My Great Aunt Linda Morgan was always such a source of joy and laughter. During my last two summers of high school, I had the opportunity to work at a Christian conference center run by my Aunt Linda and Uncle Don. What a wonderful experience I had working alongside my cousins, making new friends, and learning lots of new hospitality related skills. Many mornings I would stroll into the kitchen to help set up for breakfast, and there was Aunt Linda humming a tune while putting the finishing touches on the breakfast lineup. Joy abounded around my aunt, and this was evident not just in her welcoming smile and personal attention to people, but also in the way she served those around her and found a positive pathway forward through each challenge. Those two summers were instrumental in my Christian walk, and I’m blessed to have learned so much about the servant-heart of Christ in my Aunt Linda. After returning home from camp, I was thrilled to receive a package from my cousin Nate with a video and pictures of our summer experience. Included, was a thank you letter from Aunt Linda whose encouraging words have stayed with me some 25 years later:

“We’ve noticed: you’ve never said ‘I can’t.’ You’ve never failed to complete a job, and have been faithful to your work.”
Her letter closed with 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”

How fittingly Aunt Linda’s words of encouragement and gratitude summed up her own legacy as a kingdom builder and child of the King.

Pat and Bob Franseen met Linda at Lucerne at the time of Brian and Erin’s wedding. She graciously shared her domain and

Dave and Jill Smith-I first met Don and Linda while a student at BJU- playing basketball and soccer against Don and enjoying their friendship as a fellow Californian in SC! We began our ministry in Rohnert Park in 1979 and what a thrill to reconnect with Don and Linda in Santa Cruz telling us of their desire to move to RP to help us in the Lord’s work- Linda and Don and family were immediate pillars in the church and God used both Don and Linda as Our head deacon and deacon’s wife. God blessed with souls saved and lives changed through thei godly lives am

I met Linda through her daughter, Melissa. Melissa and I met at Camp Ironwood back in 1990, or as my kids would say, “back in the 1900’s.” I have many sweet memories of Linda that I could share, but the most impactful is the recent trip we took together to Dallas last fall for her Journey to October. Last year she wanted to reconcile many things in her tender heart and these things would culminate in Dallas, TX, on Sunday, October 20, 2019, the 20th anniversary of Melissa’s death. On Saturday, October 19, we drove out to the home where Melissa had passed away. She wanted to do a “prayer walk” so we walked around the neighborhood and prayed for Melissa’s son, Drew. Later in the afternoon we drove out to Dallas Theological Seminary, where her son-in-law, Nathan, attended seminary during Melissa’s illness. We walked around the campus, and stopped to sit on many of the benches to pray. Linda was a woman of prayer! The next morning, we attended church with the people who loved and cared for Melissa 20 years ago. The pastor had arranged for the congregation to sing many of Melissa’s favorite songs. Linda said Melissa's favorite song at her passing was “Shout to the Lord.” When we stood to sing this song, Linda raised her hands to heaven and sang with tears streaming down her face. Linda was a woman of worship! That evening, while in our hotel, an unpredicted tornado touched down where we were. We were told to evacuate to the hotel basement. Linda quickly put on a beautiful, silky floral robe and graced the hallway, stairwell and hotel basement. I teased her, calling her Tornado Watch Barbie. Linda was a woman of elegance and style! I loved her dearly and want to honor her here for all the things she was to me; to all of us. It’s difficult to think that this year, this October, her body will be laid to rest. It is very much a different sort of Journey to October, but one far better than last year’s Journey. I thank the Lord for this precious time I was able to spend with her. —Jenny (Silva) Wilcox

We are the DeWitt family: Tom, Pauline, Elizabeth and Margaret and we met this wonderful Morgan family in 1985, Melissa was visiting our home faithfully (faithful is this family’s middle name) for the Berean Baptist bus ministry; we saw something so wonderful in this young lady we knew someone was doing something right, we wanted this for our girls. We visited Berean and Tom learned our Savior Jesus Christ is the answer. Six months later we were baptized, Linda was the Christian woman who helped me get ready. She was so sweet, more than thrilled for me and such an encouragement. Through the years many times I turned to her for godly wisdom and guidance in raising up our girls in “the way they should go”. I put into practice all her advice and we raised up two very godly young women. For this we are eternally grateful. And Lucerne, a touch of heaven, I still have the1996 bookmark from the Ladies Conference that year marking the page of my Bible reading. Besides the teen camps Elizabeth and Margaret attended they also worked as summer help and were taken in s

