About Us
The Story of Rebecca & Scott
Compiled January 2000
Preface~
As Scott just wrote today, "truth is better than fiction." The plan God had intended for my life could NEVER have been written this wonderfully if not by the author of life itself! I pray He will bless you as you read about our blessing...
Chapter I~
My sister Ann, and soon-to-be brother in law Jon Guinn attend Elim with their close friend, Scott Laird. Jon marries Ann in September 1989, where Rebecca is the maid of honor, and a soloist. Scott attends his friend Jon's wedding and we meet for the first time. Incidentally, Scott and a couple of friends hear my singing and encourage me to attend Elim, though I have at that point no intention of going to a Bible School. I end up taking them up on their invitation to Elim's Discovery Days the next semester, and enroll in school the following year!
Chapter 2~
Scott, after graduation, goes back home to Arcade, NY and the church that recommended him to Elim, Pioneer Christian Fellowship. He works as the part time Music Director while earning his Bachelor's of Music Education from Houghton College, and later becomes their Associate Pastor. Enter: good friend of Tedd & Rebecca - Andy Webster. Andy comes to Arcade as Youth Pastor and marries Autumn, (Schoenherr) who "just happens" to be from the youth group Tedd interned with in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Autumn is also a friend of Rebecca's that she had previously met during a summer Teen World Outreach 1990 (Scotland), and later spent some time together as Elim students. Rebecca remembers dropping by Autumn's room the night she first got flowers from the pursuing Andy...
Chapter 3~
1994-1997 ~ Tedd & Rebecca graduate and are married. While being mentored by Pastors Bob & Linda King at Harvest Christian Church (Detroit), Tedd and Rebecca attend Andy and Autumn Webster's wedding, where Scott sings. Rebecca had bumped into Scott a few times up at Elim, but this time he was distracted and doesn't remember. Meanwhile, Tedd is diagnosed with late stage Hodgkin's Disease. Treatments, emergency surgeries, eventually a bone marrow transplant follows as the disease continues to persist. Andy and Autumn were among a few special friends who drove to Ann Arbor, MI to visit Tedd during the transplant at U of M. Tedd does miraculously well, but the disease makes it's final statement: within 3 months, it reoccurs. Despite the terrible prognosis, "Pastor Tedd" and Rebecca move to Cumberland, Virginia for what would be their best, and last year together in ministry.
Chapter 4~
On July 20, 1998, Tedd slips into his glorious eternity with God. Dad Pedley takes care to notify everyone on our e-mail list of what has happened and when the services will be. Andy & Autumn receive the news one day before Tedd's Celebration Service and decide to immediately pack up and drive 12 hours to be here. What a surprise blessing pulled into the parking lot as the services were starting Friday night. Pr. Mike, my parents, and Jon & Ann had all met them through Elim before. In conversations that night, Jon found out that his good friend Scott Laird was pastoring with Andy in Arcade, so he sends his greetings back to New York...
Chapter 5~
July 27th, 1998...just 7 days after Tedd's "graduation"... Scott pens a letter to Rebecca after he receives Jon's greetings from Andy and finally realizes I am that young Canadian girl he'd met so long before. He is heartbroken for all that has happened to me since the time we met. He had been praying for "Tedd and Rebecca Woodworth" as strangers, but now he realizes Rebecca Woodworth is Rebecca (Pedley), a friend. Rebecca receives the touching letter, but does not respond as she is called to a time of mourning her husband.
Chapter 6~
In August of 1999, I finally wrote back. Scott had waited a year and assumed his letter had been long forgotten in a stack of sympathy cards. It was at times set aside, but the deep understanding Scott's letter contained drew me back to read it time and again. I sent a careful letter thanking this dear brother for the kindness and helpful insights of mourning he had shared. He wrote back immediately and we began to share our hearts through the old fashioned US Postal system.
In October, when I visited Canada, Scott arranged to pick me up at the airport - the first time we had seen each other in years. We were nervous, but comfortable within minutes, and tremendously enjoyed a long weekend of visits between my parent's house and his. We shared time with Andy & Autumn, as they were my hosts for my first visit in Arcade. We lit firecrackers off their porch one night to celebrate...everyone amazed at what the Lord has done.
All is beautiful. All is well. And from here the new story begins.