Continuing my life journey and how I was led, this section describes my study and volunteer work in my first few married years in the US. It is another part of an upcoming book or website section entitled Divinely Led.
Part 3: Life and Work in the USA
Study and Volunteer Work
After our wedding, we thought we would return to Australia at the end of Alex’s Teaching Assistant contract in June that year and have a retrospective wedding reception in Melbourne with our friends from the local church. As it turned out, we remained in Pasadena for 17 years working for the church in several departments.
Shortly before our wedding, an apartment became available to us. It had one bedroom and basic furniture, but it was adequate and comfortable for us as newlyweds with few possessions.
The church headquarters was from a distance regarded by the general membership with awe – almost like the Kingdom of God on earth. However, being there in some ways proved disappointing, especially in the mid-1970s. Values were being watered down. For example, loud rock music and modern dancing that in the local church many of us had left behind in favor of ballroom dancing, were the norm and supported by one of the prominent leaders who also played in a band. Those of us who came to headquarters at that time experienced a mental, and one could say, spiritual dissonance on several levels.
The Bible classes too were challenging for those who wanted to study the Bible as the Word of God. Instead, they were learning about “biblical criticism”, which retrospectively turned out to be valid, since the Bible is not a literal Word of God, but many were not ready to acknowledge this fact at that time and their faith was being harmed, if not shattered.
There was also an unhealthy awe for the church founder and administration – who lived in luxury homes, enjoyed exorbitant salaries, and worked in extra-large offices. The faculty lunches could have been good enough for kings!
On the positive side, the campus grounds were beautiful with attractive landscaping allowing inspiring walks and fellowship. College activities, such as clubs and dances, were meticulously planned and prepared for with much effort to represent the “World Tomorrow” – a future world of peace, beauty and harmony that we all looked forward to based on Bible prophecies of Isaiah, especially chapters 2 and 11.
Right from the start, I assisted Alex on a voluntary basis with various projects he was involved in. I came on a tourist visa, so couldn’t work for pay. Among the projects we did was helping David A. with putting together a pastoral counselling course and a marriage counselling course. The minister provided the material and we organized it into a book. The information was personally helpful and valuable for our own marriage. Also, here was in some ways the start to our writing and editing careers.
We got to know and love many of the college faculty. Some significantly influenced us and had a very positive impact on our lives and marriage. They started us on the right foot and helped us avoid pitfalls and potential heartache.
I often had special spiritual insights and enjoyed fellowship with those that were open-minded. Many were not. They held to the official teachings, no matter what – if the leader said it, it was true, and don’t you dare to question it. So one needed to be circumspect about sharing.
I found forming relationships hard and except for a handful of close friends, I did not feel fitting in. Sometimes I felt lonely and insecure, because other than Alex, we had no family around and I wasn’t sure if in a time of need, the few friends we did have could be counted on.
We had opportunities to travel and take part in annual spiritual retreats. This took us to places in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia. As a part of some of these trips we also visited family in Australia and relatives in Austria and Switzerland. While I was unable to go for political and safety reasons during Communism, Alex even had an opportunity to briefly visit Czechoslovakia and meet one or two relatives that I never did.
Sadly, we had continued tensions with my parents, even though we were thousands of miles away. Their correspondence was sometimes distressing to the point of me feeling sick in the stomach. It seemed like nothing was satisfactory – no matter what we did or didn’t do, we were criticized. Therefore, it had been very rewarding, that after coming back to Australia following my mother’s passing in 2001, to have come to a mutual acceptance, reconciliation and deep appreciation with my dad.
During the first few years in Pasadena, I was able to take Bible classes at the college on a part-time basis and eventually graduated with a Diploma in Biblical Studies.
The church in the 1970s went through a turbulent period and ups and downs with power struggles, tugs between liberals and conservatives, negative publicity, and controversies in church leadership circles. Some of the criticism was warranted, but some of the reporting was also biased. The church was non-mainstream and had marks of a cult, though it also did much good and changed people’s lives for the better – including my own. Despite personal ups and downs, I am grateful for the spiritual foundation I had received and the relationship with God the church encouraged me to cultivate. I am also grateful to the ministers who helped me to think outside the box and to discern and evaluate for myself.
In the early years of our marriage, I also participated in a volunteer library program delivering books to shut-ins. I got to know two special ladies – a deaf, but very intelligent lady, Mrs. B., who was much older than myself, but we had very interesting conversations. We shared ideas by her talking and me writing down responses on a yellow pad and letting her read them. She later met Alex and also ended up corresponding in German with my aunt in Prague who was of a similar age. I forgot the name of the second lady, though her likeness is still in my mind. She was maybe 50ish, quite overweight and had a hard time walking – possibly recuperating from a knee or hip replacement. She was more down to earth than Mrs. B., but I enjoyed conversing with her as well. There was also a third lady I used to visit for a short time, but somehow, we didn’t click.
Another volunteer opportunity, which blessed me for the rest of my life, was being asked if I could assist a cancer patient with a detoxification therapy. Her name was Carolyn and she chose to follow the Gerson therapy for her intestinal cancer, instead of going the conventional route. Several church ladies assisted her during the week to make vegetable juices that would cleanse her body and built it up so that it could then conquer the cancer by itself.
While working with Carolyn, I learned much about healthy living as well as alternative medicine and therapies (which continue to be discouraged, discriminated against and suppressed by mainstream pharmacological medicine – both in the US and Australia, as well as other parts of the world – to the detriment of the common people who are getting sicker and sicker.) Even now, almost five decades later, my husband (while he lived) and I have benefitted from what I had learned back then and continued to privately study along the way long after I finished working with Carolyn – who after a time did get well, though sadly, her marriage broke up.
The church taught a healthy lifestyle and good diet, but in working with Carolyn, we became even more conscious of it and the importance thereof, and it has certainly paid off. It is like putting good fuel into a car versus compromised or polluted fuel. In the latter situation, the car will not run too well. The same happens with our bodies – before too long, aches and pains and chronic conditions will set in ranging from arthritis, diabetes, heart issues and even cancer – among others.
After our first year of marriage, we got an opportunity to move to a larger apartment – one with two bedrooms, a spacious living room and a dining area. This too came about providentially – Alex was at the right place at the right time when a colleague was asking around if anyone would be interested in a place they were vacating. Another example of being guided and blessed. We had to buy furniture, but here too, God provided most of it inexpensively from one person who wanted to sell out and travel! This apartment served us for 7 years and because of the wonderfully low rent, we were able to save enough to have a deposit for a house. May the landlord, Chere M., be blessed for providing such reasonable rent to the eight sets of tenants in the small complex of units!
For other information on divine leading, see Spirit Helpers and Guides
Here is a short reflection on being divinely led.