SPOTLIGHT ON... Gunars Iesalnieks A Professional and Personal Overview of BBI's Board Secretary Gunars Iesalnieks holds the record of having traveled the greatest distance to become part of the BBI team. Gunars is the oldest of four children and was eleven years old, when his family fled Latvia in 1944, just ahead of the Soviet army as it occupied their country. He relates the events of one fearful night on the way to port city of Liepaja: "The family walked behind a horse-drawn wagon together with other relatives along a road full of refugees and retreating German troops. Soviet scout airplanes had been following the road during the day, and at night the bombers arrived. As we heard the explosions approaching, everyone ran away from the road and fell flat on the ground some distance away from each other. This was a predetermined plan to avoid the entire family being killed. The bombs were falling close enough to shake the ground and throw clumps of dirt on top of me, as I prayed fervently. I heard my dad calling out our names and we all answered - the Lord had indeed protected us through the carpet-bombing." After several attempts, foiled by bombing attacks, the family finally got aboard a ship to Germany. The war ended a few months later with the defeat of Hitler. There were refugees from many Eastern European countries who refused to go home, because their homelands were under rule of the atheistic Soviet "evil empire." We were placed in refugee camps in Germany after World War II. Each nationality set up their own schools and Gunars spent the next four years in Latvian culture in exile. By 1949, the US, as well as other Western countries, passed legislation to allow immigration of refugees outside the existing quotas. The requirement was to have a sponsor who could guarantee employment for two years. Gunars' uncle was a Methodist pastor and was able to make contact with a pastor in Nebraska. Eventually, a dear Christian businessman, Herbert Kendall, offered the family a sharecropping deal on one of his farms, and the family accepted his offer and came to Kearney, Nebraska; - but there was hitch. Gunars tells the story: "Pre-immigration medical exam chest x-ray revealed that I had been exposed to TB, and had calcified lymph nodes in chest cavity. I was given the bad news that another x-ray would be required three months later, and, only if the subsequent x-ray showed no disease, the family would be allowed to come to USA. I convinced my family to allow me to remain in Germany and not delay their departure. Three months later I was declared healthy and was allowed to join the family already hard at work raising 3,000 turkeys on the farm. My sponsor loved to tell the story at the Kiwanis club that doctors mistook my shirt button for a lymph node." Things do not always go according to expectations. Shortly after arriving in Nebraska, Gunars' dad came down with crippling arthritis and sixteen year old Gunars had to postpone completing high school and worked to support the family. In October 1951 the family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. Gunars and his younger brother Laimons found better paying jobs and continued to support the family and they both graduated from high school by attending evening classes. Gunars enrolled in civil engineering course from The International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, PA, and kept busy working days and studying evenings. The Korean conflict was going on, and in 1953, Gunars received a letter from President Eisenhower asking him to join the US Army. With financial assistance of the GI Bill, in 1955 Gunars enrolled at University of Nebraska to study civil engineering. He also took some classes during summer session and combined studying with beating the hot weather at the municipal swimming pool, but there were some distractions that led to significant changes in his life. Gunars tells the story: "One day, walking into the pool area, I heard three women conversing in German. I sat down sufficiently close to listen and look them over while pretending to read my textbook. The tallest of them instantly captured my heart, and two years later, August 31, 1958, Nelly and I were married. I believe The Lord arranged that encounter, because 46 years later we are still in love." Engineering studies went well. Nelly supplemented the GI Bill income by working part time, and in 1961, Gunars received the MS degree in civil engineering. Due to the competition in space exploration, research grants for graduate work became available. Taking advantage of this source of income, Gunars went on to earn the Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 1966. By this time they had five-year old son John and infant Linda. Gunars went to work in propulsion engineering with The Boeing Company in Seattle, WA. One day the colleagues at work had brought a small cake to celebrate Gunars' birthday. After the customary congratulations he was asked to share what is most unique about his life. Gunars recalls: "The Holy Spirit suddenly impressed me to say that I was born twice. This gave me an opening to briefly explain the spiritual birth that assures my eternal life with God." "It was so natural and easy to say it, but possible only after an arduous spiritual journey," says Gunars, as he relates his testimony: "There was much turmoil in my childhood. My mom was saved as a teenager, but my dad remained an unbeliever until shortly before he died at 74 years. My childhood memories are of a strict but fair father when he was sober, but there was much heavy drinking with his friends in that farming community. During summers, evangelists from the city sometimes held meetings at the home of my mom's parents. There I heard and understood the Gospel, but had very difficult time relating it to my dysfunctional family. Later, as a teenager, I heard the Gospel again as my mom's brother led a small congregation where my family attended. However, attractions of the world continued to take the upper hand in my spiritual journey. "After we moved to Seattle, Nelly thought we ought to attend church, mostly for the benefit of our children. Pastor of the Lutheran church we had joined convinced me to teach the confirmation classes to 8th graders. This forced me to become familiar with the course material. However, I had difficulty relating science and The Creator. Testimony to God's love is that He did not give up on me. At work, in stores, and in seemingly accidental encounters, people told me how they had experienced God's love and forgiveness. Even Dan, my Ph.D. colleague at the office, spoke of knowing Jesus personally. Later I realized that The Lord had arranged all these encounters to prepare my heart. Finally an aeronautical engineering student Dave gave me some Josh McDowell tapes. As I listened, my arguments melted. In rush hour freeway traffic, in October 1972, I prayed for forgiveness of my sins. Good thing that traffic was moving slowly - there we tears of sorrow that changed to tears of joy - at 39 years I had experienced the second birth. A great weight rolled off my shoulders, and I think my head actually touched the roof of the car. Dave organized a home Bible study group where Nelly and many of our friends also experienced salvation. Later I became part of the charismatic movement that swept through the Pacific NW. The Lord guided me in sorting out what was of The Holy Spirit and what was excess of the human spirit, and He gave me a powerful gift of prayer language, that has played a major role in sustaining me through the storms of life." Gunars and Nelly both retired in 1995 and moved to Portland to be closer to their son and four grandchildren. They are members of the East Hill Foursquare Church in Gresham, OR, where they both serve on pastoral prayer teams and lead a home Bible study group. Gunars started to look for a way to get involved in ministry to Latvia. Through Larry and Ruta York he met Chuck Kelley. Gunars has served on the BBI Board since 1997, and has made six ministry trips to Latvia. He maintains dual citizenship (US and Latvia). Gunars uses the English, Latvian, German and Russian language skills in translating Christian literature. Gunars says: "After nearly three decades of engineering, it was time to change careers. The Bible is silent on the idea of retirement. God holds us accountable as to how we use our talents, and, in my case, this is the knowledge of the Latvian language and culture. Together with the Latvian pastors, I teach from the translated Discipleship Training course, each participant receiving the copy." Last revised January, 2004 TOP