Participants: C. A. Murray (Host), Larren Cole
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY016089A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people. 01:07 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:10 My name is Greg Morikone and my dear wife, Jill, 01:14 and it's always a blessing 01:15 to be able to share some time with you 01:17 in your living room as we're in the 3ABN living room here. 01:22 Thank you so much for your prayers, 01:24 your financial support for the ministry of 3ABN. 01:27 It's because of Jesus Christ and you, 01:30 your prayers and support financially, 01:32 especially that means so very much to us 01:34 and are making a difference around the world. 01:37 That's neat, isn't it? 01:38 We can be asleep at night 01:41 and the gospel message over 3ABN 01:43 is going around the world 24 hours a day 01:47 and lives are being touched for eternity 01:49 because we get letters here, 01:51 and when we go out 01:52 to meet you at camp meetings or church events, 01:55 we hear wonderful stories of how God is... 01:59 Boy, just impressing on people to give their lives to Him 02:03 and it's a blessing. 02:04 But we have a wonderful testimony should we say, 02:07 mission stories, 02:08 this is gonna be an exciting interview today. 02:10 It is. 02:11 And we are so privileged and honored 02:13 to have Dr. Samuel DeShay and his wife, Bernice, with us. 02:17 Dr. DeShay is a medical doctor, 02:20 you're an accomplished concert pianist. 02:23 You and your wife served in Africa for years 02:25 as a missionary and they have an exciting testimony. 02:29 God brought them out miraculously. 02:31 They served in Nigeria and then Biafra 02:34 and then they have an exciting story 02:36 how they escaped, 02:37 how God used them in ministry there 02:40 and you served as health and temperance direction 02:43 for the general conference 02:44 so we are privileged and honored 02:46 to have both of you here with us today. 02:48 Thank you. Thank you very much. 02:50 Yeah, and this is not the first time 02:53 for you to come to 3ABN. 02:54 No, it's not. You are dear friends with... 02:58 May Chang. 02:59 With, yeah, who had passed away not long ago 03:01 but she of course was, 03:03 well, Danny Shelton called her mom. 03:05 Yes. 03:06 She was a tremendous support of the ministry of 3ABN 03:09 from the very beginning 03:10 and you all knew her very closely. 03:13 Yes. 03:14 And, of course, her support of the ministry 03:15 has meant so very much to 3ABN. 03:18 So there is a neat commonality there. 03:20 Yes. Amen. 03:22 Yeah, for sure. 03:23 Well, you know, 03:24 Danny was brought to our home by May 03:28 and he visited our place in those days 03:32 and May used to stay with us 03:34 and go around the world with us, you know. 03:37 Whenever she came to Maryland. 03:39 And we used to go with her and she would give donations 03:42 at all these different places, you know. 03:44 So they always wanted us to come. 03:46 Amen. 03:48 You know, she's a special lady because she has... 03:51 You know, had a heart for God and for mission work. 03:54 That's right. Oh, yes. 03:55 And we know both of you do too because we've read, well, 03:58 there's a wonderful book that they have too 04:00 and we've read this outline and part of the book too 04:02 and gone through that and, boy, tell you, 04:04 they have a heart for God, don't they? 04:05 Amen. Amen. 04:06 We're so blessed to have you both here 04:08 and before we unpackage your story, 04:09 we want to go to music 04:10 but before the music, there's a scripture. 04:13 I asked Dr and Mrs. DeShay if there was a scripture 04:15 that they especially enjoyed 04:17 or that meant something to them in your life work in ministry. 04:21 And that's Proverbs 3:1-3. 04:25 The Bible says, "My son, do not forget my law, 04:29 But let your heart keep my commands, 04:32 For length of days and long life and peace 04:35 they will add to you. 04:37 Let not mercy and truth forsake you, 04:40 Bind them around your neck, 04:42 Write them on the tablet of your heart, 04:44 And so find favor and high esteem 04:46 in the sight of God and man." 04:49 Praise the Lord. Amen. 04:51 That's a wonderful life of verse that you have. 04:54 Before we go to their testimony, 04:56 we want to go to Pastor Wintley Phipps. 04:58 He's a wonderful friend of this ministry, 05:01 a minister and a minister in music. 05:03 And he's gonna be ministering to us right now a song, 05:06 Near the Cross. 05:40 Jesus, keep me 05:44 Near the cross 05:48 There a precious fountain 05:55 Free to all 05:59 A healing stream 06:04 Flows from Calv'ry's mountain 06:11 In the cross, in the cross 06:19 Be my glory ever 06:26 Till my raptured soul shall find 06:48 Near the cross 06:51 A trembling soul 06:56 Love and Mercy found me 07:03 There the bright and morning star 07:10 Sheds its beams around me 07:19 Near the cross, in the cross 07:26 Be my glory ever 07:33 Till my raptured soul shall find 07:41 Rest beyond the river 08:18 Near the cross 08:22 O Lamb of God 08:26 Bring its scenes before me 08:34 Help me walk 08:37 From day to day 08:41 With its shadows o'er me 08:50 In the cross 08:54 In the cross 08:57 Be my glory ever 09:05 Till my raptured soul 09:11 Shall find 09:13 Rest beyond the river. 09:41 Amen. Amen. 09:42 Thank you so much, Elder Wintley Phipps, 09:44 that was a beautiful song, Near the Cross. 09:47 If you're just joining us, we have Dr. Samuel DeShay 09:50 and his wife, Bernice with us. 09:52 And it is a privilege and a joy to have you here at 3ABN 09:56 and you know, you both know Pastor Wintley Phipps. 10:00 Yes. Very well. Yes. 10:01 We know most people. 10:03 You know, I was gonna say that 'cause as we're sitting here, 10:06 you know, watching this wonderful song 10:09 by Pastor Phipps, we just said, "So you know Pastor Phipps?" 10:11 And they laughed and said, "Oh, yes." 10:13 And, you Dr. DeShay said, 10:15 "I've actually accompanied him." 10:17 That's right. Yes. 10:18 And he was actually a pastor. 10:20 Yes, he was a pastor 10:21 at the Emmanuel Brinklow Church, in there. 10:23 You said started out with... 10:25 Seventy-six members was in the congregation 10:27 when he became the pastor but by the time he left, 10:30 we were more than 300. 10:32 Praise the Lord for his ministry. 10:33 Now there are more than a thousand. 