my life to you right now. Thank You! In Jesus Name, Amen.

       If you would like to learn more about how to begin your journey with Jesus, please visit our website at betransformedministries.com, or write Be Transformed Ministries at P.O. Box 597, Grover Beach, CA  93433. Sharon has written 2 other books (New Beginnings: Understanding the Basic Principles of the Christian Faith and Fishers of Men: Becoming a Dynamic Disciple of Jesus Christ). These books are now in 4 languages and are being used in 8 countries by churches, prisons and pastor training conferences. We would love to hear from you and send you free literature to help you grow in your faith. God bless you.

Galatians 1:6–10

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage above and the Bible passages listed under the title, “Scripture Reading.”

1.    Paul and Barnabas had brought the Gospel to southern part of Galatia, in modern day Turkey, in the mid to late forties, and churches sprang up.

2.    When the two evangelists left, some who had Hebrew backgrounds, attempted to have the new converts observe traditional Old Testament laws including circumcision, and obeying the Law of Moses.

3.    Paul expressions surprise that the new believers in Jesus where being tempted to do so, and thus making salvation something a person did instead of it being the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul says what the Judaizers were doing was presenting a different Gospel.

4.    This amounted to a distortion of the Gospel of Christ. Paul clearly sees how very dangerous such a concept is. And he warns the Galatians that even if he and Barnabas themselves, or even a supposed angel from heaven, where to present such a distortion of the truth that these should be ‘accursed.’

5.    Paul assures the Galatians that he is not seeking the approval of people but of God. For to align with the error that salvation was my means of doing the works of the Law of Moses, then he would not be a servant of Christ.

After I finished the book Devils Driver, I realized that God was exactly what I needed in my life. I got on my knees and cried out to God for over an hour. I wept for all the things I had done to people, and all of the ways that I had rejected God and hated myself. I cried for all the things I had missed in life – all the lost opportunities. When I got up off the floor, I was literally a bran new person.                                       

       When I was placed in General Population a few weeks later, I went to church immediately. The Chaplain befriended me, and bought me a very expensive Bible with his own money. I read it for HOURS every day. I couldn’t get enough of it! It was TRUTH and I knew it. I had lived believing so many lies in my life, the Truth was like a stream of cool water in the desert for me.                                                                                 

       The Scriptures spoke wholeness and hope to my heart. They gave my life meaning and purpose and stability. I began experiencing peace and joy such as I had never known. And I began wanting something that was very foreign to me – I wanted to help others in prison. I became a song leader and began supporting others who were as broken as I had been. Prison would become one of the best experiences of my life.                          

       I was later transferred to a minimum-security prison. However, out of the 90 women there, I was all alone in my faith. I cried out to God and asked “WHY would You send me to this spiritually empty place? I need training. I need friends to help me now more than ever! He showed me that I was the one who would bring hope to these women. I started teaching the Scriptures there, and I learned later that these studies continued years after I left.                                                                 

       When I was released, I had to go back to Santa Cruz, California, where I was from. But the only people I knew there were drug addicts and prostitutes! Again, I cried out to God – “How could you let me come back to the town where all I know are drugs and the street life. How will I overcome the reputation I have made there?” He showed me that I was to be a witness to those I had run with. God brought me many people and opportunities to share His love, light and Gospel with.                            

       The next best part of my life, after accepting Jesus, was when I met my current husband, Michael. He was raised in a family of California Highway Patrolmen!! COPS!! His family was shocked that he would bring “someone like me” home, but over the years, God changed their hearts about “those kinds of people”. God surely has a sense of humor! We have now been married for many years and we love to help others come to faith.  I went back to school and earned my Registered Nursing degree. I also started teaching Bible studies for women. God brought me a very unusual group of women to teach. There were those who had been Christians all of their lives, and there were also women who had just come off the street. Some came from addictive backgrounds, and many were single moms. I couldn’t find any material that this diverse group could all relate to, so I started writing my own studies. The book I wrote, called Be Transformed: By the Spirit of the Living God, was birthed from this class, because my life had been forever transformed.

Greeting & To the Churches of Galatia

 Galatians 1:1–5

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage above and the Bible passages listed under the title, “Scripture Reading.”

1.           Paul, being  sent out with a message, so an apostle, and this by and through Jesus Christ and God the Father. Paul states also that the Father raised the Son from the dead.

2.           Verse two makes it clear that there are other “brothers” with him who also greet the Galatians.

3.           Verse three has been referred to as the “Passing of the Peace,” and which we begin our worship service with.

4.           In verse four Paul states the core of our Christian faith, that Jesus gave Himself up on the cross for our sake, which has the power to deliver us from the “present evil age.” And all this according to the will and purpose of the Father.

5.           The opening greeting concludes by stating that all glory will be to Father, and this forever and ever.

Chapter 12

The Soul Inn did not last for long. It was under the direction of a Baptist church, with its congregational, democratic form of government, so the house was subject to the will of too many congregants who did not especially like our use of the storefront church. Toward the end, there were only a few of us left living at Soul Inn, and one by one the residents moved on to various places. Some even returned home.

San Rafael, the largest town in Marin County and also the county seat, still had reasonable rental prices. The smallish home we rented was a bit too small, and this was the time that David and I began painting houses to support our ministry work, but only on rare occasions did it provide sufficient money for us.

Three couples living in the same house did not work out for long. After about six months, the Hoyts and Philpotts moved to a larger house on Greenfield Avenue, also in San Rafael. David and I transformed its large basement into living quarters, adding three additional bedrooms. We didn’t care much about permits; we only cared that it worked.

Our consistent problem was what to do with young women who became believers in Jesus and had nowhere to go. Many times we simply placed them homeward bound on trains, planes, or buses. Some had no home to go to, so we had to do something.

