The REUBEN and EVELYN EWERT Story
Almost eighty years of testimony to the sufficiency of God’s Grace–that’s our story. The story really began before the foundation of the earth when God chose us for such a time as this. We pray that the story will continue to bring glory to God through the lives of our future generations until Christ returns. The few paragraphs that follow give the short version of our story through today.
Those Who Came Before
Our ancestors and past events have influenced our present lives greatly. We can trace our rich Christian heritage back to the 1700s. Our ancestors came out of similar struggles in northern Europe. As farmers, they worked in Germany and Russia. As persecuted Christians in both countries, they came to America to find the liberty to follow Christ as directed in the Bible. An entry in the log at Ellis Island shows that Reuben’s mother came to America with her parents when she was a little child. Many of Evelyn’s ancestors crossed the ocean in a ship named Colina and arrived in New York in 1874.
Both the Ewert and Boese (Evelyn) families farmed in South Dakota through the decades that followed. In the mid-1930s, severe drought caused both of their parents to seek work elsewhere. Reuben’s parents moved north of Duluth, Minnesota and Evelyn’s family moved to Saginaw, Michigan to resume farming. By 1941, Reuben’s parents had also moved to Michigan.
Both families faithfully took their families to the same church. Having heard the gospel preached frequently both Reuben and Evelyn accepted Christ as Saviour as children.
Evelyn’s Story
Evelyn had many brothers and sisters. Responsibilities on the farm taught many lessons. After graduating from high school, Evelyn attended Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music. Returning to Saginaw, MI her life was focused on family, church, and work. She was married to Reuben Ewert in 1955.
Reuben’s Story
Reuben graduated from high school in 1950 followed by two years at Moody Bible Institute. After serving one year in the army in Korea, he returned to Michigan to marry Evelyn Boese on March 19, 1955. This marriage has resulted in their serving together in many types of ministries.
The Midland Story
Midland, Michigan was home for the new couple for the next nineteen years. On the first Sunday in Midland, they joined a small church and were asked to assume responsibility for the youth ministry. For the next nineteen years, they ministered to those teenagers wholeheartedly perhaps as much as many youth pastors do fulltime. Reuben had a fulltime job in the computer field at Dow Corning, but his heart was with the youth. Reuben and Evelyn served in almost every aspect of the ministry including teacher, deacon, song leader, daily vacation Bible school, and organizing mission trips to minister to South Dakota Indians. All four of their children were born in Midland: Trina, Charlene, Renae, and Tonia. These four have multiplied until now there are a total of 26 in the whole clan.
With Reuben and Evelyn so greatly involved in serving the Lord in the local church, it no surprise that they should be called into fulltime ministry. In the middle of a recession in 1974, God began to speak to Reuben about quitting his job. After some struggle with that decision, he resigned from a secure job and sought direction as to their ministry.
The Living The Truth Story
After serving as an associate pastor in two churches, Reuben was sent by a local church to preach and teach on the burden of his heart–Biblical Living–in churches wherever God should lead. Thus the beginning of Living The Truth Ministry (see our Home page).
The Rest Of The Story
Reuben and Evelyn cut their schedule of meeting way back in 2009 in order to care for some physical problems that had been neglected while traveling on the road continuously for almost 30 years. They plan to hold forty meetings in 2010 and continue to do so as long as they are physically able.
Those that Follow After
Reuben and Evelyn would be greatly thrilled if each of their present children and grandchildren would carry on their rich Christian heritage and be able to write their own story about serving God. These are those who follow after:
Andy and Trina Thiry: Independent Contractor in Chattanooga
Nathan and Julie Thiry plus Elijah, Levi and Eliana: Missionaries
Jeremy and Heidi Thiry plus Jacob: South Carolina
Mark Thiry: Marine just finished third assignment in Iraq
Matthew and Sarah Thiry: Coast Guard in Tennessee
Charlene Ewert: Music Teacher in Pensacola, Florida
Rick and Renae Finley plus Karissa, Joshua, Kaleb, and Jacob
Tyler and Jessica Weitz in North Carolina
Aaron and Tonia Ebert plus Tyler and Kari in Pensacola, Florida