Watching the Ships Go By

Lorie Orjala Beckum is the daughter of Paul and Mary Orjala, who pioneered the Nazarene work in Haiti. They spent 14 years there before Paul became a professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. The Orjalas also served as missionaries in France, along with Lorie and her husband, Randy Beckum.

My dad is a very talented pianist, so when he told people he was going to be a missionary, they would ask how he could leave his music—because you never know what could happen in those jungles! Dad used to have dreams about hacking his way through the jungle and having his fingers chopped off. But he had to come to a point where he just said, "Okay, God, whatever you want, even if it means leaving the piano and music that I love dearly." Both Mom and Dad sensed that God was leading them, and reinforcing them. He didn't have to give up his piano playing.

When we were in Haiti, one year we lived through nine revolutions. I'm thankful that my parents didn't act afraid. They told us what to do and taught us to act calm. They instructed us on what not to say when we passed through checkpoints.

They always had the attitude that God was protecting us, and that we were going to be okay.

I appreciate that.

My dad's main goal from the very beginning of his ministry was to train leaders. He started a Bible school at the beginning of his time in Haiti. The first two years of their mission work were critical, and they didn't see a lot of results. It was a difficult time. My mom would look out the window to see ships leaving, and she often wished she was on one of those ships going home. Several holiness groups in Haiti met and had some meetings. She prayed through and realized God was calling them to stay. She came to a point of commitment at the end of those two years and said, "This is where we're supposed to be."

My dad read a lot about early missionaries—his heroes. When his mom died in the States while he was still overseas, he couldn't get back to the funeral. He remembered how the early missionaries had handled such heartbreaking times. That helped him realize he was in the hands of his loving Father.

Lorie Orjala

Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.