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By Adele Wickett
“RACHEL and I are marking 100 years of
marriage,” said ‘Uncle Roy’ Getman. “That’s
50 for her and 50 for me.”
Almost 300 guests arrived at Duncan’s Silver
Bridge Inn December 13, having travelled through the snow from points all
over B.C.’s coast – and far beyond.
They were celebrating the Getmans’ 50th wedding
anniversary, as well as 25th anniversaries for Tom and Debbie Maxie, and
Brian and Anne Burkholder.
All three couples have served on the boats of Coastal
Missions for decades, building friendships and gently spreading the good
news of Jesus. The crowd at the party took the opportunity to give back
some of the love they have received – in speeches, songs, notes,
hugs, laughter and gifts.
Roy Getman grew up living on a boat as his parents did
medical work in southeast Alaska. In 1971 he felt the Lord was calling him
to work with the Shantymen, who operated Camp Ross at Pachena Bay, as well
as visiting isolated coast-dwellers on the Messenger
III.
Brian Burkholder went to Camp Ross as a child, and made
a decision to follow Christ. Later, having lived the rough life of a
fisherman, he started hanging out at the camp again. In 1978 he sold his
fishboat and joined the mission team.
Like Brian, the other members of Coastal Missions got
their start with the Shantymen in their field training at Pachena Bay.
Coastal Missions was formed to carry on the boat-based
ministry the Shantymen had developed under Percy Wills, Earl Johnson and
others. As that generation stepped out of harness, Roy Getman put together
his team.
The team was divided into two crews, who took turns
traveling the coast in the mission’s boat. One crew paired the
married members with two single girls, Anne and Debbie. The other crew had
the bachelors, Tom Maxie and Brian Burkholder.
The bachelors were a bit envious. “You have these
advantages,” they said. “Men who contact the boat act more
dignified, more polite, when there are women aboard. With us, it’s
like a playground where we’re the new kids on the block.”
“Well, boys . . .” said Uncle Roy.
So the bachelors prayed, and separately each talked to
Uncle Roy. Brian was interested in Anne; Tom liked Debbie.
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In 1982 each fellow made the bold step of asking his
chosen to marry him. The boldness was necessary because each knew that he
was asking a woman to join him in living by faith, having no
‘secure’ salary. Yet each knew that the girls had already given
their lives and commitment to the Lord first. They were already called,
living by faith with no false expectations. They understood what was
required.
“Tom and Debbie were married in December 1982,
and Brian and Anne in February 1983. We put on seven showers, two weddings
and two open house receptions,” says Joan McKee, another of the team
members.
Joan, known as ‘Petunia’ to most people,
played the busy hostess for this year’s celebration, too, along with
fellow missionary Gloria Troll. The two of them spent a year planning the
party, creating a guest list from the mission’s supporters as well as
many of the friends they have visited on the Coastal
Messenger.
They held a couple of garage sales and used unexpected
special gifts to finance the event, prayerfully choosing the presenters of
the program.
“Uncle Percy used to say, ‘You need to have
reasons to celebrate,’” says Petunia. “’Make sure
it’s a good shindig.’”
Indeed they made sure it was a good shindig. Comments
in the guest book said the guests were in awe of an event like that. It was
“positive” and “happy.” “There was no
alcohol.” And they “left feeling Wow!”
February 2009
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