Oswald Chambers once said, “A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer.” DeLynn lived his life in this way. He knew that God was using his life for a greater purpose and it showed in his relationships. DeLynn valued relationships and saw them as ways to disciple and love in ways that others may have viewed as crazy or extreme. “Pressure and Relationship” he always said. We asked our staff two questions: Who was DeLynn to you? What did you learn from him? This is what we were told…
He was a father figure to many.
“like a father to me” “considered him as a father to me,” “He showed me what an exemplary father looks like, to walk and listen according to the will of God.” “He was a ‘stand in’ father for me, when I was with him I felt like I was talking to my own dad again.” “my spiritual father” “Thank you Dad, I love you so much.”
…a mentor and friend…
“He was my mentor, a friend where I could put all my trust” “he was a true Friend that I could place my trust, and not just a friend, he was a person that always believed in me when no one else did” “my mentor, my friend,” “a longtime friend” “DeLynn was a mentor to me” “He was like an uncle to me.”
…an example of Jesus walking…
“I learned from him in his willingness to give his all in his conviction for God.” “he taught me a lot of what I know about how to turn my faith into actions” “His determination, his attitude, and dedication and love to get things done, he preached by example.” “He taught me that forgiveness was very important and taught me how to forgive people” “An example of a man dedicated to God’s work” “a man who focused on making disciples for Jesus Christ so that the gospel is spread to all who have not known Jesus” “he was someone always pushing me to be a follower of Jesus” “His big bear hugs were the physical reminder of Father’s arms of comfort when I needed it the most.” “I can only thank you GGP for teaching me to grow personally and fight for my dreams and live only for Christ.”
“I learned so many faith steps from him but desired to learn so much more. He had such a way with words that would just draw you in. For as scattered as his thoughts were, it was really just externally processing the million other things going on inside his head. I still say he should have had a USB port installed somewhere in his head to transfer the information to other people! His infinite amount of knowledge of things and people always amazed me.”
…a Visionary…
“He was always someone who did not give up and when HE had an idea, HE was looking to make it come true.” “A man of sincere faith and a man who had a lot of vision, a man of strong character but with a humble heart.” “He would start a conversation off with, ‘So I have this idea…'”
…a leader with humility…
“Simply being with him inspired trust.” “DeLynn was to me a leader,” “I learned what it means to be a leader and to be humble to apologize for my mistakes.” “One unforgettable leader in my life, who lived each day to the fullest, I have much to thank him for.” “Since he was a very prominent leader it was many times easy to see his faults, however something I always admired in him was his humility to admit when he had done something wrong and to apologize for it. He was very humble.” “He taught me that humility doesn’t mean you’re perfect, it means that you are willing to be vulnerable.”
…someone to learn from and admire…
“I admired his authority and perseverance.” “He conveyed both his passion, his dedication for discipleship and missions.” “Some one I admired” “how to make decisions and even if you mess up to keep continuing forward.” “he taught me how to treat people kindly,” “He taught me to believe in myself.” “He taught me how to take ownership of my failures and learn from them.”
He had a passion that made him stand out.
“His passion for God and for others to know God is how I want to live.” “He taught me to never ask a skinny guy where to eat.” “He knew how to truly love people and get them to the next level.” “how to clean at the base, and that bus rides were fun!” “His legacy will live on in the lives of the thousands of us that were impacted by his radical love for Jesus.” “I honestly loved talking to him about food. One of my favorite memories is just the two of us getting empanadas together and talking about life.”
“He enjoyed playing matchmaker…” “He was the one who practically pushed me to start my relationship with MY WIFE.” “He would always say, ‘Well he’s a nice guy… or Oh she’s cute!”
…always challenging people to step out of their comfort zones…
“I learned from him what it means to get out of my comfort zone, I learned not to focus on problems but on solutions, never to cry over spilled milk,” “He pushed me to be better than who I was the day before, he encouraged me to DAILY step out of my comfort zone as each new one formed.” “He was a person who was usually trying to push outside the walls and never afraid to tell you like it is.” “God used him to challenge me in more ways than I can count. Since meeting him I’ve been, day by day, pushed further and further out of my comfort zone, there’s no going back now.”
“You can’t just sit there!”
“God planted a seed in our hearts for Costa Rica. Delynn was the invitation to “check out what we do in CR.” Upon our move to CR, Delynn became my connection to Lancaster Co. I loved to reminisce and laugh about the past connections we shared and the quirks of living in Lanc Co. Delynn was so much more than just the Director of the ministry we are serving with… He was a big brother who loved to tease me, little Jenny Diener, and laughed at my air-headed comments. He was a pastor who pointed me to Father when I was struggling, and he genuinely cared about the joys and struggles our family was walking through. He was the encourager out of my comfort zone because he knew it was good for me. He was a fellow warrior who let me know I was loved, appreciated, and valued in The Kingdom. He was the challenger of my pride, the button pusher when I thought I was right and the tester of my last nerve when I wanted to know all the details he was not sharing! In his last words to me via his birthday message on the morning of his death… he was the reminder of God’s faithfulness. “Thanks for your perseverance and passion! God knows what He’s doing!” Missing your presence and big bear hugs,” Jen Hoover
