Our Children in the Eighties (11)

My Own Return to Academia

While Ruby was in school, she not only involved herself in the life of the Hillcrest church, but she also found ways of serving in other situations.  She worked on the spring break campaign in Seattle, Washington.  At one point she and her co-workers were on the street in a rough part of town.  They felt they were being eyed suspiciously by people on the street, who did not like what they were doing.  So how did they respond?   They began singing.  The song they chose started this way, “Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear….”  Suddenly the song took on a different meaning to them.

During this time I was told that I could get more financial aid for the children if I would enroll in some classes myself.  I took six hours of work at ACU in 1989.  

I enrolled in a couple of classes on church growth under Flavil Yeakley.  When I arrived for the first class, I discovered that I was the only student enrolled.  Dr. Yeakley handed me ten books.  He said, “Skim read those tonight, and we’ll talk about them tomorrow.”   It amounted to a tutoring situation, and I got more attention than I really wanted.   The next day I met with him and discussed the books.  He decided that the course would consist of a guided study program.   I would spend the week on the ACU campus, and for all practical purposes the library would become my home.   We may have spent an hour a day discussing the material.   After I went home, I had six weeks to submit my research paper.  

Later I enrolled in a second course.  This time the number of class members tripled.   I studied with a preacher from New Zealand, and a black preacher from somewhere in the Deep South.   It was an interesting class.  We did meet class on a regular basis, and I was not required to read 10 books in one night.   Again I had six weeks to conclude a research project.    I ended up using the library at the University of Iowa and Cornell College to complete my research.    I did all right in the courses, however.  Dr. Yeakley chose to give me an A for both my efforts.  

There are lots of ways to help your kids through college.   By going to school myself I was able to trade one dollar for three.   I gave up my vacation that year, and the church paid my tuition.  It wasn’t a bad deal.