10:35 Yes. Wow. 10:37 It's really grown your church there. 10:38 Oh, yes. Yes. 10:40 Amen. It has grown. 10:41 But I started off as a young pianist. 10:45 You know, they made me the pianist when I was 13. 10:49 Wow. Wow. 10:51 For the church? For the church. 10:52 Yeah. Well, let's go back. 10:54 Tell us a little bit about your growing up years 10:57 and then how you met. 10:58 Let's start there, Dr. DeShay and then we really want to see 11:01 how God has led in your life, you as a couple, 11:04 missionaries and wonderful stories 11:05 that you have 11:07 and time will get away from us in a hurry, I know, 11:08 'cause there's some wonderful stories. 11:10 Can we go back even before your birth? 11:11 Can we back to your mom and dad because you have a book, 11:14 'Out of Biafra by Canoe' 11:17 and you talk in the first chapter about 11:19 how your mom and dad met? 11:21 So tell us about that, the miracle of that? 11:22 Well, I should that my mom and dad 11:25 were very active in the church 11:29 but my mom's grandfather was born in 1824. 11:35 Oh, wow. 11:36 And he became the first Seventh-day Adventist 11:40 in the family and then after that, 11:44 he died at 114 11:47 which was probably longer than most of the people 11:51 in those days, you know. 11:52 Oh, yeah. Even now, yes. 11:54 By double. A 114. 11:57 Incredible. 11:59 And my mom's mother will be a 100 years old next month. 12:04 Not your mom's mother, your wife's mother. 12:06 I'm sorry. 12:08 So you have some longevity there 12:11 in both sides of the family? 12:12 Yes, it's a blessing, you know. God blessed us. 12:15 But Mom and Dad DeShay met in the church. 12:18 Dad DeShay had come from Kentucky 12:21 and he had never been around people 12:23 who did not smoke. 12:25 Okay. 12:26 And one day, the friends 12:28 that he was living with said to him, 12:29 "Come on, you ought to go to church with me. 12:30 I will show you a church where people never smoke." 12:32 And he said, "No such church exist." 12:36 So when he came to the church, of course, Mom was the usher. 12:39 Okay. 12:40 And of course, she greeted him 12:41 and she was quite an attractive young lady. 12:44 And he thought, "My, you know, I'll come back here again?" 12:47 And he did but eventually, 12:50 he wanted to have a friendship with her 12:54 and as my husband mentioned in the book, 12:57 she was not so willing 12:59 and the church members of course, were quite upset. 13:02 'Cause he was not an Adventist? He was not an Adventist. 13:04 He's not an Adventist. And he was still smoking. 13:06 And he had just come from Kentucky. 13:08 Kentucky. 13:09 Which is where the DeShays had originated. 13:11 Okay. 13:13 And my grandfather, 13:15 my great uncle had a large farm, 13:20 400 acres, you know, upper Kentucky. 13:24 So when he got to the church and met this young lady, 13:27 the people in the church said to him, 13:30 "You had better be careful." 13:32 And eventually, they decided they would go for a walk 13:35 and their relationship reached a point 13:38 where he wanted to marry her. 13:40 Well, this was not to be heard of. 13:42 Right. Nobody in the city knew him. 13:45 So she decided to pray. And she prayed and she prayed. 13:51 And she had the same answer for three consecutive prayers. 13:56 And so she confronted him. And what was the answer? 13:59 The answer was that he had been married before. 14:03 And he had had a child 14:04 and the mother had died in childbirth 14:07 and of course, he had come to Ohio... 14:09 And the baby. And the baby. 14:11 And she had a dream about that. She had a dream three times. 14:13 Wow. 14:14 And so when she confronted him, 14:16 he was blown and he said to my husband, 14:21 "It just took my life away 14:23 to know that the Lord had shared with her my life 14:27 because nobody in the congregation knew that." 14:30 So it was the truth. It was the truth. 14:32 He had been married and taken both the mother and the child, 14:35 the baby had died in childbirth. 14:37 And he then knew he better relate to this lady 14:40 and he better go to this church. 14:42 So he became an Adventist 14:44 and they were subsequently married. 14:47 What a staunch Seventh-day Adventist. 14:49 Yes, he was the first Adventist from his church. 14:51 And there was a lady by the name of Dobbins, 14:54 Bonnie Dobbins, lived in Oberlin. 14:57 And she took him under her wing 15:00 and showed him all the things about the church and all... 15:05 How to be a leader... Like mentored him. 15:07 Mentored him, literally. Yes. 15:08 Praise the Lord. 15:10 And he became of course, 15:11 the staunch leader of the church 15:13 and they subsequently had five children, 15:15 three boys and two girls. 15:16 Amen. 15:18 So where do you come in the line, Dr. DeShay? 15:20 I'm the last... The baby 15:21 Of the children. 15:23 He's the last of the first four. 15:24 He has a younger sister, Beverly Artise, 15:27 you've heard of Walter Artise... 15:29 Of course. Yes. 15:30 Well, Beverly is his younger sister. 15:32 Okay. Incredible. 15:35 So what was life like 15:37 growing up in the DeShay household? 15:40 Well, you know, the interesting thing was, 15:43 in Columbus, it was not bad. 15:46 Columbus, Ohio. 15:47 'Cause Columbus was a nice place, you know, 15:48 and there were lot of significant people 15:51 around that area including the Harding family. 15:55 Okay. 15:56 And we became friends of Dr. Harding 15:59 and all of that clan, you see. 16:02 And Dr. Harding was just a wonderful person to me, 16:07 all through. 16:10 When I started piano 16:11 with one of the members of the church 16:13 who was a German Seventh-day Adventist, 16:17 German-African and he was a piano teacher 16:22 and he taught me to play but he told me, 16:25 said, "Now, son," he said, 16:28 "I'm telling you, you have to be careful 16:32 and you have to do what I tell you." 16:35 And he was a, you know, very good. 16:40 So he assigned me, he said, 16:42 "I'm giving you three songs to learn." 16:44 Okay. 16:46 When I came back for my next lesson, I had 20. 16:50 And he just couldn't believe it, he thought... 16:53 He was amazed. "Are you kidding me?" 16:54 He said, "You have 20 songs?" I said, "Yeah, I have 20." 16:58 So I played all 20 for him 16:59 and he just couldn't believe it. 17:01 How old were you then when you started in...? 17:03 Thirteen, I was 12. 