What if someone gave you the gift of knowledge? What if you could avoid saying, “I wish I had known?” That’s exactly what seniors at King’s Schools received when they engaged in conversations with seniors at CRISTA Senior Living to create the new Purposely Podcast, From the Eyes of Wisdom.
Taking advantage of multigenerational living on the CRISTA Campus in Shoreline, WA, seniors aged 65+ were paired with seniors in high school who have similar interests. Media professional, Sherri Lynn, facilitated conversations between the seniors about the dreams and ambitions fueling youth and the experience gained by elders.
“From the Eyes of Wisdom” enthralls listeners with stories as varied as living as a military wife, evacuation in the midst of war, nursing in some of the most remote places of the world, what it’s really like to be a missionary, answering the call to be a teacher and pour your life into kids, having your dreams of being an artist crushed and then resurrected, and so much more.
One Story: The Life of a Missionary Nurse
One pairing on the podcast is Elaine and Ellie. Elaine worked as a missionary nurse for World Concern for years, and Ellie is just graduating from King’s with an interest in missionary work. Their conversation is filled with accounts of Elaine’s adventures on the field as a woman serving alone in dangerous and rugged circumstances.
Among many experiences, Elaine was bitten by a scorpion in the middle of the night — something she describes as “The most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt. It was like I put my finger in a fire.” Another time, she worked in a hospital in Beirut during the war. She said, “Rockets were shooting off the hills, and we got to a building, and then we got up on top of this building to wait for somebody to come and get us. And this man said, “Where are you from?” I said, “We are from Seattle.” And he said, “Well, I’m glad to meet you. I’m Peter Jennings.” I almost fell off the building top.”
In all, Elaine spent 13 years working all over the world as a nurse for World Concern. During that time, she saw the Lord provide in miraculous ways many times. Her advice to Ellie was to become a nurse because medical care is what people need the most.
Near the end of the conversation, Sherri said, “Oh, my gosh the life you’ve led. You’re the Scorpion woman. I just honor you. And I honor the life you’ve led and how you’ve allowed the Lord to use you. And your big, beautiful heart.”
“Well, those are nice words,” Elaine said.
“So inspirational for me. It really is,” Ellie commented.
Summing it up, Elaine said, “It’s just that you turn your life into their life.”
And Ellie said what we all feel. “Wow. I love that!”
Listen to the Purposely Podcast, From the Eyes of Wisdom, and be inspired by this and many other stories of well-lived lives.