Interwoven

by Russ and Nancy Ebersole

In 1945 Gene, along with 2,100 other prisoners, was rescued the morning she was to be executed at the Japanese internment camp in Los Banos. General Douglas MacArthur called this ‘the most thrilling rescue in all of American military history.’”

ABWE Publishing, P.O. Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585, 2002, 339 pages, $12.95.

—Reviewed by David M. Howard, former president, Latin America Mission.

In 1945 Gene, along with 2,100 other prisoners, was rescued the morning she was to be executed at the Japanese internment camp in Los Banos. General Douglas MacArthur called this ‘the most thrilling rescue in all of American military history.’”

Thus reads the back cover of this book, Interwoven. The Gene referred to was Gene DeVries, daughter of missionary parents in the Philippines, who as a young student was captured and interned along with two brothers in Los Banos. The story of her upbringing in that land and the horrendous experiences in prison camp before the dramatic liberation is told vividly by her husband, Russ Ebersole.

Russ and Gene met at Wheaton College after the war. The story of their marriage, return to the Philippines (which was the last place Gene ever wanted to go again!) and their effective ministry there is recounted in these pages. They were a part of the remarkable post-World War II generation of missionaries, many of whom went back to the places where they had fought and suffered during those tragic years. Gene’s struggle to return and her total commitment to obey the Lord is an inspiring account.

Then her long battle with cancer, culminating in her death, is sad and full of pathos. But it is also an example of courage and trust in the Lord. Russ was left with five young children at a relatively early age.

This book is divided into four sections: The DeVries Family, which recounts how Gene was brought up in the Philippines plus her internment; The Ebersole Family (Russ and Gene), which describes their life and missionary ministry together; The Goehring Family, which brings Nancy Good-man Goehring into the picture with her first husband and missionary ministry in East Pakistan; The Ebersole Family (Russ and Nancy), which chronicles how God brought Russ and Nancy together, both having lost their spouse.

The work of the Goehrings in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was brief, since Harry Goehring died at the age of twenty-seven leaving Nancy with three children. But it is also a moving story of missionary commitment in the face of numerous difficulties. While different from the experiences of Gene and Russ in the Philippines, what the Goehrings faced on their field is also gripping.

Then the account of how God led Russ and Nancy together is an amazing saga in itself. Since their marriage in 1969 they worked to interweave their two families with a total of eight children. The title of the book reflects this effort, which proved to be eminently successful. Their joint ministry with ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) back in Asia is a logical continuation for both of them. Russ was appointed to positions of executive leadership in the mission with broad responsibilities first in Asia and later from the US offices of ABWE on a worldwide scale. This required extensive travel for Russ, and as the children grew into maturity, Nancy would often travel with him. They continue today in active outreach around the world.

The success that Russ and Nancy have enjoyed not only in their missionary ministry but also in interweaving two families is reflected beautifully in the final chapter entitled “Finishing the Race.” Here they speak of their ongoing work and then summarize what each of the eight children is doing. The fact that all of these children are following and serving the Lord in different ways is a ringing testimony to the grace of God and the faithfulness of Russ and Nancy as they have interwoven the two families.

This book reads easily. It will be a comfort to veteran missionaries of the DeVries/Ebersole era, and a trumpet call of challenge to younger missionaries and potential candidates for the claims of God upon their lives. I highly recommend it as a great contribution to contemporary mission literature.

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