Stories we live by
Who you meet may determine what you become
Encounters with people, no matter how brief, may set the direction for our lives. Such was the case with David Giesbrecht of Abbotsford, B.C.
Born in Elm Creek, Man., David grew up in Yarrow, B.C., where his parents moved during his first year in school. It was during his last year of high school that a representative from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) set the course for David’s life. Nelson Hostetler, then working with MCC in Akron, Penn., came to speak in Yarrow. His service stories so lit a flame within David that he spoke with Nelson later and asked how he could sign up immediately to serve with MCC.
Gently, and with his typical quiet wisdom, Nelson suggested that David get further training so he could be more useful in an overseas assignment. This David did. Some years later, with his new spouse Elizabeth (a home economics teacher), he went to teach in Nigeria.
It was a major learning experience. Nigeria was politically tense, and soon it was in the throes of a civil war. It was a tough time for David and Elizabeth – but it became formative for their lifetime of working in schools and learning to build relationships. Those difficult years also had a major impact on their spirituality. It taught them to seek God’s guidance and tested them in many facets of their personal and Christian lives.
After three years in Nigeria, they continued teaching with MCC in Jamaica. It was there that a one-sentence conversation determined the course of David’s future life. While walking from class one day, he encountered the principal of the school. She bluntly informed David that she wanted him to also serve as the librarian and from then on it would be part of his new duties. That was it. No further conversation.
Serving as librarian of the school and working with students in research and writing so inspired David that, as soon as possible, he took a crash course in library science. He realized God had led him into this niche. He loved being a librarian and enjoyed working one-on-one with students.
Back in Canada, David worked as a librarian at Yale Junior Secondary School in Abbotsford, B.C., then for nearly 20 years at Columbia Bible College. David became one of the key people who students consulted with for reference, research, and writing papers. He was one of the first Bible college librarians in Canada to see the future in online library catalogues and he helped set the standard that many similar schools would follow.
Throughout his career, David remained connected with MCC. He served with the organization in some capacity for more than 30 years, including several years as chair of the MCC B.C. board.
Two brief encounters with people he hardly knew directed the course of his life, but David and Elizabeth have no regrets. God has been good to them and they see his hand in determining the course of their lives of service.
We all model our lives on stories we’ve heard and the people who exist in those stories. There are, of course, the biblical accounts of God’s people and Jesus. But there are also stories closer to home. The stories of our parents, grandparents, or people we hear about often make a profound impact on who we are and what we work at becoming.
This series looks at some of those stories as told by people within our Canadian Mennonite Brethren church family.
Encounters with people, no matter how brief, may set the direction for our lives. Such was the case with David Giesbrecht of Abbotsford, B.C.Born in Elm Creek, Man., David grew up in Yarrow, B.C., where his parents moved during his first year in school. It was during his last year of high school that a representative from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) set the course for David’s life. Nelson Hostetler, then working with MCC in Akron, Penn., came to speak in Yarrow. His service stories so lit a flame within David that he spoke with Nelson later and asked how he could sign up immediately to serve with MCC.
Gently, and with his typical quiet wisdom, Nelson suggested that David get further training so he could be more useful in an overseas assignment. This David did. Some years later, with his new spouse Elizabeth (a home economics teacher), he went to teach in Nigeria.
It was a major learning experience. Nigeria was politically tense, and soon it was in the throes of a civil war. It was a tough time for David and Elizabeth – but it became formative for their lifetime of working in schools and learning to build relationships. Those difficult years also had a major impact on their spirituality. It taught them to seek God’s guidance and tested them in many facets of their personal and Christian lives.
After three years in Nigeria, they continued teaching with MCC in Jamaica. It was there that a one-sentence conversation determined the course of David’s future life. While walking from class one day, he encountered the principal of the school. She bluntly informed David that she wanted him to also serve as the librarian and from then on it would be part of his new duties. That was it. No further conversation.
Serving as librarian of the school and working with students in research and writing so inspired David that, as soon as possible, he took a crash course in library science. He realized God had led him into this niche. He loved being a librarian and enjoyed working one-on-one with students.
Back in Canada, David worked as a librarian at Yale Junior Secondary School in Abbotsford, B.C., then for nearly 20 years at Columbia Bible College. David became one of the key people who students consulted with for reference, research, and writing papers. He was one of the first Bible college librarians in Canada to see the future in online library catalogues and he helped set the standard that many similar schools would follow.
Throughout his career, David remained connected with MCC. He served with the organization in some capacity for more than 30 years, including several years as chair of the MCC B.C. board.
Two brief encounters with people he hardly knew directed the course of his life, but David and Elizabeth have no regrets. God has been good to them and they see his hand in determining the course of their lives of service.
—Ken Reddig