17:05 He started at 12 but he was 13 at this time. 17:08 Wow. 17:09 Because, didn't you say, at 13, you were the church pianist? 17:11 Yes. One year later. 17:13 That's where I'm just getting at. 17:14 So I took music lessons it seems for years 17:16 and I didn't do so well. 17:19 So, one year, you started piano lessons, 17:22 I guess you had an interest. 17:24 You didn't start at four or five years old. 17:25 You started at 12 and at 13, you're church pianist. 17:28 Yes. 17:29 You must have been, 17:31 God's obviously given you a gift in music. 17:32 Yes, He did. He did. 17:34 Well, the interesting thing was that his siblings, 17:36 his sister had taken piano lessons, 17:38 the other sister... 17:39 But my sister was outstanding. 17:40 Before you? Yes. 17:42 Okay? 17:43 But his father had said to him, 17:44 "None of them are doing anything 17:46 with the music that I've paid for." 17:47 Like me, what happened to me? 17:49 So he said, "If you want music, 17:50 you're gonna have to pay for it yourself." 17:51 So then he had to get a job to pay for his music. 17:53 At 12. So you did? 17:55 I got a job at 12. You got a job... 17:56 He was gonna show him that, I have it, so he did. 17:59 That's the motivation. 18:00 And I never missed paying for my lessons. 18:03 Wow. 18:04 And I took for years 18:07 but I never missed paying on time. 18:08 Yes, for years. I paid on time. 18:10 And you practiced hard? 18:12 Oh, yes. Always. 18:14 Now you've progressed to the point, 18:16 you went to some competitions, right? 18:18 Oh, yeah, I went to many, many competitions, 18:21 'cause, you know, in those days 18:22 that was a big deal. 18:24 Right. 18:25 So they wanted you to compete 18:27 and I got in all these competitions 18:31 and they would have you come and play 18:33 with all these different people 18:34 and then they would vote to see who had done the best. 18:39 And did you have any competitions? 18:40 Were there any competitions scheduled for Friday night? 18:43 Yes. It started off on Friday. 18:45 So, what happened to them? 18:47 So, you as a Seventh-day Adventist... 18:48 Yes. 18:50 You know, you might have some issues with that, right? 18:52 For playing in a competition on a Friday night, 18:55 on the Sabbath, God's holy day. 18:57 And mom had told me, 18:59 "Son, you're not gonna do this on Friday night." 19:04 I said, "That's right." 19:06 So she said, "Don't worry." 19:07 She said, "The Lord will do something better for you." 19:09 Wow. Oh. 19:11 And so I didn't. She had a strong faith. 19:13 And so, you know, she just kept pushing me, 19:17 "Son, go ahead." 19:18 She said, "You can do it." 19:20 And my father always had the attitude, 19:22 "Son, you can do anything." 19:24 He said, "Don't even worry." He said, "Just keep on." 19:28 And the school that I went to, 19:31 I looked up one day in the public school 19:35 and my mom was sitting in, normally I said, 19:37 "What are you doing here?" 19:39 And she said, "Just hold on." 19:42 And they called me up 19:45 and they gave me all of these honors, you know, 19:49 and I had done well in chemistry 19:50 and all these things, you know, and so they said, 19:54 "Now we're gonna give you 19:56 the honor of the highest award in school." 20:00 So they gave me this. 20:02 So not only in music, academics, 20:04 the Lord has given you a great gift. 20:06 Yes. Scholastically. 20:07 Yes, yes. Yes, scholastically. 20:09 Now, you also had a desire from a young age, 20:11 not only were you gifted musically 20:13 but you were interested in medical things. 20:15 Yes. 20:17 So at what age did you think, "I want to be a doctor." 20:20 Did that come to you at a young age? 20:22 Yes. 20:24 I had decided by the time I was in the ninth grade 20:28 that I should go into medicine. 20:30 Wow. 20:32 And so I was attempting 20:35 but the school didn't have Latin 20:38 and I said, "But I have to have Latin." 20:40 Yeah. 20:42 They said, "We don't touch. We don't touch Latin here." 20:44 I said, "Well, I have to have it 20:46 in order to go to the next level." 20:48 Yes. 20:50 So they said, "Well, what are we gonna do?" 20:52 So they said, "We'll look. 20:54 We'll do something special for you." 20:56 I said, "Okay." 20:57 So they said, "We're gonna send you over 20:59 to the next school 21:01 where it's a little more advanced 21:03 and we will allow you to have Latin in that school." 21:09 Now in those days, 21:10 they had segregated school systems. 21:11 Yes, the schools were segregated. 21:13 And in the black schools, Latin was not taught. 21:14 So then he had to be carted over to a non-black school 21:18 where Latin was a regular part of the... 21:20 So how did that go? 21:21 The school was a very good school though. 21:24 Okay. 21:25 But I, you know, I went over to the Latin school 21:30 and I decided I was gonna ahead and study the Latin 21:34 but I took it very seriously. 21:38 And so the Latin teacher was a very interesting lady 21:42 and every exam, she would reseat the students, 21:46 so the first student in the first row was the top A. 21:50 Okay. 21:52 And then on down the line... 21:54 So the one in the back row in the corner was the F? 21:57 F, that's right. 21:59 You don't want to be in that seat, right? 22:00 You don't want the back row seat. 22:02 You don't want anybody to see you there. 22:04 All right. 22:06 So you were very diligent you said. 22:07 Yes. 22:08 That could be some peak motivation. 22:10 And I went on and I, you know, I decided I would do my best 22:15 and I got in the A row and eventually, 22:17 got to the first seat. 22:19 Wow. 22:20 And so I should, 22:21 now I think God has blessed me with this. 22:24 And the teacher was not very happy 22:26 with that however. 22:27 No, the teacher was not happy. She got very upset. 22:30 Anyway, we went along. 22:32 That you would let a student from another school 22:33 come over and... 22:34 Yes, she would pound on the desk, 22:36 you know, "You should think of it. 22:38 You would allow this student to come here 22:40 from another school and surpass all of you." 22:43 She said, "I'm so angry." 22:45 And she would pound on the desk, 22:47 you know, and all of this, you know. 22:49 But I said, "Well, so it so be." 22:52 Well, that's difficult. 