I remember the day that Gertrude Lake Reidt and her husband Wilford visited with my parents in the kitchen at our house in Portland, Oregon. Albert and Emma Altorfer, my folks, and Gertrude had been friends from the early days in the Church at Portland under John G. Lake. Mom and her sisters acted as Aunties to Gertrude and her brothers and sisters, babysitting, buying them clothes and sneaking them candy during church services. They reminisced about all the people that they had known in the ministry and laughed at some of the funnier things that happened in the services. Not amused, my mother turned red at the mention of her performance as the Arch Angel in the infamous Christmas program. I sat and soaked in all the stories they shared.
Conversation turned to Irene Poupore who had been part of their lives from the very beginning of ‘Dad’ Lake’s ministry. She found him when seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit and they worked together until his death serving as his associate pastor at the Church at Spokane. So much did my parents admire Mrs. Poupore that they named my sister Estelle Irene after her. Mom told how they had tormented her son when she visited with my Grandmother at the family farm in Ritzville, Washington. Irene was with my Grandma when she passed away a few years later. Her life was a testimony of God’s power working through a willing vessel. Mrs. Poupore believed what she read in the bible and walked in miracles, signs and wonders. Under her ministry people received dental miracles, broken bones were knit back to together, countless received new languages in the Holy Spirit and much more.
“... walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God...”
As the Reidts said their goodbyes, Gertrude reached into her purse and handed my mother two audio tapes. “I thought you would appreciate these. We recorded Mrs. Poupore sharing her testimony and I know she would like for you to have a copy.” We listened to the tapes and marveled at the stories of her adventures with God that we had not heard before. Mom kept the tapes safe for another time and I recently found them among her prized bibles and mementos.
After listening to them again, I realized what a rare gift the recording is for this generation. Precious Daughters made them into a 2 CD-set for you to enjoy. Purchase on our Merchandise Page or at our next First Tuesday event.