By Levi & Wilma Smoker,
Contributing Writers
Early Days
Levi was born in Lancaster, PA, to Christian parents who both grew up in Amish homes. When they married, they joined the Mennonite church. He grew up on a dairy farm in a family with nine children. Church was a central part of Levi’s life. He learned about and believed in Jesus from the teaching he received in Sunday school, church and the Christian school. At 12 years of age Levi accepted Jesus, was baptized and became a member of the Mennonite church.
I was also born in Lancaster, PA, to Christian parents and members of the Mennonite Church. The eldest of eight children, I had good role models from my parents as to what a life lived for Jesus should look like. Reading the Bible, memorizing Scripture and church attendance were important and expected.
As a young girl I accepted Jesus. I made the decision to follow Jesus in a revival service in which my grandpa was the evangelist. Later I was baptized and became a member of the Mennonite Church. At 12 years old, my Dad was ordained as pastor of a small mission church. I grew up as a teenager in that setting. At grade 9, I chose to stay at home and learn skills helping my mother with household chores and caring for younger siblings. At age 16, I worked outside the home for several families.
Levi’s church planted a number of mission churches and had a very active youth group called “The Gospel Sowers Band,” with which he became involved in his teen years. It was in this youth group that Levi and I met. We soon began dating and were married on October 9, 1957, at the age of 20.
First Years Together
Levi served in “alternate service” on a government research dairy farm. When his service assignment was completed, he worked on a rented dairy farm and became involved in a local mission church.
The birth of our daughter Ruth launched us into the role of parenting. Levi’s and my dreams were shattered when our next two babies were born prematurely and lived only a few hours. We experienced another loss through a miscarriage that followed.
This grief was extremely hard, yet through it we actually became closer to each other and the Lord. Five years after Ruth was born, we were thrilled to welcome a healthy baby boy, Richard, to the family. Our family was now complete, and we were privileged that I was able to stay home while our children were small.
Again, we grieve. Our daughter Ruth died on February 16, 2023 at 64 years of age after four months of pain and suffering due to a very rare and aggressive kidney cancer. We grieve her passing with hurting hearts. At the same time, we rejoice that she has been released from her pain and suffering and is with her Saviour in heaven.
The Lord’s Calling
Levi was asked if he would consider pastoring a mission church. Since he had no training or schooling beyond grade nine, he felt totally unqualified for such a task. After the second request, Levi and I started praying about going to Bible School. At one of our church services, the Holy Spirit convicted Levi and moved him to surrender his life more fully to the Lord. Soon Levi and I rededicated our lives totally to the Lord and continued to pray about going to Bible School.
Because Levi had no high school diploma, options for Bible College were limited. One day, Levi knelt and told the Lord that if He wanted us to go to Bible School, He should send a representative from the school He wanted us to attend. Levi told no one, not even me, about that prayer. About a month later, a representative from Prairie Bible Institute at Three Hills, Alberta, showed up at our door! This initiated our move from Pennsylvania to Alberta in 1972.
Beginning to Serve
Moving from the familiar in Pennsylvania to Alberta was very challenging. My father died on the weekend my family was getting together to see us off. Being the eldest, I found it very difficult to leave right after my mother was widowed. My mother was very supportive of our move, however, and made it clear she did not want to stand in the way of God’s call on our lives.
Upon graduation four years later, Levi pastored a small church for nearly ten years. The church graciously granted him a leave of absence after several years to complete a Bachelor of Theology degree. Then he pastored in another church for ten years. As a transition into our retirement years, we volunteered with Mennonite Central Committee, serving at the Ten Thousand Villages warehouse in Akron, Pennsylvania.
It has been a privilege to see people accept Jesus and choose to follow Him in their daily lives. We have also had great joy in watching those people grow and mature in their walk with Christ, knowing that our ministry has had a small part in the advancement of Christ’s kingdom on earth.
God was faithful in all situations whether joyful or difficult. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us: “The Lord’s loving-kindness never ceases. His compassions never fail, they are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Retirement Years
Levi and I moved to Calgary to be near family in our retirement years. We now have eight adult grandchildren including spouses, and seven great-grandchildren living in both Alberta and the U.S.
Several months of searching led us to Centre Street Church in August of 2014. From that first service, we knew God led us here. We continue to be blessed by the worship and challenged by the teaching. We enjoy Maranatha gatherings, life group fellowship, and other special events. The Lord has blessed us with many new friends, both in the church and in the community in which we live since coming to Calgary and attending Centre Street Church.
We are encouraged by the promise in Psalm 92:14: “They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green.”
We are enjoying this season of life. After more than 65 years of marriage, we continue to praise and thank the Lord for making known to us our path of life. As David said, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11, NIV).