In 2010, my grandmother on my Dad’s side passed away. I was almost ten years old, so I remember her and I remember her passing away.
A few months back, my dad was going through boxes of things that had belonged to her. He found endless stacks of pictures, various memorablia, and a version of her testimony that she had written around 2002.
The testimony was handwritten by my grandmother. To me, it was the greatest treasure in the box. I had been too young when she passed away to care to hear her testimony. So for me, this handwritten testimony was a chance to get a window into her life, to hear in my grandmother’s own words the way God had worked in her life.
I took the time to type up her testimony, working hard to decipher her flowing, fancy handwriting. I’ve editited a little bit for readability and clarity. And so I would like to share with you today the testimony of my grandmother, Victoria Hainsfuther Gutman.
I was born to very loving Jewish parents outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [We were] one of only five Jewish families to live in this town. I was very close with both of my parents to the day each one of them died. Even after my conversion, the closeness was not broken, which was very rare in a Jewish family. In my Jr. year of high school I was sent away to boarding school as my high school I was attending was not accredited. To make matters more interesting my father was president of the school board working toward accreditation. It is back that far when I think about God working in my life that I see his hand from there on – not that I think for one minute that he was not working in it before then.
Every Sunday we were required to attend church or Temple. The Temple was 50 miles away – [with] no transportation – so the nine of us who were Jewish felt most at home at the Methodist church. The Paster knew why we were there. I can honestly say [that] I never heard the Gospel preached. I am sure it was…but I was not listening.
[I] graduated from there and four years later I graduated from the University of Maryland. While there I pledged and was accepted by the #1 Jewish Sorority – but never went “active” as I was not comfortable there. After graduation [I moved] back to Pittsburgh [and was] married in the Temple (which was across the street from my parents’ apartment. My father had been promoted from Cumberland Maryland to the General office in Pittsburgh.).
My husband and I lived in Pittsburgh for almost six years – Audie was 1 ½ when we moved to Memphis, Tennessee.
As far as Audie’s health was concerned – he was seriously ill from the day we arrived until the day we left seven years later. He had serious allergies – one of which was a very serious bacterial infection which kept recurring in the sinus and lungs while we were in Memphis. During this time we were fortunate to get into the hands of a very unusual Pediatrician. Dr. Jim and the Gutmans had a frequent and long enduring relationship! There were times we were in his office daily – or he would stop by our house on his way home – there were times when Audie and I spent too much time in the hospital there. Jim knew his Old Testament like no one else I have met since and was not afraid to quote Scripture (mostly Isaiah) and then turn to me and say “Vicki, some day you will believe!” I would reply, “no way, Jim.”
Audie accepted Christ in St. Gorge’s Day School when he was six in kindergarten.
We moved to New Jersey in 1975, September, [we spent] a year there and moved on to Philadelphia in 1976 in time for the Bicentennial Celebration where all the wagon trains merged on Valley Forge – only a few short miles from our house. There on our street God had a special family there for us to meet. They had studied how to witness to the Jew from the Friends of Israel. We had stopped attending Temple in Memphis – which is a whole other story – and had started attending the Unitarian Church, which was all glass facing the Mississippi River.
Jan Herman invited me to Christian women’s club and I was saved by their speakers and the friendliness of the people.
At a party at Christmastime she asked my husband where he thought he was going when he died…He didn’t care – but she did. That began a study of prophecy and fulfillment. The following weekend was Christmas, and Christmas Eve 1976 I confessed my sin (Romans 3:23 “All have sinned”) and invited Jesus into my life about four o’clock in the afternoon in the privacy of my bedroom. The following Sunday January 1, 1977 in a church service my husband invited Christ into his life.
An opportunity came finally to get to the Southern California climate, and out of the cold and dampness which caused Audie so much problems health-wise, six months after becoming very new Christians. God led us through good times and bad, through my husband changing careers at age 45, and [he] provided for us when things were rough.
Ten and a half years ago my husband had a fatal heart attack. The next five years were difficult in every way. God’s grace and mercy and faithfulness were always there…and they are still here today.
I have been privileged to speak for the Lord at Christian Women’s Clubs and other organizations giving testimony for the cause of Christ.
I must tell you that my mother renamed her plant, [which she had called] the Wandering Jew when I became a Christian to “Vicki, the wandering Jew.”
God Bless All.