Evelyn Einfeldt

Evelyn Katherine Regier Einfeldt was born May 14, 1921, the second child of David and Barbara Regier, Mountain Lake, Minnesota. She died in Maranatha Manor, Sebring, Florida on April 6, 2010. An older brother welcomed her into the family. Later, four brothers and two sisters completed the family of eight children. The daily family altar held in their home, both morning and evening, indelibly impressed upon her mind the value of close fellowship with God. Her father was the pastor of a Mennonite church. Their farm was located four miles from the church. In wintertime they went to church by horse and sleigh. Since German was the language spoken in their home, learning English in a one-room country school proved to be a challenge and bitter tears were wept in the first grade. However, God helped her in the language transition and she graduated from Mountain Lake High School. At the early age of 9, Evelyn received Christ as her Savior. At 12 years she knew she wanted to be a missionary and she diligently prepared for service abroad. After high school she studied for two years at Mankato State Teachers College. However, she felt the need to attend a Christian school if she was to prepare to become a missionary. She transferred to Wheaton College where she completed her undergraduate training in 1945. She taught a year at the Christian Day School in her home town but was restless to continue training for missionary service. God directed her to the Biblical Seminary in New York where she graduated in 1948 with a Masters Degree in Christian Education. Just as she was ready to follow her aunt to China that door closed to missionary work, however a new door opened when she was accepted to teach Christian Education at the London Bible College in Ontario, Canada, for three years. In 1951, the president of Baptist Bible Seminary in Johnson City, N.Y. invited her to join the faculty of that school. While there she made many friends among students and pastors. She also learned about the world-wide ministry of Baptist Mid-Missions and saw an opportunity to fulfill her dream and calling to be a witness overseas of God's saving grace. In 1953 she applied to BMM, was accepted, and wonderfully got the needed support from many friends and churches. The following year she sailed for Japan which offered an open door to Christian missionaries. In Japan Evelyn met Doris Youmans who, several years earlier, had been commissioned by the First Baptist Church of Johnson City, N Y. They were co-laborers in Japan for the next twenty-six years. After learning Japanese, Evelyn and Doris had ministries to high school, college and graduate students. Evelyn taught Bible classes in Japanese at their church in Fukushima. She also taught English in a medical college to students and professors, making many life-long friends. Evelyn and Doris prepared dinners for women's groups as well as for the medical students. These were informal occasions to present the gospel. Hiking trips and picnics in the summer-time were wonderful opportunities to witness. Skiing was popular in winter. For twenty years Evelyn and Doris also ran a Christian bookstore which is still in operation under Japanese management. At one time Evelyn was teaching English to a group of about 60 medical students. She decided to invite them to her house for a dinner. One sad young man said he would not come so she told him: That's OK. I'll set a place for you just the same. And he came. On another occasion she invited the students to come to her church in Fukushima. Again her sad student said: No, I won't come. And she said That's OK. But he came anyway. The young man's name was Dr. Tomioka. The Japanese pastor preached a challenging sermon and the young doctor returned to church again and again. One day he said to Evelyn: How come that preacher knows all about my sins? He accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and eventually became the first missionary with Baptist Mid-Missions to Bangladesh. He married a lovely Japanese Christian young woman and became the head doctor in a city hospital in Bangladesh. He started four more churches in his region and is still working there. In one of his last letters to Evelyn he said they were now proud of their new grandson! While on home-leave in 1980 Evelyn was injured in a serious passenger-train derailment in Michigan which changed the direction of her life. After three years of recuperation and deputation and helping her ailing mother, Evelyn was invited to join Art and Pat Wimer who were missionaries with BMM in Hawaii. Many Asian students study in Honolulu at the East-West Center and at the University of Hawaii. Their wives are often lonely, eager to learn English and have their children attend Bible story classes. This was a most enjoyable assignment for Evelyn who opened her apartment to these many families from Nepal, Korea, Indonesia, Japan and China. She organized Bible classes with the mothers, and children heard and memorized the Bible stories which they loved. Many opened their hearts to the Lord Jesus at a young age. . Another happy change came when Lynn Einfeldt proposed marriage to Evelyn after his wife died. She had met the Einfeldts casually during furloughs in their church planting efforts in America. Lynn and Evelyn married in 1987 and Evelyn at 66 became an instant step-mother and step-grandmother. Lynn had three children: David, Rachel and Ruth. They, their spouses, and their numerous descendents welcomed Evelyn into the family. Together, Lynn and Evelyn continued the ministry with Asian students and their families in Honolulu till 1993 when they moved to Maranatha Village, near Sebring, Florida. After settling into their new renovated home their alert eyes saw an opportunity to witness at the Sebring flea market on Saturdays. They set up a table, sold Bibles and Christian books and distributed tracts to the hundreds of people who came by to shop for bargains. Many heard about the greatest Gift of all - eternal life for the repentant believer. After nineteen years of marriage, more than they had ever expected, Lynn died in 2006. Evelyn continued her Saturday witness at the market as best she could, until that became too difficult. Throughout her life Evelyn kept contact with her family and many friends throughout the world. She now has gone to her reward. May her faithful loving service inspire each new generation. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lynn A. Einfeldt, Dec. 19, 2006. She is survived by her brothers, R.A. Regier, Dallas, OR, Arnold Regier, Mountain Lake, MN, Elmer Regier, Goshen, IN, Milton Regier, Glen Ellyn, IL and John Regier, Mountain Lake, MN; sisters, Elfrieda Loewen, Goshen, IN and Mary Regier, Nappanee, IN; step daughters, Ruth Capps, Sebring, FL and Ruth Turner, Chittenango, NY; daughter -in-law, Teri Einfeldt, W. Hartford, CT; several nieces and nephews.