Sunday School
Sunday School Superintendent
Margie Mitchell
Hello, my name is Margie Mitchell. I
grew up in an Italian German Catholic family in urban Pittsburgh, PA. I
remember one day at mass as a young person thinking that there has to be
something more. In my senior year of high school I started going to Young
Life. The August following my graduation I found myself heading to
Colorado on a school bus going to Young Life camp. At that time I was
depressed, questioning what I was doing going there, and what was the
point of life at all. The speaker the first night opened up by saying that
“God had a reason to bring you all here to this one point in time.” The
light bulb went on and it was then that I saw that God had a purpose in my
life and I began my relationship with Jesus.
Through several ministries I grew in my
faith during college at the University of Pittsburgh. It was at church
there where I met my husband, Clyde. Two days after he graduated from
medical school and a month after I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Nursing
we were married and moved to North Eastern Pa.
There Clyde did his Family Practice Residency and I went to graduate
school for my Masters in Nursing. After that we moved to Abilene, Texas
where Clyde practiced in the Air Force for 4 years. When we first arrived
there it was the only time in my life that I thought that God had forsaken
me. It was a strange place, complicated by two miscarriages and
disappointing career opportunities for myself. Through Focus On The Family
and Dr Dobson’s ministry I eventually adjusted. During our time in Texas
we were blessed with 2 daughters, Sarah and Leah and I practiced part time
as a nurse practitioner at a local college. While I was pregnant with
Sarah I learned how to quilt which I still do when there is time.
As the end of Clyde’s commitment to the
Air Force came we started to look at places to go next. It became obvious
that God was leading us to Buckhannon where Clyde set up practice in 1985.
I practiced in his office space for 14 years as a nurse practitioner
primarily doing counseling. In 1991 our youngest daughter, Abigail was
born. In 1997 we started attending The Way of Holiness church.
In 1999, I remember sitting at my desk
discussing with God how I could keep my practice and do Young Life. I
think I heard Him laugh out loud at me. So I gave up my practice and my
license and have been hanging out as “Momma Mitchell” with high school
kids ever since.
Those are the details, now to pull this
all together. If I had not met Jesus I know that I would not be alive
today. There have been many difficult things that Jesus has brought me
through. I did not grow up in a Christian family. Yet, God has blessed me
with a wonderful husband, 3 daughters and a great son-in –law. When we
were first in Buckhannon I had a burden to do missions in which I did not
see God open the door to. Little did I know that others would be burdened
to start Young Life in Buckhannon and that years later I would be a
missionary in the High School. Although I did not grow up with Sunday
School, I can see where the fundamental truths about Jesus that I was
taught in my religion classes growing up have laid a base of knowledge for
me. I can see in the lives of my children and husband who were always
expected to be in Sunday school, the gift of a foundation of faith that
cannot be taken away. So that is why I serve as Sunday School
Superintendent. I believe that everything that comes into our lives is
sifted through the hands of God and that He is sovereign. I believe that
the difficult things serve a great purpose to drive us to our knees and be
more dependent on Him.
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