22:54 There is a lot of racial tensions in those days. 22:55 Great deal. Yes, yes. 22:58 So how did you deal with that? 23:01 Well, I just continued to study 23:03 and I continued to progress. 23:06 That's a good way. No point that you can do it. 23:07 And, you know, as time went on, 23:09 I decided to just, you know, keep studying and continue. 23:14 Amen. 23:15 And then of course, I was doing the music and, 23:17 you know, the music helps you with all these other things. 23:21 Yes, it does. 23:22 Because when you do, you know, studies and music, 23:26 it kind of helps you up mentally. 23:30 I believe that. 23:32 I was just gonna say, 23:33 you didn't let it discourage you. 23:34 You kept pressing forward. You kept studying. 23:36 I'm gonna be the best that I can be, 23:39 that God has given me to be and I agree with you, 23:41 music helps scholastically, intellectually, emotionally, 23:46 all of those things that helps. 23:47 So you've reached a certain point, 23:49 you're getting close to college and you're good at music 23:52 but yeah, you want to do medicine. 23:53 So how did you decide, I want to pursue medicine? 23:57 How did you decide... 23:58 Well, I went to Union College... 23:59 You want a career in music or medicine? Okay. 24:01 I went to Union college 24:02 and Union College had a professor there 24:05 by the name Guy C. Jorgensen. 24:09 Okay. 24:10 Well, Jorgensen was a head of chemistry. 24:14 And Jorgensen, 24:16 he would have a test every year 24:19 and the student who did the best 24:20 would be his reader. 24:23 So I became his reader 24:26 and then I progressed to each year 24:30 and progressed all right. 24:32 And so he took me in his, kind of, charge. 24:37 So he helped me greatly 24:39 and he did little funny things, you know. 24:41 He would say, 24:43 "Sam," he said, "look, 24:46 I want you to help me out here." 24:48 I said, "Okay, what do you need?" 24:50 He said, "Well," he said, 24:53 "I need a reader for my department. 24:57 And he will grade the student scores 24:59 and be my assistant." 25:02 He said, "I want you to do that." 25:04 I said, "Me?" 25:06 Well, they hadn't had any black students as anything. 25:10 Sure. Wow. Yeah. 25:11 So then they asked me to do that 25:13 and when the people would come from Union college, 25:16 they were coming from South and Arkansas 25:19 and all these different places, you know, 25:21 and I thought, "Well." 25:23 But they would ask me, "How did you get to be this?" 25:26 I said, "What do you mean?" 25:27 You're the assistant here. Well, amazing. 25:30 They said, "How did you get to be this?" 25:31 I said, "Well, I don't know." 25:33 You know, it's neat to see how God has, 25:35 you know, led in your life. 25:36 Yes. 25:37 You know, 'cause you think about this, obviously, 25:39 you didn't just sit back and do nothing. 25:40 You worked very hard. You're very diligent. 25:42 God gave you many talents. That's right. 25:44 And but you worked hard at them, 25:46 and so now you are here in college, 25:48 and then you started having some, is it some dreams 25:51 or some impressions about death? 25:53 Yes. Isn't that correct? 25:54 Tell us a little bit about that experience 25:56 and then what happened? 25:57 Well, in those later years, 25:59 I started having symptoms 26:01 that I might be concerned about, 26:05 but I just put them off as, 26:07 you know, sort of background things. 26:10 Meet some health challenges, issues maybe. 26:13 Yes. 26:15 And I think one of the things that influenced it was, 26:16 he had a brother who was a pastor, 26:18 who did have medical issues that were quite severe... 26:22 Serious. 26:23 But of course, he lived until he was 70, 26:24 so the Lord blessed him. 26:26 Amen. 26:29 But those were the good old days. 26:31 So you wondered about your own mortality 26:34 and then you found the Lord. 26:36 Oh, I thought I was dying. I really did. 26:39 You thought you were dying? Yeah, well. 26:40 What about the time when you were in the worship 26:44 and you had a answer to prayer, 26:47 when the Lord told you that you would not die? 26:50 Ooh! Wow! Tell us about that experience? 26:52 Yes, I was, you know, 26:54 a lot of times I had impressions 26:57 that things were kind of serious. 27:01 And I wondered about it 27:02 but I would pray and ask the Lord, 27:04 and then Lord assured me that, 27:06 "No, everything would be all right." 27:08 But I went home, after I... 27:13 I went to Loma Linda, 27:15 I came down with this thing on my leg, 27:18 you know, it was a little lump. 27:19 Oh. 27:21 And it troubled me and I worried about it 27:23 but I wasn't but till about 19 or 18... 27:28 You were 20. 27:30 Twenty years old, so just in college... 27:31 Twenty-three. 27:33 Just in college, you were in... 27:34 Now in medical school in Loma Linda. 27:36 Okay, medical school. 27:38 And I decided to go and see the physician. 27:44 That's a good thing if you discover a lump. 27:45 Yes. I mean, you know. 27:47 But of course, they were doing physical exams. 27:48 He was in his second year of medical school. 27:51 Okay. 27:52 And they were doing physicals, 27:53 learning how to do physicals and when he did himself, 27:56 he started palpitating on his own legs 27:59 and he felt this lump. 28:01 Wow. 28:03 But I went to the physician 28:06 and the physician was very casual, 28:11 and I didn't like the way he handled things 28:13 because I felt, 28:15 "Well, he was the school physician 28:16 but he didn't seem to..." 28:18 Be concerned. Much interest, no. 28:21 So I told him, I said, "No, I'm not satisfied." 28:25 So he insisted that I go and see the surgeon. 28:29 So he sent me over to see the surgeon at Loma Linda. 28:32 Dr. Miller. 28:33 And Dr. Miller who had been there 28:35 from time whatever, he said, 28:38 my mother was the first nurse in charge 28:42 of the clinics at Loma Linda. 28:43 Wow. 28:45 He said, "I'm very pleased to meet you." 28:46 He said, "But, listen." 28:47 He said, "This is very, very serious." 28:49 Ooh. 28:50 He said, "This has to come out immediately." 28:54 And I think that was like one day 28:56 and within another two days, 28:57 he had me in the hospital at Loma Linda, 29:00 and they operated me and they took out this tumor. 29:04 They lifted the whole thing out, 29:06 from knee to hip. 29:07 Ooh. This is substantially... 29:10 Yeah, they took out the whole muscle. 