25 Years Later…
It was now August 18, 1981, 25 years later, and Luis Palau was having a crusade in San Diego. I took my wife, her mother and her sister to the Swiss Park in Chula Vista to hear the Gospel in Spanish. At the end they went forward and my wife was assigned to confer with an elderly couple in the rear of the enclosure. They introduced themselves as Tío Jorge and Tía Luisa.
After talking for some time, Tío Jorge said they would like to come to our house to have a Bible study in Spanish for my wife and her friends. They came every Wednesday evening without fail from their home in Santee for almost two years, even in the worst weather. Toward the end Tia Luisa had to drive because of Tío Jorge’s failing eyesight. My Wife and her friends were ready.
Tío Jorge always began the meeting with prayer, starting with: “Bendito Dios, Padre Celestial, damos gracias por…” and then he would read the portion of Scripture relevant for the lesson of the evening.
By now you have probably guessed that Tío Jorge was really the English missionary, Dr. George Tidmarsh and Tía Luisa was his wife, Gwendolyn.
Brother Tidmasrsh and sister Gwen took the bread and the cup at Laurel Bible Chapel, and we began to worship with that fellowship. Earlier, my wife and I had attended College Avenue Baptist Church and then Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist but with little understanding of what was required for salvation.
We learned what a biblical elder was in contrast to an elder in a denominational church. And we found out that Dr. Tidmarsh was a biblical elder at Laurel. There were several different language groups meeting at Laurel besides the English group. Brother Tidmarsh was also an elder in the Spanish language group, along with Cliff Peterson, Jaime De La Vega and Regino Urquidez.
The Spanish language group decided to be more independent of Laurel and moved to a different building located downtown at the corner of 17th and Market Streets. (The structure was originally constructed by a group of Baptist immigrant from Sweden. This group ultimately became College Baptist Church.)
Brother Tidmarsh played the piano and sometimes preached during the evening services at Iglesia Evangélica Emanuel. The church later returned to the building at Laurel.
We got our children…to come to Laurel. Praise God!
Written by a disciple of Tío Jorge
