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| Brianna, Debbie, Ed, Eddie, and Ashley - picture taken the day before we returned home from the Philippines June 2008 |
Anything He Asks
Fully surrendered to Jesus, Ed and Debbie
Jurimas have experienced God’s abundant
goodness and provision. As they share their
story, God’s faithfulness resounds: Ed and Debbie both grew up in Christian
homes in South Jersey where they learned
about Christ, and at young ages came to know Him as their Lord and Savior. Ed and Debbie share great
memories of youth group activities and of their
families camping together. It wasn't until after high school that they started dating and then were married in 1984. Soon after their marriage, they began to think seriously about full-time ministry. One day Ed asked Debbie, “Why don’t you ever
pray for missions?”
Debbie looked at him and answered, “Because
I know what happens when you do.”
Shortly after that, in 1987, they went on a missions trip to Mexico where they were exposed to the spiritual deprivations of a poorer part of the world. Already attending
night classes at Philadelphia Biblical University, their hearts were open to the Lord’s direction to pursue missions opportunities, and they began requesting information from three different organizations. Debbie recalls a moment of truth. Thinking
about Ed’s good job, the house they had just bought, and their possessions, it dawned on her how quickly all of these things could be “burned up.” Picturing herself before God in heaven, she thought, if God were to ask her how she spent her life on earth, He wouldn’t be interested in an explanation about how clean she kept her carpets. In light of eternity, none of these “things” really mattered.
What mattered most was a life of eternal significance, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Following that experience, it wasn’t as difficult to enter New Tribes Mission’s four year training program. Those years were full of both studying and life-changing experiences.
Though possessing little, God provided perfectly
with vehicles, clothing, friends, doctors and dentists. Eddie and Ashley, their first two children, were both born prematurely during those years. As Bible school students
without adequate health insurance, Ed and Debbie marvel
at the way God supplied all of their needs.
The expenses of Eddie’s 67-day and Ashley’s
22-day hospital stays, as well as all of the medical
bills, were covered. Emotionally, too, the Lord gave them all of the strength they needed. A few years later Brianna was born right on Ed’s 30th birthday - with no extended
hospital stay. What a blessing all 3 children are! After two years of Bible College, a year at the
Missions Institute, and attending flight school
to become a missionary pilot, Ed Jurimas and
his family ended up serving at the New Tribes Bible School in Wisconsin. They said, “ we were willing to do anything God asked to spread the gospel.”
After serving in bookstore management and
then as Food Service Director for 12 years , the Jurimas family returned to New Jersey and served on staff at Fellowship Alliance Chapel. Since July 2006, the Jurimas family has been
serving in the Philippines with New Tribes
Mission, part of the team reaching
people groups who have little or no chance to have someone teach them God's Word the Bible.
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