Seven Missionary Lessons from my Dad

My Dad (Edwin P. Plueddemann) was a research scientist who had 100 patented inventions before he went to heaven. His discoveries are being used today in computer circuit boards, the space program and medical technology. While he was famous in the field of adhesives, his most powerful influence on me was through his life. Here are some of the most important missionary lessons I learned from my Dad.

1. Don’t complain when life is difficult. Dad grew up during the depression as one of nine children in the home of a poorly paid preacher. But in telling about his childhood, he only reminisced about the fun they had. Contentment characterized his whole life. When the doctor told him there was nothing more they could do to treat his cancer, he never complained. Rather than mope, he worked on improving his golf game and kept experimenting in the lab. What a lesson for missionaries!

2. Enjoy life to the fullest. Dad had a wonderful enthusiasm for life. When I was a child the children in our neighborhood often came to our door asking if Jimmy’s Dad could come out and play. Dad was constantly amazed that his company would give him a free chemistry set and pay him to play with chemicals all day.

3. Be curious about everything. As a scientist, Dad was curious about molecules, but he was also curious about the stock market, astronomy, world history, theology and politics. He taught himself German, Russian and Greek so he didn’t have to depend on others for translations. He never quit learning and even had a chemistry experiment going in the lab the night he died.

4. See all of life as Christian service. Dad felt that God had given him 24 hours a day. Ideally, he wanted to work for 8 hours, sleep for 8 hours, and be involved in Christian service for 8 hours. While he was a research scientist he also pastored a small church for a salary of $1.00 a year. In the lab he assumed God was peering over his shoulder to see if he could discover how the Creator had constructed molecules.

5. Debate ideas, not people. I learned as a child that people could disagree about ideas and still be good friends. If a conversation became dull, my Dad would stimulate debate by taking the opposite opinion. If he convinced folks with his ideas, he would switch sides again. I chuckled inside as I watched my Dad spice up the conversation with wild ideas.

6. Study the Bible with excitement. Nothing was more enjoyable for my Dad than Bible study. He spent many evenings in his easy chair reading the Bible and commentaries. He was known to stay up until 2:00 in the morning discussing the Bible with a small study group. Sermon preparation was one of the delights of his life.

7. Live for the next world. As cancer spread throughout his body and heart attacks destroyed his heart, the elders of the church came to pray for him. When they asked Dad how he would like them to pray, he replied, “Well I don’t expect to live much longer in this body, and I’ve lived longer than I thought I would. Just pray that I’ll keep rejoicing in the Lord.” As we sat around him with tears in our eyes, Dad talked about the questions he would soon ask Jesus, and he began to design heavenly three-dimensional golf courses. He knew he was leaving the world of the dying and going to the land of the living. Dad exuberantly enjoyed life, but longed for the place Jesus was preparing for him.

A joyful, creative, curious attitude is not something easily taught in College or Seminary. Dad’s missionary training helped me face many challenges in cross-cultural work.

I hope I’ll always keep an excitement both for this world and for the world that is coming.