I have known Linda through Sunrise Community Church and more specifically through our Sonlight Sunday School class. We were aquatinted, but became fast friends when a challenge to commit to a prayer partner went out to our group after a particular study. God moved us both, to commit to this unlikely friendship as we became prayer partners. With God the center and purpose of this relationship, we experienced a deep friendship where vulnerability with safety and accountability enriched our lives. We called each other every morning at 8:00 am 5 days a week for the most part. This time in God’s word for me was transforming. But what I was privileged to watch, and be a part of, in Linda’s life was no less than actually watching God’s promises come to life. We felt like we could see His face, feel His breath, and know His unconditional love right before our eyes. We got to see, in this lifetime, God’s redemption in so many areas of our life’s. Even though some of them were very serious, we still giggled over some situations in awesome wonder. God was actually showing Himself to us.
When she told me of her diagnosis, she shared:
“I know as I look back over this past year how God has allowed me to prepare with:
*Journey to October (Melissa’s 20 year anniversary redemptive trip)
*House sold (With only one showing, to the exact family we prayed for)
*Cleaning out my worldly possessions.
*Precious Time with Joel’s family
*Time in KCMO
*My timely arrival in Worthington.
Not what we wanted...but God has prepared my heart for this.
These events are all under HIS CONTROL.
I’m taking a trip and not packing a bag.”
She said it with such joy and confidence in God’s certainty, in the complete trust of His plan. She knew His unconditional love for her and she was confident in His mercy and grace.
I will miss my dear friend Linda.
Love
Nancy Allen

Just this week, I burned my inner forearm while cooking, and instantly, I was taken back to a moment of comparing scars with Linda Morgan back in 2004 or so, seeing all the scars she had on her arms from cooking, mostly from Camp Lucerne. That lady, being a classic home ec major from Bob Jones, was not afraid of any catering/cooking situation no matter the size or maturity level of the group. When she took on the helm of the Camp Lucerne kitchen, she pulled off the most amazing home-cooked camp meals ever. Days were long as wait and kitchen staff, from before sun-up to just before evening services, with a 30-minute break if we were lucky, but behind it was Linda's master-plan and the joy of hospitality. When I had the privilege of living with her as a single teacher, she was the same, steady saint, day in and day out. It was a comfort to see her on her laptop at night, either preparing for a heart-felt lesson she was going to share with some ladies' group, or hear bits of life news from her beloved kids from all over creation. Once, she volunteered to cook a teachers' luncheon and she roped up some vivacious teen helpers and again pulled off the most home-cooked flavor you'd ever have in a large group setting (I still remember the roasted pecans and dried cranberry salad!). I suppose it's ironic that in 2006, I became a Mrs. Morgan, marrying a man that shared the same name and faith, but of no relation to Linda. In a sense, I felt honored to be a Mrs. Morgan because she always was the example of mom, hostess, and mentor I always wanted to be like. She always made room for others at her table, even if you happened to be two cute and chubby Korean exchange students. In recent days, she still hosted my family of 9 with thoughtful touches to the table setting and wise words from experience. Linda Morgan is an unforgettable woman because she touched your life in such a personal, and caring way. If only we all left the world with such grace and consistency. Picturing her with her sweet Melissa now makes me happy. I can picture her joyful eyes and hear her laugh even now.

I found this while looking through emails from mom. This is dated December 5. 2008 .


From Linda Morgan To be read at the gathering Sat. December 6, 2008

I looked across the lobby to see the Asian teens around the table, books stacked high. Even a weekend conference wasn't a holiday from study. Families played games, a crowd gathered around the ping pong table.

Saturday afternoon. The desk was a busy place. With Don on lock up that night I was to "Man" the desk and give a tour to a group from another Asian church in the Bay Area that wanted to host a conference in the Spring. When the group of seven arrived we started the tour. I grabbed my room chart and key and we started down the main floor hall.

"Here is a room with a double bed. I opened the room, stepped back so all seven could peer in, check out the bathroom and the view of the parking lot,

a few more steps

"We have rooms also with two double beds." " Often families request these." More peering in and discussion-much of which I didn't understand,

"We also have rooms with two twin beds". I turned the key in the lock, swung the door open, seven Asian faces and my own looked in together.

All I remember while hurriedly closing the door was a man clothed only in his blue boxers deep in sleep on the bed and opening his eyes in shock as he saw eight people staring at him.

While hurrying down the hall and amidst apologies the leader of the group said they had seen enough rooms and would now like to see the dining room.

While serving guests dinner that night I kept my head down and hoped that my change of clothes would confuse our napping guest and He wouldn't be able to identify the one with the key.

Life at Camp Lucerne was never boring!

For Almost twelve years our families' life was interwoven with the life of the conference center. Studies for our home schooled were completed early in the morning or late at night after dinner dishes were done. Multiplication was taught while trays of cake were cut. Classes in the snack shop taught how to add and subtract. The children practiced on the piano in the women's bathroom. Yep, there was a piano in there. In the winter it was the warmest piano they could find.

Our Children left for college, returned with marriage plans and then later presented us with grandchildren who ran through the halls and came into the kitchen to lick the biggest beater they'd ever seen.

