 with
guests:
Cliff & Laurel Wale
Laurel: My family was very sports oriented and I played sports
right from a child. I played softball when I was old enough to hold a
glove and when I got into school I played basketball, field hockey, and
soccer. It was a busy time for our family. My mom and dad played sports,
too, and my mom would always be running my sister and I everywhere we
needed to go.
It was around the end of Grade 12 when I became friends with Cliff's
mom.
Cliff: At the time, my mother was going to high school too.
She didn't have her Grade 12 and she wanted to finish school so that she
could achieve her dream of being a nurse. So she and I attended part of
Grade 11 and 12 together. That was kind of different -- having your
mother going to school with you!
So here I was -- getting driven to school by my mother, even though
I had a reputation for being kind of wild. One day I noticed Laurel, who
was in one of my mom's classes. But because of my kind of background
and because of who Laurel hung around with at school, I didn't think
that I'd even have any kind of chance of getting to know her.
But I kind of hinted to my mother that she should check out the girl
sitting behind her -- Laurel -- because I was planning to ask her out
on a date. Well, I hated rejection, so it was great that Laurel said
yes!
Laurel: I knew that Cliff's mom went to church so I just
started asking her questions about God and what it meant to be a
Christian. I had gone to Sunday school as a child and I'd always prayed
and believed there was a God, but I felt that something was missing.
Throughout my last year of high school a big question on my mind was,
"If I die, I don't know if I'm going to heaven." I didn't
know where I would go, and it really scared me. I believed in heaven. I
believed in hell. I believed in Satan. I believed in God. I believed in
all of that, but I didn't have assurance that I measured up to what God
required.
But Cliff's mom had answers to all those questions. She had a
personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and she led me to
the Lord.
Cliff and Laurel continued to see each other for some time. Then
their relationship had a little break when Cliff moved back to Hazleton
(BC) with his family because his mother was sick with cancer. After a
short separation Cliff realized that he loved Laurel and wanted to be
with her. So in 1980 he traveled to Kamloops. Cliff figured this was the
best time to approach Laurel's father to ask if he could marry his
daughter. The answer was "yes," and the wedding took place in
1981.
Cliff: Just seeing Laurel grow spiritually and committing more
and more of her life to the Lord made me think about where I was
spiritually, and about where I should be. There was always an inner part
of me that was saying that this is what I should be doing, or this is
what I shouldn't be doing.
I had heard the Gospel as a young boy, with my grandmother and my
mother both being Christians and taking us to church. I also went to
Bible camp with my brothers. My memories are about hot dog roasts and
marshmallows, and crazy things like mixing toothpaste and stuff ... but
I also remember in Bible time, when I was eight years old, that I
accepted the Lord. I guess I was just feeling convicted. I knew that
Christ came and died for my sins, and through Him I would have
forgiveness.
But then, with our family moving and me getting older and being
influenced by my peers, I basically fell away and was no longer going to
church. I guess to me it was exciting at the time, being a teenager,
staying up late and carousing around.
After we were married I started to attend church again. Then came a
critical point with my mother's health and I was questioning, "Is
this Christianity real?" My mother got sick and just faded away to
nothing before she died, and I was thinking, "Where is this God?
Why is this happening to her? Why doesn't He intervene?"
There were a lot of those questions. But at the same time, through my
mother's faith, I could see that this was not a game -- it was real. At
that point I decided to commit my life to the Lord again. Laurel and I
got baptized on the same day. And I would have got involved in Bible
studies right away, but instead I was just attending church and playing
a lot of sports.
I would come back and warm up the pew at church, but badminton and
hockey and fastball were more important to me. If we made it to the
finals on a Sunday, then I would be at the rink or at the ball park
instead. I thought I was being a good witness to my teammates, just by
my lifestyle, but I was just fooling myself. Often the Lord was the
furthest thing from my mind.
Then there was a big financial economic downturn back in ‘84/‘85.
I lost my job; Laurel lost her job. And that kind of woke me up. We
moved away from Kamloops for my new job and we started our family.
Sports took a back seat, which was good, because I think that's when
my spiritual growth really took off.
Later Cliff and Laurel and their children moved to his home town
of Hazleton, where they have become involved in the Mount Rocher
Alliance Church. Cliff has led Bible studies, and says he enjoys it and
has learned from his preparation and discussion with the group.
From the time their children were very young, they have told them
Bible stories and have had them listening to Christian songs. "We
want them to accept the Lord as their Savior," says Laurel.
"I don't want to be apart from them," adds Cliff.
"It would break my heart if they rejected Christ, because it would
mean that it would be eternity without them. So I'm looking forward to
the day when it'll be my daughters accepting Christ as their Savior and
being baptized and proclaiming that they want to live their lives for
Christ. That would make me happy."
What you've just read was adapted from a television
broadcast of Tribal Trails. We would be happy to hear your response.
Please contact us.
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Americans whose
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