Rural Beginnings

My story actually begins on a thousand acre farm in Kansas that my family sharedcropped for free rent. Both of my parents were married three times. I am first, second, third, fourth or fifth in the lineup of ten children depending upon which marriage I count from. There were seven girls and three boys. My father was an alchoholic which caused a lot of grief to Mom and to us kids. When I was seven, my sister who was ten choked to death on a hot dog. After the funeral my dad tried to get drunk. He drank and drank and drank. He tried to get drunk but it was like God was saying, "Ralph, you cannot drown your sorrows in booze. You need to drown them in Me." That began a major change in our family! About that same time a pastor came to our farm to see my parents. I can only imagine what my dad said to him! But he kept coming. He worked at a shoe store - so he wasn't rich. But he bought all of us kids who were home at that time, shoes to wear to school. He helped to put up hay, helped with the wheat harvest, and basically helped whereever he was needed. He became one of my dad's best friends. Gradually my dad's veneer broke. My dad allowed us to go to church with the pastor and his wife and then eventually my parents started going. My dad released his burden of sin and gave his life to the Lord. Talk about a change - we went from never going to church to going to church every time the doors were open. My mom and dad had pastors, evangelists, missionaries, etc to our house for lunch but that is a new story all of its own!