Page 40 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2024 - Online Magazine
P. 40
A YOUTHFUL
PERSPECTIVE
A Heart of
Service
David Elder
by Gavin R. Elder
ost of us have one special Illinois for a year. While at Emmaus, he learned that management was
person we’ve looked he was introduced to a Bible teacher not his strength. Then he joined the
Mup to our entire life and pastor from Houston named carpenters’ union, but a slump in
… one who inspires us in ways Herschel Martindale who came to that industry made providing for
we don’t even understand. For Emmaus as a visiting speaker. a family of eight very problematic.
me, that is my grandpa, David Desperate to provide for his
Elder. He is a perfect example In 1972, David and a couple of his family, he applied for a job in the
of the 4th love language–acts of friends made the choice to move Water Department of the City of
service. He’s served faithfully and to Houston to join a dynamic Lubbock and was hired for $3.62
wholeheartedly in many places– young church, University Christian an hour, minimum wage at the
his church and community, with Fellowship (UCF), whose focus was time. David did what he had to do
friends, family, and more. reaching college students for Christ without any complaint whatsoever.
at the University of Houston. It was Five days a week, he made the
David Frank Elder was born on in that church where he met a young twenty-mile round-trip on his bike,
March 26, 1954, in an Army hospital woman named Marella. She lost her whether rain or shine. He also
at Fort Dix, New Jersey. His father notebook at the church, and David worked on weekends at McDonald's
was Ralph Elder, an Air Force found it for her, which was good to make ends meet. After six
veteran, and his mother was Audrey because she would end up being months, he transferred to Lubbock
Sheets Elder, the first in her family the love of his life. They married in
to graduate from high school. Both 1976.
grew up in Pennsylvania and
were members of the Presbyterian UCF moved as a group to Lubbock
church. David and his two sisters in 1979 to continue their ministry at
grew up in the beautiful countryside Texas Tech University. The church
of southern New Jersey where had grown in so many ways, and so
wooded, rolling hills abound. had the Elder family. Eventually, six
children were born to the family–
When David was in high school, he Daniel, Sarah, Jonathan (my father),
frequently visited a particular coffee Jordan, Julia, and Ryan.
shop that was run by Christians.
Even though David always believed Looking back over the years, it’s
in the Lord, it was at that coffee obvious how God led Grandpa
shop that he accepted the Lord as as he traveled down his career
his Savior. After that, he was led to path. He started out by owning
Emmaus Bible School in Oak Park, his own roofing business, where
40 Lubbock Senior Link
