My parents' lifetime mission was to provide their children with a Christian home where our spiritual, educational, and physical needs were met.
It wasn’t until my dad, George Spears, was in his mid-thirties that he came across the Faith for Today program and asked to begin Bible studies. His studies led to his baptism at the Ashland Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ashland, Kentucky, where he still worships every Sabbath.
His desire after baptism was to meet a Christian woman who shared his beliefs and values. Little did he know God was already working in many ways to connect him with my mother, Brenda Spears.
Like my father, mother did not grow up holding any particular religious beliefs, but she was very open to attending church with my dad. After hearing many sermons, attending church functions, and engaging in discussions with the pastor and my dad, she made her decision to join the church as well.
As their relationship grew they discussed marriage. They both desparately wanted to have children, but the prospects were slim due to a childhood illness. They had been married nearly two years when they received the wonderful news they would have a child whom they later named Althea. Four years later they were thrilled with the birth of another answer to prayer, a son they named Aaron. Thinking their family was complete, they were pleasantly surprised to learn they would have another child, a girl they named Andrea.
Education for us began in our home. Our parents provided quality learning materials and spent as much time as they could with us. Finding time to spend with us was not always easy since they both worked full time. Yet we have many fond memories of family worship, going to Sabbath school, church, Vacation Bible School, making cookies, holidays, as well as other special educational/fun vacations.
Once we were old enough, we attended the local church school. Mom and Dad were intent on not only sending us to Seventh-day Adventist schools, but wanted us to attend where we could all succeed, even if it wasn’t always convenient. It became necessary for us to attend the Valley View Seventh-day Adventist Church School, located between Jackson and Waverly, Ohio.
My parents realized sending us to this school would be a great sacrifice. My dad was working at a fruit market and was about to begin nursing school, not to mention that the distance to school was 138 miles one way. However, my parents were both determined to provide us with the best education possible and felt confident they should make whatever sacrifices necessary in order for us to be successful. This meant buying a car with a backseat that would fold down so we could sleep on our way to school. It also meant waking up at 4:00 a.m. so we could get to school by 8:00 a.m. After a long day at school, we arrived home around 6:00 p.m., where we would do homework, take baths, and be in bed no later than 8:00 p.m.
In addition to this rigorous schedule, our family attended every school event, which meant a lot of extra driving on the weekends. Overall, we spent four years at Valley View. In the meantime our local church school developed to where it needed to be, both academically and spiritually, and we resumed our education there.
My parents' commitment to Seventh-day Adventist education and involvement did not stop when we finished elementary school. Instead, it became stronger as we each completed four years at Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Virginia, and four years at Andrews University.
During Andrea’s eighth grade year at Ashland Seventh-day Adventist School, my brother’s sophomore year in Shenandoah Valley Academy, and my first year at Andrews University, my mother informed us she may have Lou Gehrig’s Disease, known as ALS. Within a few months, the doctors confirmed the diagnosis and indicated my mother would not be expected to live more than three to four years. In spite of this tragic news, my parents' faith grew stronger. My mother taught us that even in tragedy a lot of good things can take place.
Her commitment, love for us, and desire to see us graduate influenced her decision to be placed on life support, which she had always been against. Another contributing factor is that Lou Gehrig’s Disease destroys the body, not the mind. And it couldn't destroy the love my mother had for God, her family, and her church.
With the help of life support, she and my father traveled many miles, at the risk of possible death, to see all of us graduate from high-school, college, and even graduate school. Apart from travel expenses to see each of us graduate, she used a great portion of her monthly disability check to pay for our schooling.
Thanks to the sacrifices of my parents, I graduated with a degree in elementary education from Andrews University and currently teach at Cross Street Christian School in Anderson, Indiana. My brother, Aaron, graduated from Andrews University with a degree in biochemistry and plans to attend medical school. My sister Andrea also graduated from Andrews University with a degree in animal science pre-veterinary medicine and plans to attend veterinary school.
My parents' lifetime mission for us to complete our elementary, secondary, and college education in Adventist Christian schools was achieved due to their unending love, dedication, and many personal sacrifices. When asked if it was worth it, my parents have said without hesitation, “Yes!”
My sister, brother, and I will always be grateful to our parents for making sacrifices to provide the very best home and education for us. We only hope with God’s help we can provide the same for our children.
Althea Elliott teaches grades pre-k and kindergarten at Cross Street Christian School in Anderson,Indiana.
Note: Althea’s mother, Brenda Lynnette Ross-Spears, died Sunday, December 19, 2004, on a trip to see Althea graduate and earn her master’s degree in elementary education.
