It has been a joy to have our daughter, Lori, son-in-law, Chip, and grandchildren, Sam, Mia and Gloria with us for their last two weeks stateside before returning to their assignment in Central Asia. It was a bittersweet time of enjoying conversation, sharing fun times and assisting in shopping for final needs, knowing we would […]

There were many points along our journey to Southeast Asia where we could easily have been tempted to forfeit our return tickets and just stay and continue ministry in the places that represented 23 years of our life. After becoming president of the IMB, people would ask us if we missed the mission field. That […]

When we lived in Indonesia we were only a 2-hour drive from the Bali Straits. At least twice a year we crossed on the ferry and enjoyed a few days on the beaches of this beautiful, exotic island. There were few hotels at that time but comfortable accommodations could be found in seaside, thatched-roof cottages […]

The hot, sticky weather wasn’t so different than a Mississippi summer but the sounds, smells and people everywhere had a familiarity of life in the tropics. When we were awakened by the call to prayer from a nearby mosque at 4:30 am we knew we were back home in Indonesia. Not much had changed about […]

Our sense of being back home hit us broadside when we arrived at Changi International Airport in Singapore after an 11-hour flight from New Zealand. The cleanliness and orderliness defies one’s typical concept of an Asian city. Orchids cascaded down the middle of the baggage carrousel. Within 15 minutes we had processed immigration, picked up […]

We have been traveling for a long time–lots of travel. I have always been under the illusion it would diminish, but the last 30 years it has become our lifestyle. Once I moved into a regional leadership role on the field it became a necessity to fly to 15 countries from India to the South […]

This has been a busy spring of travel and diverse activities.  Bobbye had the privilege of participating in a mission trip to Moldova to speak at conferences for pastors’ wives in March, and Jerry led an 8-week study on mission strategy at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison through April. We embarked on a 12-day road […]

Welcome to “therankinfile.com!” We have been wanting to get this web site up and running since retirement from the International Mission Board last August as a means for staying in touch with family, former colleagues and friends all over the world. We have a lot to share about our new retirement lifestyle, grandchildren travels and […]