David had the idea first. He bought a Volkswagan van—yes, a real
“hippie-mobile”—and painted “Zion’s Inn for Girls” on the side. David and I used that van for our painting business and also drove it for the street evangelism in the City. It was extremely useful.

Soon girls began to move in, mostly for short durations, but some stayed long enough to get stabilized once again. During this period we somehow made friends with a Marin County judge, Peter Allen Smith, who began sending girls to us as a kind of diversionary practice, rather than sending them to jail. He required that Bobbie and I become foster parents, and we did this for a number of girls. It also meant that some court-provided money was coming into the house. Our contacts with Marin County and the City of San Rafael and the good reputation we were able to build with these local governments allowed us to open two “Christian Houses” especially for drug addicts and alcoholics—again a sort of diversionary assignment rather than to jail. This ministry worked out wonderfully well, and some of our top leaders emerged from these houses.

It was here on Greenfield Avenue that I began a Tuesday night Bible study, a tradition that has continued to this day, although in different locations. Someone who began attending the meetings and occasionally leading them was Martin Rosen, who was then with the American Board of Missions to the Jews (now Chosen People Ministries) and who later became “Moishe” Rosen of Jews for Jesus. This connection with Rosen lasted many years, and he and I often worked together doing various kinds of ministries. My oldest daughter Dory was an administrative assistant to his first secretary while she attended high school.

Within a short time, the front room of Zion’s Inn could not accommodate the crowd, so we moved the study just one block down the street to John Wesley Hall at the United Methodist Church of San Rafael. It was at this Bible study where miraculous events began to occur again, mostly healings. I was shocked at this, seeing it happen right in front of me and fairly often. Those who know me know I am a terrible skeptic, and it takes a lot of evidence to convince me.

Family Miracle Story

I will tell the story of one rather incredible miracle. It was about a week after David and Victoria moved to Walnut Creek. My painting work had not been going well; it was before I developed a real painting business employing some of the young men and women living in our houses (yes, many more houses were to come), and one morning we had nothing to eat.

At the breakfast table sat Bobbie, Dory, Grace, and Vernon, who was either an infant or about to be born. In addition, there was Kathy Granger, Linda Patton, and Sher Keaton. Bobbie had boiled some water for the few tea bags we had left. And that was all we had. I can still see us, a motley crew for sure, and we prayed and asked God to take care of us. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. I answered it, and there stood two people, a man and a woman, both about my age, and they were holding several white bags. They held out the bags toward me, and I took them, carried them back to the kitchen, came back, and received another bag or two. They turned to leave, and I thanked them as they retreated down the stairs and climbed into a newish white panel van (I did not yet know what was in the white bags). They drove off, and I returned to the kitchen. There on the table was a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and milk—the works—exactly enough food for the lot of us. We thanked God for His provision and loved every second of that meal. When we finished, it began to dawn on us what had just happened. Somehow we did not get it right away. But then we realized that someone, perhaps angels, had appeared to answer our prayer.

We examined the bags and the food containers, top and bottom. Even on the bottom of the paper plates there was no indication by whom or where the cups and plates had been made. Nothing. Not a clue. I had never seen the people before and I never saw them again. After all these years I am still amazed. After that event, I rarely worried about our needs being met.

That was breakfast; there was still no money for lunch or dinner. I do not recall how it was we survived, but we did. Never again would Zion’s Inn for Girls ever suffer want. And it was not pennies from heaven that turned things around. It was ads placed in the Marin Independent Journal that read, “Seminary Student and Crew,” that God used to bring us what we needed. 

It was after about one year at Zion’s Inn that David and Victoria moved to Walnut Creek to begin a new work. David and I were both type-A leaders who knew how things should be done, and thus we had times of conflict. I have often wondered what might have been, if we had been able to continue working closely together.

My daughter Dory reminded me just recently of one memory from the Zion’s Inn days that needs to be told. My daughters Dory and Grace shared a bedroom that David and I had constructed in the basement. One mid-morning, I returned to the Greenfield house or Zion’s Inn and saw fire trucks blocking the street. A jolt of fear ran through me as I realized the trucks were parked right in front of our house. As I rushed to the scene, I found my family—Dory, Grace, and Bobbie—standing in front of the house, watching smoke billow out of the basement. Dory, who was crying and shaken, told me that when the girls went to school, a space heater must have been left on and started the fire. She was scared to death I would blame her, and I did my best to let her know it was all okay.

The smoke from the fire made the entire house uninhabitable. The landlady, Gloria Ladd, graciously stepped in and offered us the use of a house she owned in Ross, a mansion really, that happened to be vacant. We lived in that sprawling Victorian type house until the Greenfield place was ready to reoccupy.

Until more recently, I forgot about this incident, perhaps because it brings up my lack of caring for my own family during the turbulent years of the JPM. Times of awakenings are wonderful, but there is a price to pay. Those involved will often go through very trying times at minimum, and some of the stories I hope to relate toward the close of these memoirs are not comfortable to recount.

We are about to publish Why I Decided Not to Kill Myself. It is my personal story, a short ‘booklet’ intended to help others overccome suicidal thoughts.

We are looking for a few more one paragraph accounts of how others decided the same thing. And by sending it to us would mean your granting us permission to include it in the book.

We will only put as authors of the short pieces a first name, whatever you would want it to be.

We just came up with this at breakfast today, and we intend to finish this by Monday coming up. So, if there are out there some who have struggled through such a thing, this is an opportunity to help others.

If you receive this on my blog or on Facebook, please send your piece to:

kentphilpott@comcast.net.

Kent and Katie Philpott