29:11 And it was quite a dramatic thing and of course, 29:14 I went through many changes mentally. 29:17 Of course. 29:19 But I went home and one of my old Sabbath school teachers, 29:25 you know, he said, "Oh, DeShay." 29:28 He said, "Listen." 29:31 He said, "I had diabetes 29:34 and I prayed to the Lord that He would heal me 29:39 but He didn't heal me, 29:40 so what makes you think He's gonna heal you?" 29:43 Wow. 29:44 And I went back and tell my mother, she said, 29:46 "Son, don't listen to him." 29:48 Yeah. 29:49 She said, "That man is not, 29:52 he's not having a Spirit a God." 29:54 She said, "No, don't listen to him." 29:56 So anyway I thought that was very interesting. 29:59 It was a rhabdomyosarcoma. It was a rhabdomyosarcoma. 30:02 It was serious. Very serious. 30:04 And at that time, of course, all the people that had had it, 30:07 because there was no chemotherapy, 30:09 there was no radiation, either surgery or... 30:12 And everyone else was in a bottle 30:14 because they had not had many... 30:16 So they had them all in bottles on the shelves. 30:18 Like that before. 30:20 So... So this is extremely rare. 30:22 Extremely rare. Yeah. 30:23 So following that surgery, he decided, 30:26 "Well, I'm not gonna be able to finish medicine." 30:29 They gave him four years to live. 30:30 Even after the surgery. 30:32 After the surgery, 30:33 he had four years to live and he said, 30:35 "Well, if I'm going to finish medicine, 30:36 that's two more years. 30:38 One year of internship then, my demise." 30:43 So he decided to go to the seminary. 30:45 So he left medicine and went to the seminary. 30:48 He figured, "Well, I can do the seminary in one year 30:51 and then I would have at least three years to work 30:54 before my life would be taken." 30:57 But after going to the seminary, 30:59 his mother told him, 31:01 "Look, the Lord just wanted you to be humble. 31:04 You're not going to die. 31:06 You should go on back to medicine." 31:08 And of course, 31:09 he had to go back to medicine but in order to get in, 31:13 he had to have somebody to refer... 31:15 But my mother was a very strong person. 31:17 Amen. Strong influence. 31:19 And that's when Dr. Harding came to his assistance. 31:21 Okay. 31:23 Dr. Harding then wrote to Loma Linda telling them 31:26 that they should readmit this young man 31:28 'cause in those days, 31:30 you know, it wasn't easy for us to get into Loma Linda. 31:33 Yes. 31:34 And for him to have taken the time out, 31:36 they thought was not reasonable but when Dr. Harding wrote, 31:41 they reconsented and took him back in. 31:44 Is this the Dr. Harding 31:45 who was brother of the then president of the United States? 31:48 That's right. Yes. 31:49 So this is a pretty good letter of recommendation. 31:51 Very good. 31:53 That's a potential letter of recommendation 31:56 for many reasons. 31:58 That's some influence for sure. 32:01 And the fact that I was black was another issue, you know. 32:06 Sure. 32:08 Because they didn't take but two a year. 32:09 Two of us a year. Oh, wow. 32:11 Two blacks, no matter how many were qualified? 32:13 Wow, it's amazing. 32:15 And they had taken me in 32:17 and then many people tried to figure out, 32:19 "Well, why did they take you?" 32:22 And I said, "Well, I don't know 32:24 but I guess the Lord had something to do with it." 32:27 You know, that's very, you know, 32:28 when you think about life, you know, a young man, 32:30 early 20s... 32:31 Yes. 32:33 Facing basically a condition that could take your life 32:35 and your future was so bright in two fields 32:38 that I'm thinking of right now is music and medicine 32:41 and then to be grappling with that, boy, 32:43 that will really 32:46 either it'll take you closer to the Lord 32:48 or turn you to the other direction. 32:49 That's right. 32:51 But what amazes me is that God put it in your heart, 32:54 "Okay, I don't think I can finish medicine, 32:56 so let me go to seminary 32:57 and still maybe have a few years of service." 33:00 To me that shows his heart. 33:01 It shows a heart of ministry 33:02 and God spared you for a purpose. 33:05 I look at the clock, our time is going. 33:06 So let's go to when you two met 33:08 'cause we want to get to those miracles 33:10 and mission story in Africa, so let's... 33:12 I probably gonna bring up that story. 33:13 Yes. 'Cause it will get too long. 33:14 Perfect. 33:16 Tell us how you met and how that happened? 33:17 Because how you became Mrs. DeShay? 33:18 Well, we met while we were colporteuring in Pittsburg, 33:22 there was a... 33:23 While he's in medical school. 33:25 He was going to go to medical school 33:26 that fall and I was... 33:28 I had been already two years. Okay. 33:30 He had been two years. It was after the surgery? 33:32 No, no, no, no. Was it after the surgery? 33:34 No, this was before the surgery. 33:35 When you first met? 33:37 We first met when you were doing your colporteuring 33:38 to get your entrance to Loma Linda. 33:40 Okay. 33:42 I was colporteuring 33:43 because I had finished pre-nursing at Oakwood, 33:46 but I wanted to go back to college and mother said, 33:48 "There is no way." 33:50 There's no money to go back to college 33:51 so I chose to sell magazines. 33:53 And when we got to Pittsburg... This is the mother who's 99. 33:56 When we got to Pittsburg, of course, 33:58 he was there selling books and our director, 34:02 Ms. Nancy Harris decided that 34:05 he should be interested in another young lady 34:08 who was not interested in him at all. 34:09 Okay. 34:11 And that was, and the rest of us 34:12 weren't interested, 34:14 but as soon as I got the money that would pay for one semester 34:19 left at Oakwood that I wanted to attend, 34:21 I called my mother and said, 34:23 "Please, send me money, so I can come home. 34:26 I'm finished. 34:27 I don't need to work anymore this summer." 34:29 And Ms. Harris said, 34:30 "Well, Samuel DeShay needs more books, 34:33 so we'll give him what you have left 34:35 and he can add that to his and we'll subtract it from, 34:39 you know, we'll make sure you get the credit for it." 34:41 That was fine. 34:43 So I left one half and when I got to school, 34:46 instead of them crediting my account, 34:48 they had debited my account. 34:50 So I had this animosity in my heart to this gentleman. 34:55 And eventually, when I... That's not a good start. 