Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Introducing Rev. Dorothy Callies (9/8)

08 Sept. 2015 Introducing Rev. Dorothy Callies, The Editor of Manna

What interest me to write about myself and my family? Reading Rhonda Barrett’s story she wrote about herself and the family she raised, impressed me to realize that maybe the readers of Fresh Manna might not know enough about me so . . .

I would like to introduce myself briefly:  
I am a Deaf Ordained Minister of United Evangelical Churches since Oct. 2000 & Licensed since 1978. I received A.A. Degree in 1964 C.B.C. Mo. and B.A. degree in May 2000 from West Coast Deaf Bible College. I have developed the 15 Lessons of The Christian Life Notes for the Deaf since 2003 with a purpose to build up the spiritual root of faith in Jesus Christ. This note is now in training under Rev. Rod Renusch of Hawaii.

A brief history of how I got saved and had a ministry in California:
As a Southern Californian, I was saved and called to work with the Deaf at the age of 13 and I went to California Deaf School in Riverside in 1956. I was a very strong witnessing for Jesus Christ. From time to time, I would often asked the Deaf if they had Jesus in their hearts yet. I graduated from Central Bible College, Missouri in 1964. While Rev. Bea Berry was my pastor, I became the Youth for Christ Ambassador for Assembly of God Deaf Church in Riverside, California in 1963 in the summer. During my growing teen, I was the only one of many adults in a Deaf Church. So I began the ministry for the youth and it grew from one myself into 20. I was a strong believer for a growing ministry. After the Deaf Church service, I would traveled an hour or so to a small town, Hemet, California two times a month on Sunday afternoon to look for deaf. I attended Assembly of God hearing church in Hemet, California and at the altar time, I would spend intercessory prayers for the Deaf. Through the help of Policeman, I found one deaf who worked nightly at the restaurant bar and witness to him.

Short history how I met Tony and married and had ministry with him:
In 1966, I traveled by bus to attend the Deaf Convention at Central Bible College, Missouri, but I came earlier so I could visit classes for the deaf. I remember this one special class that Tony had to give his speech on his essay. One teacher came by and interrupted the class and told Mr. Lawrence that Tony was speaking too loud and need to lower his voice. Tony was embarrassed. I learned that Tony had fallen in love with me while I was watching him speaking, and he got carried away, his voice became louder. During that week of Deaf Convention, we became sweetheart and sadly, when the Deaf Convention ended and I had to return home to California. We wrote letters. In the summer, I flew to meet with Tony at Chicago Airport and I stayed at Beloit, Wisconsin with Rev. Hedy Miller’s home and attended a week Michigan Camp. I flew back home to California being engaged with Tony.  

After Tony graduated from CBC and we married in June 1967. We became Evangelists, and we had performed dramas in the USA and New Brunswick. I had Super 8 Regular Movie Camera with a purpose to make movies for the Deaf. In 1970’s I had burdened to pioneer the  silent Christian films in ASL which had lead into making “Seven Great Films” and in 2005 converted the films into class DVDs. In 1986 Tony and I workedwith Deaf Video Communication at Carol Stream, Illinois and DVC created five excellent verse by verse Bible Studies of Hebrews, Titus, Philemon, Jude and Romans. In 2007, Tony became 70 years old retired from working as Maintenance at DVC from 2003 to 2007.  We moved to Bloomington, Illinois and Tony became Assistant Pastor to Terry Newman. I helped with Master of Ceremony and with song worship at Normal Deaf Church. I enjoy it very much.

Brief history about myself and my family:
I was born in Pomona, California with a big family of nine. I have two hearing and one deaf sisters and one hearing brother, two hearing brothers have passed away. I was born deaf and was the seventh child. Actually, my mom had three miscarriages so I would have been the 10th child if they have lived. [I am looking forward to meet them in heaven.]

Brief history about my dad:
My dad came to America from Switzerland when he was 28 year-old as a meat butcher in Los Angeles area. In Switzerland, He was Lutheran, but he wasn’t satisfied with life so his mother gave him the Bible and explained to him that he could only find salvation from God’s Word. My dad read the Bible and God touched his heart and he accepted Christ.  My dad applied Visa to go to Brazil as a meat butcher, but God led him to apply for America and he waited two years before he could go to America. [Whew! I’m glad he didn’t go to Brazil!]

My dad had friend in Los Angeles who hired him at the Meat Locker and worked as a meat cutter. There was a revival in Assembly of God church in Pomona and my mother played the piano. My dad came to the revival and saw my mom with her beautiful black hair, played piano and he fell in love with her. Later, they married and lived in Pomona, California and my dad got another job as meat cutter. Soon after, my dad decided to build his own business as a meat butcher, went to different farmers to butcher animals and bring them to Meat Locker to cut up and wrap the meats and freeze them.

My dad decided to build his own Meat Locker business in Chino, California when I was eight years old. He, also had a house being build and we moved from Pomona to Chino when I was 12 years old. When I was a teenager, during the summer I learned how to wrap meat and memorized the names of all the meat I wrapped. My mom became the manager and an accountant of the Hottinger Meat Locker while my dad was the butcher, and a meat cutter. He also cured bacons and hams, as well as smoke them in a tiny smoke house. Three brothers and one sister helped Dad with business while they were teenagers.

Brief history about my mom:
I would need to add a little about my mom as well. She came from a large family of nine as well. She had five brothers and one sister. When she was a teenager, my mom loves to play baseball and she was very good at it. In fact, she was a tomboy girl. She loves to go to Silent Movies in her days. Then she accepted Christ and really loves the Lord. Mom had great faith in God and her faith had influenced my life. She was a very powerful prayer intercessor and she would really pray for me. Mom became a strong supporter for Tony and me and would often prayed for our ministry and for us as Ministers to the Deaf.

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