During Missions Conference, Regina Bell told me her grandparents had led the way to ministry in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, where Regina had grown up as a third generation missionary (Regina is now with her husband and children ministering in the Dominican Republic). Ruth Scheltema, Regina’s grandmother, has written a couple of books about her missionary life.

If I’d Had My Way is an open, honest portrayal of Ruth’s struggles in her growth to sanctification as a missionary, missionary wife, and missionary mother!

Exciting to me was finding out the Scheltemas were sent out by Wealthy Street Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1959, almost the same time as that church sent my parents, with a pastor and a number of other young couples, to found Eastmont Baptist Church in the Forest Hills section of Grand Rapids.

Also, Dr. Harold Amstutz, the man at their mission agency (ABWE) who most influenced them to go to their eventual field was the father of Dr. Bill Amstutz, who headed Shepherds Ministries while Joey was at college there. He remains Joey’s friend and ours.

The book is amazing. It gives a clear look at missionary aviation in remote areas and at God’s faithfulness in all sorts of unexpected circumstances. Without spoiling any of her stories, I will say I was shocked to find out Regina’s mom played with children with leprosy growing up on the mission field. No one knew at the time because Portuguese was a second language for the Scheltemas but also for the indigenous people to whom they ministered. They simply did not use words in exactly the same way as their fellow Brazilians in the cities, like where Kathy and Kirk Hickok ministered.

This book is a treasure. Don’t miss it!