34:57 Wasn't a good start. 34:59 When he went back to medicine, 35:01 so then after he had been out for two years, 35:04 when he was out for two years, 35:05 then I went to Loma Linda 35:07 and probably, he was in his last semester, 35:10 just before he left to go to the seminary, 35:12 and a friend of mine from China, 35:15 was a close friend of mine and she was a vocalist... 35:17 And I used to play for her all the time. 35:18 He used to play for her. 35:20 So she was telling him, "You should be dating Bernice." 35:22 And of course, I didn't know anything about this 35:25 but he would, you know, just, he didn't make any ascension, 35:29 but then they told that he was dying, 35:31 so this young lady and I would write him cards to say, 35:34 you know, "May the Lord bless you..." 35:35 Encouragement. Yes. And go on. 35:37 Then he came back to Loma Linda, 35:39 when he got back to Loma Linda, 35:40 I'm now a junior nursing student 35:43 and there were five of us Black girls at Loma Linda, 35:46 so he chose to take all five of us out at one time. 35:49 Oh, a group date. A group date. 35:52 He's gonna take us skating. 35:53 We did not know that he was taking us for his sister 35:57 to preview us all. 35:59 So he took us by his sister's house 36:02 and she had two small children and we went there 36:06 and I walk into this room, and of course, she's, 36:08 her husband is not there, so she has clothes piled up, 36:13 she has dishes in the sink 36:14 and she's working everyday with these two pre-schoolers, 36:18 so all the young ladies went into the living room 36:20 and sat down and I said to her, 36:22 "There is no way I can sit down. 36:24 What can I do to help you so that we can leave 36:26 'cause we want to go skating?" 36:28 So she said, "Fine. If you'll just iron my dress." 36:31 So we did and then we all left. 36:34 Well, I did not know that she said to him the next day, 36:38 "Of all five, the only one you should date is Bernice 36:42 because she's not gonna be interested in your money 36:45 and all those things." 36:46 You have a servant's heart. 36:48 But in the meantime, that was fine. 36:49 That's beautiful. 36:50 But that summer before I met him then, 36:54 he had gone to my home to meet my mother 36:57 with the young man that I was dating. 36:59 She was to me, to marry a pastor. 37:02 And my mother wrote me back and said, 37:04 "We don't have money for you to get married. 37:08 You have only one more year. You're in your junior year. 37:10 One more year. Wait." 37:12 That made sense to me so I said, "Fine." 37:14 But he had taken Samuel, his brother and our friend, 37:18 Johnny who wrote the questions for us. 37:21 He had taken them with him to talk to my mother 37:24 and my mother had written to me and said, 37:27 "Well, why don't you get interested in Johnny 37:29 or William, who was his brother or that Sam DeShay, 37:32 that Sam DeShay was so much fun." 37:35 And of course, my answer to her was... 37:37 I can see that. 37:38 My answer to her was, "He is going straight to hell." 37:43 He is going... That's rather a strong sound. 37:47 Because I said, he's going to be a physician 37:49 and these physicians are only interested in women 37:53 and money and I cannot go to hell with him. 37:57 Okay. 37:59 So... Wow. 38:00 So when I... 38:02 He had accomplished right against... 38:03 There was... 38:05 When I get this letter from my mother 38:06 and it's all settled. 38:08 So when he comes back to Loma Linda 38:09 and he takes us all out for this date, 38:12 there's nothing in me that says, you know... 38:14 Right. 38:15 He's an interesting person 38:17 but anyway his sister chose me, he didn't. 38:19 His sister did. Wow. 38:20 So what year were both of you married? 38:23 In 1960. Wow. 38:26 Incredible. 1960. 38:27 We finished in '59. 38:29 So almost 60 years of marriage and teamwork together 38:33 because fast forwarding then, you guys get married... 38:36 Yes. 38:37 And then you get involved in the mission field. 38:39 You received the call from the General Conference though? 38:41 Yes, we both had signed up before he had met. 38:43 Okay. To be missionaries. 38:45 So when the call came, there was no discussion. 38:48 We were both ready to go. Yes, let's do it. 38:50 Amen, amen. 38:51 We were working at the Riverside hospital 38:53 in Nashville, Tennessee at that time. 38:55 Okay. 38:56 And the General Conference sent everything, 38:57 telegrams, everything. 38:59 Supposed to come immediately that we were greatly needed, 39:03 so we left and went over. 39:04 They had never sent a black physician out before. 39:07 That was the first time? Was the first time. 39:09 Very first one. 39:10 So this was going to be 39:12 an interesting experience but... 39:13 What year did the call come? 39:15 1960 it came, but we left in '61. 39:18 So it was right after you got married 39:19 then you received the call? 39:20 Oh, yes, we were married for a year. 39:22 Well, I should mention that the lady 39:23 that I went to get help from in Pittsburg 39:27 where I met her was Dr. Ladicy Isabelle Blake, 39:33 graduate of American Missionary College. 39:36 She had worked with Kwahu. 39:38 And she told me, she said, "Now listen." 39:40 She said, "I will help you to get your entrance's fee." 39:46 So I held her to that and she helped me 39:49 to get my entrance fee to get in through... 39:51 Praise the Lord, you know, 39:52 He brings those people across our paths... 39:54 That will do what He wants. Amen, that's great. 39:57 So you received the call, you're married just a year, 40:00 you received the call, what country was it to, 40:02 and what was supposed to be your job description? 40:04 Our first country was to have been Ghana 40:06 and we were to work at a hospital, Kwahu Hospital. 40:10 But in route, 40:12 the General Conference changed their mind 40:13 and sent us to Nigeria. 40:15 Oh, yeah. 40:16 And we arrived in Nigeria 'cause we were on a ship, 40:19 so that gave us an opportunity for decision. 40:23 But if you can imagine the turmoil 40:28 that went in our minds 40:29 because I did not want to go to Nigeria. 40:32 And why is that, why didn't you want to go? 40:35 It didn't have a good reputation. 40:36 Ghana was the developed country in West Africa. 