Mentors 2

Helen Carlquist was the kind of Jesus follower you knew had been a Christian for a long, long time. Her face spoke the fruit of the Spirit and the joy of the Lord. She was 82 years old when we first met her, silvery white hair without a blue streak in it! She had a twinkle in her eye and this smile on her face that could disarm any grouchy soul.
Helen did not make a way for herself. By that I mean, she never blew her own horn. She was content to live out the gifts God had given to her and she always freely gave!! Her life on this earth was to bless people with her wisdom and joy. We were priveleged to have her attend our home fellowship from 1977-1980. I loved her quiet ways, but her ministry to the Church spoke loudly! When our home fellowship got too big and we ran out of chairs, without any fan fare she handed us a check for folding chairs, PADDED folding chairs!
Thing about Christians in this modern time, we have to be adventurers and willing to take a risk when God says it's time. Helen was this kind of woman. On her own at 16 years old, she moved all the way to Alaska without knowing a soul. It was exactly what God had ordained. She was saved in Alaska and her life was forever changed. She told me one time of a snow shoeing mission trip she took with with other Christians. No small trip, from Anchorage to Fairbanks. She was an adventurer for the Lord!
Helen was a woman of vision. I see her life in the Proverbs 31 woman. She wanted to borrow a certain amount of money from a banker because she had this vision of buying land in a certain area outside of Anchorage at the time. It was so far out, it was considered "the bush." She kept getting a no every time she talked with him. Helen kept going back. You didn't expect she would give up with the first no or the twentieth? She kept going back until she got what she asked for. She was very convincing. She reminds me of the woman in the Bible who kept going back to the judge for what she wanted until he gave up and said yes, just to get rid of her. A few decades later, that piece of property became a huge portion of downtown Anchorage. Thank you Jesus! Her future husband Carl (the Swede) built a building on Helen's property and opened a jewelery store, Carlquist Jewelers. Helen probably had her choice of engagement rings!
Couple things I loved about Helen, was her consistent, abiding love for God's people and for Him; but also the uncomplicated way she believed God's word. Helen was a prayer warrior, she fully believed the scripture when Jesus said "enter your closet to pray". She always prayed in her closet. Wonder if Carl knew what she was doing in there? God knew.
I wasn't sad when I heard that Helen had died. She was with Jesus whom her heart desired.