Ginger and I have pleasant moments as we travel down “Memory Lane” from time to time. I have learned bits and pieces of her heritage. The Wheelers from Elbert, CO and the Shields from Nebraska. I later learned that for a time, when she was a little girl, she lived on a homestead south of Hartsel.
The known roots of the Behrmans take us back into the later 1800’s as my German grandfather and his Norwegian bride moved here from Minnesota in a covered wagon. I guess you could call them “Old Timers!”
Ginger was just a fifth grader when the family squeezed into the moving truck and made their journey over Trout Creek Pass to “Buenie,” As they descended Hwy. 285 into the valley that would become their home, she saw, for the first time, the majestic spectacle of Mt. Princeton. After all these years, it is still her “Favorite Mountain.” We both have treasured memories of our parents and the years of childhood and growing up in this quaint little town.
All the children in both the Shields and Behrmans met their spouses, moved away and started their own families. With the passing of time there came that time in their life when both our parents made their individual departure to their home in heaven. We await that glad reunion when we will meet again in the presence of the Lord. Though our parents were gone, Buena Vista was the still the place of our childhood memories. It had been a very real part of our life. We found ourselves returning to the area from time to time. We would recapture the images of the spectacular scenes of natural beauty. Ginger and I still remember our stay at the Best Western Motel. Our second story window gave us a great view of the Collegiate Peaks along the western rim of the valley. It was at that time that we began to give expression to one another to the thoughts that were in our minds. “We would someday return to this mountain paradise to live!”
We both had a longtime acquaintance in Buena Vista who was a real estate agent. Her name was Eva Flowers. In our visit with her, we actually began to contemplate our forthcoming move. We looked at some homes in town and then acreages in the rural setting. We both agreed that we preferred being away from the crowds.
There was a new development just over Trout Creek Pass in Park County called Ranch of the Rockies. Eva’s husband took us to some lots for sale there. After an hour or so of looking at different locations, he brought us by a lot for sale on the eastern border of Chaffee County in a development called Trout Creek Meadows about a half mile in from Hwy. 285. It had an amazing northward view of the Mosquito Range. It also had a well drilled on it. The price was affordable. Eva helped us with all the paperwork of transaction of property and also gave us a short term loan for the land. Our dream was now becoming a reality.
Back home in Broken Arrow, we would be leaving a great church with a heart for missions. Pastor Mark and Janet Brazee had been a very strong influence in our lives for the past several years. Before starting World Outreach Church, they had launched many short term Bible Schools throughout the nations of the world. The schools were geared for those preparing for ministry and were given the name Domata School of the Bible. Domata was taken from Greek word “gift.” Ginger and I had taught in nearly all of the schools. We were with them the day they launched their church at a school in East Tulsa. We were a part of the church that is now situated 8863 E 91st St. and have many friends there.
When we were pastors of Bethel Assembly of God in Burlington, CO, God did some marvelous things in the hearts of many people. Young couples were wonderfully saved and transformed. Their hungry hearts were filled with the Holy Spirit. There were a number that were called into the ministry and to missions. Young couples would reach out to their friends and bring them to church. One of the couples who started coming was Bert and Kandy Stombaugh, who were wonderfully saved and filled with the Spirit. They later moved to Arizona for employment. Their son Charlie, had recently become the pastor of the church in Buena Vista. When we later made our move there, he would became our pastor. He welcomed us and was so good to us. We loved him, his wife and their kids.
In our home in Broken Arrow, I broke out my T Square and angles and drawing board and proceeded with plans for a new home. I had drawn plans for four building projects in churches I pastored but now this was different. It was a house in which we would live.
Mark and Trina Hankins gave us a 26’ travel trailer. We would park it on our property near the building site. It would become our residence for the next many months. In the days and nights ahead, we dealt with curious bears in the summer and huddled together like eskimos in an igloo during the wintry blasts of below zero weather.
We started construction in 2004. Ginger was approaching 70 and I had just passed that mark in my life, yet we still had some remnants of strength and endurance. We were entering a delightful season of our lives. As we worked side by side, we prepared the footers, set the Styrofoam foundation forms. Many days we would start early and work till dusk. If we became weary, we had the trailer and would take a needed nap. Every meal was a great time of being together. We could just look out the window of the trailer as we ate and viewed the progress being made on our first new home.
We are ever indebted to New Creation Church in Glenwood Springs. The church was started by Craig McCune, a young man who was saved in our church in Burlington and had married Sharon Ochsner, one of our daughter Patsy’s best friends. After some years, Pastor Craig left Glenwood to start a church in Salt Lake City. His youth pastor, Mark Bentliff, became the pastor of NCC in Glenwood Springs. His church is wonderfully blessed with building contractors and construction people. Many of them came and volunteered their professional help during the construction of our house.
One man slept in the bed of his pick-up while he completed the framing of the house. An electrician came and we bought the materials through him at his cost and he donated his labor. One pastor from NW Colorado drove down each day and did roof trim and drains. We bought first class windows and doors through professional carpenters at dealers cost and the professional carpenters came and installed them. A local roofer did the roof for us and a friend from Buena Vista, whom we had known many years, was responsible for the excavation and all the outside sewage digging and installation. We have beautiful cabinets in the kitchen. A friend from Utah purchased the cabinets for us at his cost and he came and installed them.
I never asked any of them if they would make a donation. All their time and price breaks were voluntary on their part. Those whom I did contact about projects, I offered to pay the going price. I never asked for any gifts. It was all voluntarily given on their part. I did hire crews for certain jobs. Insulation, Sheetrock, Stucco and a few other things.
I have not mentioned names. I would surely have missed someone had I tried. Many pastors and friends asked about helping so I scheduled a work day. Many showed up for a great time of fellowship and working together. Our many friends who came and lent their helping hands no doubt saved us tens of thousands of dollars. The Lord greatly helped us all through the building of our house. Ginger likened our construction project to a conveyor belt with all the necessary items showing up at the right time.
We moved in just before Christmas 2005. It has been headquarters for Behrman Ministries for nearly 20 years. After resigning their church in Wisconsin in 2015, Scott and Sue moved here, joining our ministry, and made this their home until just this last year. They have their own place in Buena Vista now. After Bible School, Megan stayed with us. She just recently moved to Louisiana to work for Mark Hankins Ministries. In 2019 Scott was appointed president of Behrman Ministries/Mission of Life. He is doing a terrific job as president and they have an ever expanding worldwide ministry.
In these times of our aging process, we are slowing down. Life itself, seems to be speeding up. Ginger refers to this comparison she heard a few years ago. “Life is like a roll of toilet paper. When it gets near the end, everything rolls by much faster.”
Shortly after the completion of our house we added a patio in the back. We have some outside furniture there and gas grill plus a container for a wood fire. On nice days we will eat outside for any of the three meals. We have also gathered on the patio with family or friends and enjoyed good times of just being together.
It reminds me of another great gathering when all the family of God will be home eternally. The time will be illuminated by the light of the Lamb. Wars and strife will be forever ended. We will be home at last. Our Savior has already gone ahead to prepare a place for us. Saints there await our arrival. What a most wonderful time that will be. Let us all make ready for that day. Jesus has redeemed us by the shedding of his own precious blood on the cross. In the Bible we read that the wages of sin is death. Jesus paid that price for us when he died in our place. He became our sin so that we could be right with God. Receive his free gift of eternal life. Trust in him, believe in him as your own Savior. It’s the greatest choice you will ever make.