Life was a lived in a parentheses of hellos and goodbyes.

Folks we saw once a year became Lucerne's version of Christmas letters, catching up on the events of the past year.

Visual memories for me include looking in at Don as he worked at his desk on a winter evening with the orange sunset sky behind him.

Don mowing - his own version of a quiet place to sit and think.

Or Wed afternoons when he would leave the office and go to the attic above room 36 and dig out bat guano. He was determined to clean out the bat smell. Every Wed he would dig, and get whoever was free-usually Nate- to go with him. Thursday the dumpster was emptied and he wanted to make sure it was completely full. Eventually the attic was cleaned out. The bats barred - from that area at least- and Don had his Wed afternoons to take on other tasks.

The all night carpet project that left Nate's knees bloodied, Erin driving the old pickup over the grass to piles of leaves she would then scoop up into the back of the truck. That was just the break she needed from the never ending computer work she did for her dad.

Katie cooking, cleaning, singing, counseling. Summer staffers with early season energy to burn and August weariness heavy on them but we had to make them leave after the last big meal together at the end of the season. The newly wedded Irvings working summer camps, Nate and Britt cooking for an Asian conference of 200 while Don was in intensive care and I was planning meals from his bedside.

Don loved being at Camp Lucerne. If he ever heard me grumble he would ask "Why are we here?" "Are we here for ourselves or for our guests?"

For Don, there was only one answer.

Stonecroft ministries came every fall. One of their last gatherings with us they requested a high tea. Don loved the idea; had the lobby cleared of all furniture, set up small tables, the guests brought with them all the china pots and cups and linens needed for the affair. At the time I was head of food service and asked my intern Jessica Myzel to prepare the tea food. When Jessica rolled out the Silver tiered tray of sweets and fruit the women applauded. It has been the talk of this group ever since.

Don loved to serve. He loved to be in and among the Junior Campers. His favorite story was of the Junior boy who came running into the snack shop dripping wet, pulled a dollar bill from the pocket of his swim trunks and said "Hallelujah! The snack shop is still open!"

That is it was his favorite until the last Junior Camp we were at Lucerne. There were few campers listed for the second week of Junior Camp so Don called the churches and said we have the staff, the food, the speaker. Just send the kids whether they can pay or not.

And come they did. 80 of them. Many had not ever been to camp before and knew little of the word of God. That was obvious the first night when the speaker asked the kids to turn to Psalms and many passed their borrowed or new Bibles to their counselor to find the passage to be read. 29 Juniors became Christ followers that week. Don could not tell the story without having to apologize for his tears.


I said earlier that our lives seemed to constantly be filled with goodbyes. Heaven was always on my mind as I would watch the guests leave, many we would not see again on this earth. Heaven became even more real as I sat in my husband's office after he had requested I leave the kitchen and come see him. He told me Melissa had just called. She was out of remission. Our goodbyes would be said soon.

There is a book here waiting to be written.
Only those that came to the conference center pre-Morgan would understand the phrase "Milk is a beverage not to be consumed"
Eternity will not be long enough to share all the stories.

I'll leave you with the words of one of my favorite songs. It is from a CD called "Homecoming Picnic"

"Look for Me"
When you finally make your entrance to that City/of Jasper walls and bright golden avenue/as you behold all its' beauty and its splendor/Remember there's just one request I make of you.

Look for me for I will be there too. I realize when you arrive there'll be so much to view/ After you've been there ten thousand years, a million, maybe two, look for me for I will be there too.

When you go down your list of first things, there's no question; you'll want to see your loved ones waiting there for you/And when you feel you've shared your story with the last one/ That wants to hear just how you made it through- look for me I'd like to hear it too/ I realize when you arrive there'll be so much to view; After you've been there ten thousand years, a million, maybe two. Look for me, for I will be there too.

Thanks for the memories this writing has stirred. It was a sweet.
Linda Morgan

I met Linda my 1st year in Ca., teaching at Brethren Elementary. Charlie and I had many good times hanging out with Linda and Don and the whole Rundall family. They became our family away from home. We celebrated Thanksgivings and Christmas's when we couldn't go back to Okla. I remember going down to the ocean and pushing a very pregnant(with Joel) Linda up a steep incline. She had hm not long after. I went with her summer of 68 to work in the pear sheds at Lakeport under Mom Morgan. That was a very tiring, but fun experience for a month. We took Joel with us. When they moved up north to live in Georgia's house, Charlie flew us up in the Cessna 205. That was a tricky airport to get in and out of. Our daughter, Carrie, got sick while we were there, but we still had a great visit. I remember when Linda was excited that all the kids were finally in school, and then she found out she was expecting Katie. But she treasured you, Katie, as she did all her kids. She was always so much fun to be with, always looking for the good in situation . We didn't get to see each other in later years, but I always could send prayer requests and know she cared.