Don Tingen's Last Speech

At our WCS banquet in Columbia, South Carolina, Don Tingen gave a ten-minute speech. That might not sound so unusual but shortly after that speech, Don left this earth go be taken home to Glory! His story is a beautiful one.

Thank you for being here. I thought for a while I might not make it, but… I told my oncologist that, surely you can patch an old man up to where he can share a ten minute testimony. And they came around early this morning and said, “we’re gonna getcha there.” So, ah, I thank each one of you for being here.

But it was twenty years ago I received a letter from a jungle boy from Nigeria, he called himself. He said, I need help in getting an education so that I can help my people. He said, if we don’t get help in the jungles of Nigeria, then we will rust and in the jungle. But with a Christian education, we can make a nation born, that will transfer, transform all of Nigeria, and, and will fit into the culture of Africa.

So, he was askin for two hundered dollars. Well, I decided that I would, I decided that I would, uh, (pause)

There was such a need there, I said no, I won’t give him two hundred dollars cause I just don’t know, so many corrupt things I’ve heard from Nigeria, and so I dropped the letter in the trash and walked away, the Lord said, “Doesn’t belong there.”

And then Mary, I gave it to Mary and she said, We’re not giving two hundred dollars to someone we don’t know in Nigeria.

Then I saw her pick it up again. And so, I said, You’re having trouble with the letter. She said, Yes I am. Then, I’m not gonna send him two hundred dollars. Let’s send him twenty dollars, and see what happens to the twenty dollars.

The twenty dollars went to Nigeria and he came back from the school and said that Inno had taken that twenty dollars and given the twenty dollars for a back debt in Nigeria. And they said, we cant afford to but we’ve never had anyone offered, after they’re out of school, come back and pay a back debt. So we have reinstated him. We would give you permission that you might continue to give if you find it in your heart. So we continued to give, gave him money to get through that school,. He went on and pursued and received a doctor in rural sociology. And in the receiving of that doctorate in rural sociology, he started building a community, started building brick-making equipment, and he had the people working, he was teachin them a trade, and the community started, they said, we need a school in it, so he started investin’ in a school, and they built their own first school. Without any help. But it was built out of concrete and brick and, uh, with a very strong, Christian basis.

This was a, such a tremendous opportunity for them to help them village boys. They had a charge for bringing them in,but any kid come that didn’t have money their money that day, they was supposed to what they call drive ‘em off, but they didn’t. they’re here to get an education. We’re gonna see that they get their education.

And, uh, many of you helped them along the way. Phil Walker, thank you. And, uh, Garland Ramsey, thank you. Garland, uh, came to the, when he asked for a mission trip at [the Vine?] to take clothes over there, and Garland stepped forward and having stepped forward, he got the vision of what could happen, and Inno sent me an email and said, while Garland is loading that container, could you possibly put a four-wheel drive on it? He doesn’t mind asking, and I don’t ahv it to give, but you know you tell good people of what the need is and they [lean in?] and give.

And, so, the wonderful thing about this story, this is an ongoing story, …by God…?...

So, this is, just because we made the right decision, it cost me a twenty dollar investment, and God took over that twenty dollar investment and made it thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. I just thank Him, that Reverend Jackson, that you let us use your facilities here, and I thank each one of you that’s encouraged us along the way.

But we’re gonna make it, and Worldwide Christian Schools, when the need was so great, they came alongside of us. We couldn’t have done it without ‘em. But this, we’re gonna get the funds to get that job done. Inno, along with Worldwide Christian Schools, Donald and Denis, everyone. We see that this is really the possibility getting’ the job done and a nation bein’ built over there. Thank you.

It truly is an ongoing story!