Thursday, August 15, 2013

Member Highlight: Ralph Paulson






Member Highlight: Ralph Paulson      

Ralph Poulson’s life has spanned this country, from Florida to Washington State, with a lot of living in-between, and some outside the U.S.  His voice, when I contacted him for this interview, was friendly and approachable, and I made an instantaneous mini-decision as to whether to put “Reverend” at the beginning of his name.  And so he is “Ralph,” though I am always aware of the invisible title.
            Ralph was born in Miami.  When he was five, the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona.  He grew up there, and on graduation from high school enrolled in Biola Bible College, for by then he knew what he wanted to do in life.  At Biola he met Margie, who became his life partner.  Margie was born in Bellingham and her parents, George and Frances Monroe owned a funeral home, which they eventually sold to the Moles family.  Margie got her B.A. degree from Biola, then went on to earn her LPN from Biola’s School of Missionary Medicine.   Ralph also received his B.A. degree from Biola.
            They were married August 20, 1952 at her home church, the First Baptist Church of Ferndale.  For the next few years he worked at Safeway Grocery Store on Main Street, where the Athletic Store now is.  They also both worked for a brief period at The Firs, she as secretary to Grant Whipple.   
            In 1957 the church sent them to Brazil as missionaries, under the auspices of the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.  This was the beginning of 25 years of service in that country, and was an interesting and fulfilling time for them.  There their son Rawlie was born, in Sao Paulo.  Two years later while they were in the Amazon jungle, they flew to Iquitos, Peru for the birth of their daughter Joy.  Unfortunately, she had significant disabilities, and needed special care. They found that care for her at the Shepherd Home in Wisconsin, where she lived for 45 years. 
            They found life in the jungle had unexpected conveniences. Their first home was a comfortable brand new tool shed which their fellow missionaries built and let them use until the missionaries left for furlough in America.  Margie and Ralph moved into the   now-vacant missionary house.  It was complete with a flush toilet.  Supplies were readily available from a Columbian drug store across the Amazon River, and any ordered needs   took only a few weeks to arrive.  They even bought a kerosene-powered freezer, and taught the missionaries how to use this appliance efficiently.  
They taught in the village school, he the older children, she the younger, and   there was usually an enrollment of about 40 students. Classes were actually held in Ralph’s study, which was separate from their home.  The roof was thatched, and breezes blew through the structure, keeping them all comfortably cool. 
            After a decade of living in the jungle they were sent to Natal, Brazil.  Ralph was given the title of Director of the Berean Seminary, a school which trained young people to be pastors and church workers. They spent 14 years in Natal. 
            In the early eighties Margie became ill and they returned to Ferndale.  The First Baptist Church called him to be its pastor, and he served it for 18 years. 
As soon as he retired from First Baptist, the Shepherd Home contacted him and asked if he would be its West Coast representative.  For 11 years he and Margie traveled in their RV throughout 8 states.  He resigned from this position when Margie again had medical problems, but the company would not accept his resignation.  He was told to stay at home, take care of her, make customer contacts by telephone, and draw his salary.  He was 79 at this time. He did this for a year, then retired for good. 
       In 2012 Shepherd Home notified them that it could no longer care for their daughter because its staff was incapable of giving her the added care she needed. After some telephone calls, they were able to place her at the Christian Health Care Center of Lynden and she lived there until her death in July of the same year.
     Ralph had started the Ferndale Senior Center Bible Class while he was the minister of First Baptist, and taught it for 7 years, but gave it up after Shepherd's contacted him.  Later, in 2012, he was approached by the Center and gladly took over the class again. Expecting just a few people at the first session, he entered the room to find it filled with many faces.  The group is still growing today.

Their son and his family live in Stanwood, Rawlie and his wife have 3 children: 2 sons and a daughter.  Ralph occasionally works for him, paints buildings. Ralph also enjoys decorative painting, and in the past has done Thanksgiving and Christmas themes on Ferndale store windows.  
Asked about a personal philosophy for us all, he said "Live a Christian life that's pleasing to the Lord, and maintain a good relationship with your fellow man."  He himself follows it well.  

---And THE BOOK?  Yes, it's almost done, and he even divulged its name, till now unrevealed: From a Canoe to a Chevy-Brazil: Memories and Ministries.  So far, there are 195 "stories" depicting life on the Amazon.  A Bible verse is at the end of each one.  He envisions a Christmas release, and publication has already been arranged.  We will be waiting to read it, Ralph!

Written by Peggy Stone
August 2013


!