40:39 It was... Okay. 40:41 In the minds of we black Americans, 40:45 it was the most progressive African country at that time. 40:48 This is just 1961. 40:50 Right, and Nigeria was more third world. 40:52 More third world. Okay. 40:54 So we arrived... 40:55 And Nigeria had a lot of issues. 40:57 We arrived in Nigeria and fortunately we arrived 41:00 and there were many physicians at the hospital, 41:03 we went to the Eleyele Hospital first, and... 41:05 And Doctor Nagel was there, you know, 41:08 who lived to be a 100. 41:10 And were already, many, many physicians. 41:12 There were five physicians there. 41:14 So you joined the staff there? 41:15 Or were you in charge of the hospital or... 41:17 Well, no, we were there for six months. 41:21 My husband was very innovative 41:23 in his interactions with the staff 41:26 and we were told by the staff that we were gonna be sent away 41:30 because we were doing too many things. 41:32 Because here we are, African-Americans, 41:36 so the Africans naturally... 41:38 They feel comfortable. They were comfortable. 41:40 Of course. 41:41 They could identify with us 41:42 and my husband was doing all kinds of things, 41:44 getting latrines built for them, 41:46 making sure that they had silverware to use to work, 41:49 eat with. 41:50 Amen. 41:51 Doing all these things 41:53 and so one of the businessman just would come and say, 41:55 his secretary said, 41:57 "If you don't stop, they're gonna send you away." 41:59 But to me those are good things. 42:01 Well... 42:02 You want to minister to the people. 42:04 But anyway, when she would tell us this, 42:05 we would laugh because he would say, 42:07 "We're the youngest things on the block?" 42:09 They're not gonna send us anywhere. 42:12 We're just... 42:14 He was 26 and I'm 24, 23 anyway. 42:18 Eventually, after six months, 42:20 we got the call that we were going to another hospital. 42:24 And we were going over there 42:26 because the missionaries had to go on leave. 42:28 But it was a government hospital. 42:30 And it was... 42:31 And the government was, you know, 42:33 put all the money up and everything, so... 42:35 That was good and we were gonna be there 42:37 and he was gonna be in-charge and I was gonna do the nursing, 42:40 I was gonna be the nurse administrative so, off we went. 42:43 So why don't you tell us some testimonies or miracles 42:47 or experiences, does something, 42:50 I know we don't have time to share all the testimonies 42:52 of what took place there in Africa, 42:55 but is there something that stood out to you? 42:57 Maybe a patient or an experience or... 43:00 We had many miracles. Okay. 43:02 You know... Think one of the ones... 43:04 And those people who would come 43:06 and they were in desperate situation 43:10 and they would come and they would, you know, 43:13 they just come and have a presentation there 43:16 and then we just had to take care of them. 43:18 One that was really paramount in my mind 43:21 is that we had a lady to come in that needed acute surgery 43:26 and when the surgery was, when it was identified 43:30 that that's what she needed, we found that her hemoglobin, 43:33 her blood levels were so very low 43:35 that we couldn't do the surgery, 43:37 so then as the physician Samuel sent out and asked, 43:41 "Could someone be tested to see 43:43 if their blood would match and no body... 43:45 No one's blood matched. Nobody was willing. 43:47 So eventually, he said, "Test me." 43:50 And they tested him and he matched. 43:52 So he then he stopped, gave a pint of blood, 43:55 got her going and then finished the surgery and... 43:59 Boy, I wonder how many times that happens, not too often. 44:01 No, that doesn't. 44:03 No, so we were very grateful for that, 44:05 but we had another lady who came in... 44:07 That's the servant's heart. Yes. 44:08 I see that in both of you, you know, 44:10 that desire to reach out and to minister 44:13 and to help and bless others. 44:15 I'm sorry, go ahead. 44:16 But there was another one that... 44:18 There're many but there was a lady 44:20 who came in with an acute abdomen, 44:22 and this lady of course, it was very sensitive to touch 44:27 and by the time he did the physical 44:29 and all and decided that 44:30 there's a problem in her abdomen, 44:32 we better open her up and when they did, of course, 44:36 there was worms that scare us and we counted out... 44:40 Inside the bowel. 44:44 Oh, wow. And we took them... 44:46 Well, we didn't, the surgery staff did 44:48 and we had a large basin and... 44:50 And I fill the basin full of worms, 44:54 469, I think it was. 44:57 You counted them? Yes, we did. 45:00 We counted all. 45:01 We have a picture at home 45:02 and 'cause most people would never believe it but it was... 45:05 It was a record. It was. 45:08 I think they hadn't had a case like that. 45:13 How many years were you in Africa as missionaries? 45:16 As missionaries, we were there for 13 years, 45:19 but then after Samuel 45:21 became in-charge of the health department, 45:24 he would go back and forth. 45:26 And then his last year, we spent in Africa. 45:29 We went back with the girls so they would have some idea. 45:32 So tell us about the escape 'cause you were in Biafra 45:36 and that's, they seceded from Nigeria, correct? 45:40 And then there was a lot of unrest you could say. 45:43 Civil wars, that's what you would call. 45:44 Yes, there was a civil war. Okay. 45:46 And during this civil war, 45:47 Samuel had agreed to teach all of the medical personnel, 45:53 you know, the soldiers and all, how to do first aid. 45:55 So that was a positive thing for us, 45:58 and as the civil war progressed, 46:02 it became very evident 46:03 that we American women should leave 46:07 and the United States government sent in planes. 46:10 And all missionaries 46:11 and foreign women and children left. 46:13 Well, we had no children, 46:14 so there was no need for me to leave. 46:16 I knew that if I had left, 46:18 he would not have come any time. 46:20 He would have stayed until the very end and I said, 46:22 "And they'll end up killing you 'cause you're tall and black 46:25 and it was the houses who were larger than the people 46:29 where we were but anyway. 46:31 Okay. They... 46:33 So he was the size of 46:34 more of the people who were the enemy... 46:36 That's correct. Okay, I understand. 46:37 So we... 46:38 Well, I was taller than most of the locals. 