I
do congratulate you, Marjorie Abram, for your 50+ years of serving our
Lord Jesus Christ and more so thank our Father in Heaven for your life
and ministry, that He gave you to me my helpmate and fellow worker in
the Vineyard of God, in the ministry of World Evangelism. I am sure that
her testimony will be a blessing to you as you read this.
Before
telling the story of my conversion, I want to begin with my grandparents
leaving their homeland of Ukraine to start a new life of pioneering a farm
in Northern Alberta, Canada.
When they
arrived in Canada in 1911, my father, the third child, along with his sister
and two brothers, was only three and a half years old. Life was very difficult
for them. They were very poor so Grandpa and Grandma both worked to help other
farmers.
It was
one such evening that a horse and rider arrived at their farm. They did not
know it, but he was a Bible salesman! Grandma invited him in and prepared
some food for him. After the meal, he brought out the Bible and began to read
to them. It sounded so wonderful! But it was late and time to retire for the
night. Grandma prepared a bed for him on the floor.
The next
morning, they all rose and Grandma prepared some breakfast. He read the Word
of God to them again. He saw that they were too poor to purchase the Bible
so he left it with them. Every day Grandpa read the Word to the family. They
began to have knowledge of the Word, God sending ministers to them, especially
calling a minister from the Ukraine, Rev. Karp Hrycauk, to go to his own people
in the far away land of Canada.
This precious
man sacrificed much, walking many miles in snow and bad weather to bring the
full gospel message to this needy people. How I thank God for these pioneers
of faith who brought the message of God's Love, Redemption and the need for
the Empowerment of the Holy Spirit! It was in this setting that I was born.
The family all attended church and Sunday School.
 |
1948
Revival brings salvation to 8 year old girl - MARGE! |
In 1948
a revival swept through Northern Alberta deeply affecting our Slavic churches
and many others as well. I was eight years old at this time when a visiting
evangelist came to our church. I do thank God for our pastor at that time,
Pastor Toman, who did not hinder the moving of God's Holy Spirit in our midst
As the evangelist ministered, he asked for those who wanted to invite Jesus
into their hearts. I felt a tug on my heart and wondered, "Would Jesus
really come into my heart?"
Shyly
I raised my hand and went forward in the altar call. That night, while we
were praying, my friends had visions. One had a vision of Jesus! Praise the
Lord! That night Jesus came into my heart. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt
that Jesus had come into my life and washed my sins away! Oh, the joy and
peace that flooded my heart! The next day at school I shared the Lord with
my classmates. I obtained a Bible. Since no one told me where to begin, I
began to read the Book of Revelation. This is deep reading for a young eight
year old. However, I learned that I should read John and the gospels.
Some time
later, a young man, Michael Brandebura and two other Bible students visited
our church. God planted a hunger in my heart to one day attend a Bible School
and study His Word. Michael and his wife Ann are good friends of ours today.
After my conversion, we moved to Vernon, British Columbia. Desiring to attend
Sunday School, my six-year-old sister and I ventured out to find the church,
which we were told, was only three blocks away. However, we soon discovered
that we were lost and on the main street of the city.
I remember
the terrible feeling of being lost. My sister began to cry. I tried to comfort
her, feeling terrible myself. Perhaps almost an hour went by. Suddenly up
the street we saw my eldest brother Andy coming. How happy we were! We knew
we would be safe now. We just wanted to go home. I thought of our elder Brother
Jesus Christ who found us when we were lost and brought us back into fellowship
with our Father God!
I have
shared this testimony around the world before singing the song, 'Had it
not been for Jesus, then my soul would be lost.' Shortly after we moved to
Edson, Alberta and then on to Prince George. B.C. because of my father's work
in the lumbering trade. We attended Sunday School and church during this time
and shortly after we moved again to Williams Lake, B.C. By this time I was
a teenager. I often say now that perhaps our moving so much made it easy to
leave all to follow the Lord into over one hundred and twenty countries as
God has led us to minister the gospel these thirty-six years!
We had
a fine pastor here as well in whose home I was blessed to spend a year while
attending high school. Pastor Fawcett and his wife were a blessing and inspiration
to me. My teen Sunday School teacher, Olive Unrau, also was a great inspiration
to me, having us learn many portions of scripture, which I recall today. This
has been such a source of blessing and help to me as I have prayed for and
led many to the Lord myself. Olive and George have been a blessing to Tony
and I through the years as they have prayed for our ministry. Here I began
to teach a Sunday School class and later became Youth leader.
After
high school I began work in a bank. Later a new pastor came to take charge
of the flock, Pastor Funk and his wife. He also taught us much from the Word
of God. Since there was a vacancy, the pastor had confidence in me as a seventeen
year old, asking me to become bookkeeper for the church. This experience was
to prove invaluable in the years to come. God's Hand was on my life and I
felt the need for further study of the Word.
