Celebrating Becky Dwarshuis: A Lifetime of Faith and Mission
Becky Dwarshuis, a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church, celebrated her 81st birthday this week. Over the years, she has faithfully served through Presbyterian Women, the Flower Guild, and a deep commitment to global missions. Her lifelong support of the Presbyterian Women Birthday Offering is a beautiful reminder that even the smallest gifts, placed in God's hands, can become blessings for people around the world.
When Becky turned 10 years old in 1955, she walked down the aisle of her home church in Lancing, Tennessee, carrying ten pennies, one for each year of her life, to give to the Presbyterian Women Birthday Offering. She had no idea that year's offering would help establish Yodogawa Christian Hospital in Osaka, Japan, where it continues to provide compassionate medical care more than 70 years later.
Years later, Becky discovered the amazing connection between her childhood gift and the hospital's story through an article in Horizons magazine.
"It was so exciting when I realizedI gave my ten cents the year the hospital had begun," she shared.
Becky Dwarshuis (left), who has supported the Presbyterian Women Birthday Offering since she was 10 years old in Lancing, Tennessee, visits Good Shepherd Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015. The hospital was made possible through the Presbyterian Women Birthday Offering
Her commitment to the Birthday Offering has never wavered. In 2015, Becky traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the dedication of the Founder's Chapel at Good Shepherd Hospital in Tshikaji, another Presbyterian medical ministry that has served thousands of patients through the faithful generosity of Presbyterians.
It was there that Becky experienced another unforgettable reminder of how God had multiplied a lifetime of faithful giving.
"When I walked into the Good Shepherd Hospital, Charlotte Rule, daughter of Dr. Bill Rule, said, 'You know, the Presbyterian Birthday Offering built this hospital.' Tears rolled down my face."
For Becky, the trip brought into focus something she had believed all along: every gift matters. Through Presbyterian hospitals like Yodogawa Christian Hospital and Good Shepherd Hospital, countless people have received compassionate medical care while also experiencing the love of Christ in tangible ways. What began as ten pennies from a little girl in Tennessee became part of a much larger story of healing, hope, and ministry around the world.
Today, Becky continues to faithfully support the Birthday Offering with the same simple vision that began when she was a child.
"I still give to the Birthday Offering," said Becky, a lifelong member of Presbyterian Women. "I want to build another hospital."
Happy birthday, Becky! Your life is a testimony to God's faithfulness and grace.