46:41 Yes. We were there. 46:42 And I don't know, 46:44 I kind of look like I was a foreigner. 46:47 And the people when they would stop me along the way, 46:49 they weren't quite sure who I was, so... 46:53 Anyway it came time, eventually, in the book, 46:56 it tells you the precursors as to how the decision was made 46:59 but we decided we needed to leave. 47:01 We had come to a point where the sounds close to us 47:05 suggested that we had to leave. 47:06 Wow. 47:08 And we had a Pastor Kentrall who was still in Aba, 47:11 so it was the three of us with the mission. 47:12 We contacted one another. 47:14 Got in his car and headed toward Western Nigeria. 47:19 Our hospital. 47:20 But there was a letter... 47:22 You were the last three to get out? 47:23 We were the last three. Last three Americans. 47:24 Of all missionaries, Americans. Okay. 47:26 And we had letters from the Biafran government 47:29 to my husband saying, 47:31 "Don't stop this man when he gets ready to leave 47:34 because he has been a help to us." 47:37 So we get to the Niger River and of course, 47:39 there's a line probably a mile or two. 47:42 Is that the border? 47:43 Border that foreigners try and get across the river. 47:45 Foreigners trying to get away. 47:46 Because the fighting was coming close 47:49 and we could actually hear it. 47:52 Anyway, we showed them our letters 47:55 and then they just escorted us up to the very front. 47:57 They escorted us to the front line and then, 48:00 and not only that, but they told all the people 48:03 who were in front of us. 48:04 Don't worry. 48:06 You have to wait 48:07 because we've got to get this doctor out. 48:08 So we got right up to the front and then here comes this canoe, 48:13 two canoes with a board across 48:15 and we're driving a beautiful Peugeot. 48:20 Elder Kentrall was, not us. 48:21 So this is the border, is a river. 48:23 Yes, the river is there... Three miles wide. 48:24 They put... They're three miles wide? 48:26 Three miles wide. 48:27 They put this car, these men just lifted this car 48:29 onto this... 48:31 So no crane? No. 48:32 But the thing that mattered though was we got 48:34 in the middle of the river and I said to the people, 48:37 I said, "You know, 48:38 this is a very dangerous thing." 48:41 I looked and I saw on the other side, 48:46 soldiers with guns. 48:48 Were they pointed at you? Yes. 48:49 Well, that doesn't sound a comfortable situation. 48:52 I said to the people, I said, "You know, 48:55 this is a very dangerous situation. 48:56 We better get out of here." You know... 48:58 There is nothing we could do, we were in the canoe, 49:00 and we had to wait until it landed. 49:02 When it landed, the soldiers... That's scary. 49:05 The soldiers who were there started talking with us 49:08 very rough saying, 49:11 "How is that you're gonna get out of here? 49:13 Why didn't you come when we asked you to come?" 49:14 To make a long story short. 49:16 They peeled a piece of paper off of a paper bag 49:19 to write in our particulars, 49:21 so then we knew this was a hoax. 49:23 They weren't gonna do anything, you know, 49:25 a piece of paper off, anyway. 49:27 So then, we realized they were Biafran soldiers. 49:30 And as we left, 49:31 every city that we passed through fell that day. 49:35 Did they, really? They fell. 49:36 Until... Until right after you? 49:38 Right after we left. 49:39 Every city that we went through path fell to the Biafran army. 49:42 That's amazing. It is. 49:45 Just the Lord miraculously spared your lives 49:48 and brought you out just in the nick of time. 49:50 Just in time. That's right. 49:52 Amen. 49:53 Now you spent a number of years as missionaries there in Africa 49:56 and then in other leadership roles, 49:57 you're at the General Conference, 49:58 you're one of the youngest, at 40 years of age, 50:00 you had a leadership role at the General Conference 50:03 so you traveled around the world in that role. 50:06 What was your responsibility at the General Conference? 50:08 Well, I was in charge of the health department 50:12 for the General Conference. 50:13 Which again like we said, 50:15 you traveled all over the world. 50:16 Quick question for you. 50:18 Are there any regrets for going as a missionary family? 50:22 I know, you know, being a doctor, you know, 50:24 a person could make a whole lot of money, 50:26 live a very nice, which is okay, you know, 50:28 for some people but I know that was a concern for you 50:31 and you're considering him as a spouse years ago, 50:34 but any regrets is going as a missionary serving others. 50:36 Not a bit. Not at all. 50:38 No. 50:40 We still did not have the money 50:41 and all of those things but we had... 50:43 We still don't. Many experiences. 50:45 We still don't have money. 50:47 Opportunities, you know, that the Lord is willing 50:49 to hear and answer our prayers. 50:51 And to be used of him. Isn't that a blessing? 50:52 Yes, that's the important part. 50:54 Should tell you that God has been good to us. 50:56 Amen. 50:57 And He opened up some new areas 51:02 where the DeShays have gone 51:04 and they've called me, you know, 51:07 we've got these places over here in DeShay County. 51:11 Wow. In Arkansas, said, "Really." 51:15 Well, God opens a neat 51:17 and amazing doors, you know, for all of us. 51:18 I know I've been aspired today 51:20 listening to Dr. DeShay and his dear wife, Bernice, 51:23 sharing about how God has worked in their lives, 51:25 spared their lives, worked in miraculous ways 51:28 and there's more in a book. 51:30 There is. 51:32 Out of Biafra by Canoe 51:33 and if you want to purchase this book, 51:35 if you want to invite the DeShays to your church 51:38 or to your area to share their testimonies 51:40 of what God is doing in their lives, 51:43 here is how you can do, just that. 51:48 If you'd like to contact the DeShays 51:50 or purchase their book, you can write to them at, 51:52 5132 Darvel Circle, Columbia, Maryland 21044. 51:57 That's 5132, Darvel Circle, Columbia, Maryland 21044. 52:04 You can call them at 410-740-8151. 52:08 That's 410-740-8151. 52:12 They can also be reached at 301-787-4500, 52:16 that's 301-787-4500. 52:19 You can also email them at DeShay.Bernice@gmail.com. 52:24 That's D-E-S-H-A-Y. Bernice@gmail.com. |
Revised 2017-01-19