BY PASTOR MARK HOPPER
Pastor Mark Hopper
When our children were young, we always read them a story or two before they went to bed. So it is no surprise that our children do the same with their children. Maybe it is a universal requirement.
Recently we enjoyed spending time with some of our grandchildren. One of my jobs was to read a bedtime story to one of our grandsons. He is 6-years old, and growing and learning so much. Instead of reading your typical nursery rhyme or children’s story book, we decided to read a fascinating biography about the life of a man called, “Uncle Cam”. His parents have a number of these easy-to-read biographies about famous Christian leaders and missionaries.
Uncle Cam’s real name was Cameron Townsend. He grew up on a small farm in Southern California in the early 1900s and eventually launched a world-wide organization called Wycliffe Bible Translators that helped rural and illiterate people to read and write.
In addition to his literacy work, his goal was to translate the Bible into the languages of these people so they could know about God’s love for them. And, he wanted to improve their personal lives by teaching these people skills in agriculture and raising livestock.
One particular chapter really caught our attention. When Uncle Cam was working among a group in rural Mexico in the 1930s, he received an unexpected surprise. One day the President of Mexico actually came to visit him. The President had heard of the good things that Uncle Cam was doing for these people and he wanted to come and see it for himself.
My grandson and I were so surprised and excited when we read this. I’m sure that is a bedtime story that we will remember for a long time.
Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Ave. Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.
