Ordained Days

By Patti Wiens

Patti Wiens grew up on the streets of Minneapolis. A title that would be apropos to the twenty-first century would be that of a "street person." It was in her third foster home that she came to know Christ as her personal Savior.

For many years, Patti has led women in Bible studies and discipleship. She was a regular speaker and singer for Stonecroft Ministries Christian Women's Clubs for more than 30 years, in addition to being the keynote speaker at numerous church retreats and banquets. She has led seminars at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Minnesota, for their "Day Set Apart for Women" on several occasions. It has not been unusual for many people to come to Christ upon hearing her testimony, "Ordained Days." Patti's testimony has been aired several times on Dr. Dobson's radio program, "Focus on the Family."

Patti holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Minnesota, and holds a Master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. Patti served as the co-founder and administrator of New Life Academy of Woodbury, Minnesota for 25 years, and received the Outstanding Educator Award in 1994 from the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce.

In 2008, she also received the Lifetime Service and Achievement Award, bestowed by Association of Christian Schools International.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Pearson
• Release date: Jan 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201061975

Book preview

Ordained Days

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A Memoir by Patti Wiens

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Copyright © 2018 Patti Wiens

All rights reserved.

Dedication

Dedicated to my husband Dick. Now home with the Lord. He looked beyond my past and encouraged me to become a woman after God’s own heart.

Ordained Days

In five years, you’ll be exactly the same person you are today except for the books you read and the people you meet. Charlie Tremendous Jones

Come with me on my journey and allow me to share how this quote has been true in my life.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Where is Home?

Chapter 2: Daddy Comes Home

Chapter 3: The Food Club

Chapter 4: Foster Homes

Chapter 5: Finally, a Friend

Chapter 6: Night Terrors

Chapter 7: God’s Call

Chapter 8: Finding Daddy

Chapter 9: Ending and Beginning

Chapter 10: A New Ministry

Chapter 11: Moving On

Chapter 12: Baby Paul

Chapter 13: Teaching Again

Chapter 14: My Philippi

Chapter 15: Growing Pains

Chapter 16: Free at Last

Chapter 17: Leaving Mora

Chapter 18: Bloom Where You Are Planted

Chapter 19: Inner-City Challenges

Chapter 20: Happy 15th!

Chapter 21: Daughters and Goldfish

Chapter 22: Angels Unaware?

Chapter 23: Longing For Minnesota

Chapter 24: A New Ministry

Chapter 25: Birth of a Christian School

Chapter 26: Dan Goes Home

Chapter 27: God’s Timing

Chapter 28: Last Years

Chapter 29: End of the Beginning

Chapter 30: Home

Epilogue

Chapter 1: Where is Home?

Home. Where is home? What is home? Is home a house... an alley... a tree house?

If you were to give me a title apropos to the 21st century, it would be that of a street person. Life on the street in Minneapolis was difficult, at best. Rape, abuse, neglect, hunger... all belong to growing up without parental supervision and care.

Dad served as a mechanic for the government during World War II, leaving behind Mom with eight children.

Most children believe their Dad is the strongest and Mother the prettiest. I was no exception.

Mom was a small woman, Greek by nationality, with very dark hair and dark eyes. Little did I know as a small child that some of the darkness in her eyes was loneliness and the inability to raise eight children alone.

Mother was never home, so life on the run became the norm. Often Bonnie, my oldest sister, would go down the streets and into the alleys calling, Mother’s home, Mother’s home. From whatever part of the Minneapolis streets we would find ourselves, we would come running! But never was there a mother at home.

Hunger was a great part of my childhood. It was not uncommon for Bonnie to take a container and in the winter catch the fresh fallen snow. When the snow had melted, Bonnie took baby cereal, mixed it with the melted snow, and beginning with Tim, the youngest, to Bonnie, the oldest, we would have our meal for the day of one spoonful of baby cereal.

God... Who was that? I only knew the word God and Jesus Christ as common words on the street - cursing words. I had never been to Sunday School or church. I knew nothing of a personal God.

I did not know there was a Book written by God that would one day become my manual of operation. I had no idea that God loved me and had a wonderful plan for my life. All along, He knew right where I was, and scheduled every day of my life before one came to be. (Psalm 139:16)

Each month, wherever we were staying, Dad would faithfully send his check to my mother for our care. Away we would go to the dry goods store to get a new outfit, to be worn day and night for the next month.

One day, I asked Bonnie what happened to the old clothes we had worn.

Oh, don’t you remember? Mother would throw them in a comer when we got ‘home’ and they stayed there until we would move on.

I cringed when she reminded me how that filthy stack of worn-out clothes crawled with all manner of creatures.

We were the scourge of every neighborhood. Who wanted their children to play with dirty kids... dirty inside and out?

Birthday parties... overnights at a friend’s house... Christmas...  they were never a part of our lives.

We would watch people in Minneapolis celebrating Christmas. We decided that even we Platt kids deserved Christmas ... it was our turn! We got a large bag and just like Halloween, we would go door-to-door and ask if we could sing Christmas songs for them—all the while, front and center was our open bag!

As we moved from house to house, the bag became heavier. Oh, we were glad to see cookies, candy and apples go into the bag, but the real prize would be money!

We had never been able to go to a store to buy anything. If we needed food, we stole it. If socks or mittens were needed, we would steal them. I became a thief. Not because I wanted this to be my life’s vocation, but I wanted to live!

When we got back to our home, we spread the contents of the bag out on the floor. The money was put into one pile and was divided eight ways. Then, out of each pile, a few pennies were taken to buy a tree. One thing we had noticed as we walked the streets was that almost every house had a tree inside, all lit up with lights. This year, the Platt kids would also have a Christmas tree.

Putting on the few winter clothes we each had, we headed out for Hennepin and Lake Street to Snyder’s Drug Store.

How proud I felt to be able to pay for the gift I would get. I drew my brother David’s name, and he had asked for a comic book.

When each of us had done our shopping, we headed down the street to the Christmas tree lot. Upon approaching the lot attendant, one of us held out the money and said, We want to buy a tree. He thoroughly looked us over and told us to follow him. We headed to the back part of the lot, and there, lying on its side, was a tree... our tree. He picked it up, shook the snow and loose needles off the tree, looked at eight sets of eyes that were as bright as the stars that night, and then said without hesitation, Here, the tree is yours, keep your money.

Wow! A free tree! We didn’t even have to steal it... it was ours! Ours... our very own Christmas tree!

Then we realized we had enough money to go back to Snyder’s and get a box of tinsel.

We now had two problems. How do we stand up a cut-off tree in your house?

And, how do we divide one box of tinsel eight ways so each had an equal amount?

A corner served very well to prop the tree. Then, very carefully, so as not to damage one single icicle, the box of tinsel was