Have you ever wanted to sit down with a missionary and ask them what life was like on the field, hear their stories, and get advice? Now you can! We interviewed a variety of former IM missionaries who served within the first 50 years of IM. Read their stories and stay tuned as we share more former IM missionary interviews in our new series, “Leaving a Legacy: Former IM Missionary Interviews.”
Bobby and Geneva Poole, Brazil (1960-2014)
When were you appointed and how long were you on the field?
The year 1960 was a big, big year for us. We met at Free Will Baptist Bible College (Welch College) and were friends, but I never thought of trying to date her. I always thought that she was a few notches above me. I was just an old Tennessee hillbilly! She was from South Carolina. I was one year ahead of her at Free Will Baptist Bible College. During the summer after graduation, I decided to go to Columbia Bible College located in Columbia, SC. While I was at Columbia, it was Geneva’s last year in Nashville. While at Columbia, I was called to pastor Little Star FWB Church (Brother Carlisle Hanna’s home church) and it was just a few miles from where Geneva was born and raised. When she finished at Bible College, she moved back to SC and I moved to Lake City, SC, which was even closer to Geneva’s home. Geneva was active in her home church and the young people there were to have a youth banquet. Someone suggested that Geneva invite me to speak at the banquet. Since I was not dating anyone, I asked her if I could take her. She agreed and after this, I always told her that she asked for the first date. We started dating in April and got married in September. Then we left the States and arrived in Brazil on December 4, 1960. I was approved to go to Brazil as a single. But after we got engaged, Geneva sent in her application for missionary service and became approved for us both to serve. We studied language in Campinas, Brazil, during the year 1961. We only had one church in Campinas, and in all of Brazil at that time. Sam and June Wilkinson finished language school the month we arrived and soon moved to Jaboticabal, Brazil, to start a new church plant. Geneva and I served with IM for 53 years. She passed away on November 20, 2013, and I retired from the Mission on January 1, 2014.
Bobby Poole
What were some of your responsibilities and roles while on the field?
All of our work and workers were new on the job. Dave Franks (single at that time) and Ken & Marvis Eagleton were working with the First Free Will Baptist Church in Campinas, Brazil. The Wilkinsons were finishing Language School and soon moved to Jaboticabal, Brazil. The Aycock family arrived the same day we did, and then we went through language school together. I think all of us felt that we were church planters, so we looked for cities that had just a few or no Evangelical churches. We also thought that we should stay close together so our churches could fellowship together. We felt that once we had churches and believers, we must have a training ministry. The Wilkinsons found a small farm that bordered the city limits of Jaboticabal, so the farm was purchased to house a Seminary that one day we would start. Geneva, being from South Carolina where they had youth camps, wanted a small farm to have a youth camp. So she and I led the first Free Will Baptist youth camp in Brazil. We had three young people that wanted to go to the Word of Life Seminary to study. We invited the young people to our house for a meal. While there, I asked these three young people if we started a school here in Ribeiräo Preto, Brazil would they stay and study with us? They said yes! So on very short notice, we started our Seminary/Bible Institute in our local church. Geneva and I led the school for 34 years. (Our last year we had about 60 students enrolled). I was hoping that one of our former students would step up and lead the school, but no one did. I felt that it was time for me to cut down on some of my responsibilities as Geneva’s cancer had returned. She wanted to continue teaching but her condition was getting worse. I was still the pastor of the third church we planted and also her main “care giver“. Our daughter-in-law or one of the grandkids would come over to our house when I was out at the Seminary or church services.
Bobby Poole
Tell me about one memory from the field (personal, spiritual, funny, etc.)
While still in language school, the ladies would go in the afternoons and the men in the mornings. Since we had no kids to take care of, I did not have anything to do. I might should have studied the language a little harder, but instead, I got down one of Geneva’s cookbooks and started making candy. All of us missionaries met on Friday nights in our small apartment for prayer and the meetings. I served my candy after the meetings a number of times. It was so good, or at least they thought so. They gave me an “Honorary Doctor of Divinity” degree because the candy I made was called “divinity”.
Bobby Poole
Tell me about what it was like losing a spouse on the field and continuing in ministry on the field after retirement?
Our son, John (who lived across the street from us), and I took Geneva to the emergency room to get a shot of morphine because of her pain. We had previously done this before and within an hour or so we would be back home. The first shot did not relieve her pain so they gave her another shot. This one affected her heart. John and I were with her when she drew her last breath. I had peace and did not cry or show any emotions! After, I thought those nurses must have thought that I did not love her. I miss her every day. She was one of the hardest working women I believe I have ever seen. She loved to teach, to cook, to have guests in our home, and she loved the grandchildren. John’s youngest daughter would call her up at night and see if she could come over and make some brownies. No matter what Geneva was doing she would say yes, come on over! “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!“ The Lord has given His grace and I am thankful!
Bobby Poole
What advice would you give our new and next generation of missionaries?
I would tell them a missionary call or call to the ministry would be “a conviction, deep in your heart that you could not get away from! This I must do!” Geneva and I both felt this in our hearts.
Bobby Poole
All of our churches here in Ribeirão, Brazil are debt-free as far as buildings are concerned. The Lord has been so wonderful to me. I am now 86 years old and still in good health. – Bobby Poole
