One by one the problems were dealt with by John and Jean. The day finally arrived when the family was able to move into their own home. The house in Canada had been sold, and one had been purchased in Chicago, but at a considerable distance from Moody Bible Institute. That as problem number one!  Problem number two—quite different; dealing with the flesh! 

The house in Chicago was old and in need of significant repair, but it was all they could afford. The house they had left in the lumbering country of Canada was new. They had even had a hand in building it, and it was in need of no repairs. Jean had three daughters and a baby boy to care for, and she was not happy!

Once he was settled in, John found he was warmly accepted at Moody. As he began interacting with their “intelligentsia,” he was as happy as his children were with their new puppy.

John found that the work-load expected of him could easily be completed in three days; the rest of his time was spent in studying the marvelous books in the giant library. He loved to study and soon he was given new assignments.

One assignment given to all new staff members was to speak at Morning Devotions. He praised the Lord for preparing him by his experiences at the little Brethren church on Mt. Carmel, and later as he led the worship at the church he left in Canada. Another new assignment was teaching various evening courses over the radio representing Moody. He also began writing his book on Romans, and Bible Explorer’s Guide (which has never gone out of print), a book primarily on hermeneutics, and one that John badly needed, yet it was unavailable until he actually wrote his own!

He found it necessary to preach at the churches, both in morning services as well as in the evenings. It was increasingly difficult to manage transportation for this growing family. Both John and Jean were stripped of all pride when it became necessary to wait on a street corner for the bus that would carry them to a connecting vehicle in order to arrive at their destination on time. Then, the process had to be repeated when John spoke at the evening services in another church. Their lessons were well-learned, and in due time, God provided them with an automobile.

The days passed quickly for John at Moody Bible Institute, until the day came when he was given his first two week vacation. Without giving it a second thought, he immediately went to the train station and bought a round-trip ticket for Vancouver, Canada, took it home, and gave it to Jean. He promised to take care of the children (including the baby), and he did. Furthermore, when she returned after a refreshing two-week vacation, she was thoroughly convinced that God had taken John to the place He wanted him to be. She couldn’t see the future, and had no idea of what God was doing in their lives, but she was convinced that they were where God wanted them to be! 

While she was gone, John had done something else. He had painted the old house, inside and out. She was extraordinarily happy about that, and never distressed John again when he felt led of God to move to a new location. 

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declared what He has done for my soul. I cried unto Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. But verily God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer or His mercy from me.” Psalms 66:16-20

Written by Betty Phillips