When the
dean of British Columbia Bible Institute in North Vancouver and a quartet
from the college came to our town, I prayed, "Lord, if it is your will
for me to study at this college, let the dean approach me with an enrollment
application." This he did and the following year I was enrolled there.
Pastor Funk drove me to the college in his Volkswagen Beetle to begin my three-year
study. That little car was full to the top with suitcases and boxes with only
enough seating room. You can see why I appreciate my pastors who shepherded
me and have great respect for these men of God!
While
at Bible College, we were required to make a church in the area our home church.
Pastor Peter Kerychuk and his wife Jean were the pastors of a Ukrainian church
there. Since Jean and I were cousins, she asked me to attend their church.
I had been away from hearing the language so many years so it was difficult
to understand Bible language. However, this experience was also invaluable
as my husband and I would minister in the former Soviet Union during communism
and after and plant 59 churches ourselves to date. Praise God!
While
at Bible College I was very busy with my studies as well as being voted in
as class secretary and Student Council secretary. I was also praying, asking
God for His direction in my life. I had chosen Matt.6:33 as my favorite scripture…(Mat
6:33 KJV) "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you."
May
I say here, if you are earnestly desiring God's perfect will for your life,
God will give you the very best. It was during this time that my future
husband, Tony Abram, a Co-Evangelist with the T.L. Osborn ministry came to
Vancouver to precede his crusade there. I was assistant youth leader at this
time. Tony was invited to our church to share his testimony and preach there.
He visited many churches in the area asking for their co-operation in the
crusade. He was staying with friends at the church, Metro and Veronika Fedow.
Veronika had told me of his dedication and prayer life and that he was going
to ask me out . When he asked me to dinner, I answered in the affirmative
as I had already prayed, asking for God's direction.
Two months
later we traveled back to Williams Lake for my parents and Tony to meet. Tony
and I had planned to meet in England and be married there. However, my parents
wanted me to be married at home. The following week on a Tuesday evening,
November 20th, 1962, we were married in a candlelit ceremony. My family were
all there. The church family and many friends were there. However, Tony's
parents and brother Frank could not be there as they were 3,500 miles away
in Pennsylvania. The church ladies made my reception lunch and dear Sister
Dunn who has since gone on to be with the Lord, even made us a beautiful wedding
cake. My brother Bill teases, that during the wedding reception, the cake
started to topple over as it was filled with fruit.
After
the wedding reception, my sister Evelyn and her husband Ed drove us to Vancouver
where I helped Tony pack to leave for home before going to England. There
at the airport we said goodbye trusting to meet again in England. I gave notice
at my job and in two weeks I was able to join my husband in Pennsylvania,
meeting his family there. We had a short time of ministry in the area before
leaving for England. That cold winter was to be the coldest year in 248 years
of recorded history. God did many wonderful healings and miracles in England
that year. A spiritist came to one of our meetings and she was saved, delivered
of a spirit of wickedness and healed of a partially paralyzed side. God created
a new eyeball in place of the glass eye, which she took out, feeling an irritation
in it the next morning!
We preached
the gospel in Southern Africa near Buchuanaland, where for the first time
the Africans heard the message of salvation. They told us they had never heard
such a story of love, that God would love them so much that He would give
His only son to die for them! We went on to Mexico, Central and South America.
We ministered in the former Soviet Union where God gave us many wonderful
deliverances and angels even preceding our coming with many souls being saved.
I have
been especially blessed as I have been able to share in Women's Ministries
telling women that they can also be used of God. I have been so blessed as
I, with my husband, have seen two Nation-wide revivals in Bolivia and Paraguay,
South America. In the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, during our crusade in the
stadium, three nights in a row, ten deaf and dumb testified of healing. Their
first words were, "Jesus!"
What a
privilege it has been to go with my husband to share the wonderful good news
of the gospel! I can truly say that my eyes and ears have been blessed to
see and hear the wonderful works of God!
What a
joy and thrill to celebrate my 50th Jubilee year of salvation at the Glendon
Pentecostal Church while they celebrated their 70th year! The Glendon church,
where my brother Bill is now pastor, is the mother church to the Slavic Churches
of Northern Alberta.
Matt.13:16&17
"But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they
hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have
desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear
those things which ye hear, and have not heard them".
Luke
10:24 "For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired
to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
If you
would like to have additional copies of Marge Abram's testimony, please write
to Mother Abram and request it. We want you to know that without your prayers
and faithful support we would not be able to take the Gospel to the Nations.
God bless you and yours is our daily prayer. We love you all!
