At first glance, it might appear that the life of Paul Burmeister in Central Kansas hasn’t changed much over the course of seven decades.
“I’ve been raised on a farm and I’m still farming at the age of 78,” Paul says.
Paul’s walk with the Lord echoes this steady pace of life.
“I was raised in a Christian home—about eight miles from my home church,” says Paul, who still attends that same church.
But Paul’s life has been anything but static. In fact, he’s been on the ground floor of some of the most cutting-edge changes this century. Paul loves windmill energy and in 1981 was one of the first farmers in Kansas to apply the groundbreaking electric-utility interconnection technology on his farm.
And despite spending most of his life in Central Kansas, Paul has seen the world.
“The Peace Corps was initiated on March 1, 1961,” Paul explains. “In late August of 1961, I was invited to be a volunteer and attend training for the India program of the Peace Corps. I was happy to accept that.” With that, Paul joined the very first Peace Corps group to go to India. He spent two years in the northernmost part of the country.
“I worked with young Indian students on American agricultural equipment…I helped farmers maintain and use those machines,” Paul says. “It was a very active and interesting time for me. I look back to those times daily.”
Paul’s bold outlook on life also applies to the Bible.
“There are so many areas where [God’s Word] is needed, including bringing the Scriptures to countries like China,” Paul says.
He is also a passionate supporter of American Bible Society’s Armed Services Ministries.
“We have so many veterans,” Paul says. “In the last 15 to 20 years, there have been so many military members in much need of having Scriptures provided to them.”
While Paul’s life experiences inspire his ministry, he can trace his financial partnership with American Bible Society back to the faithful example of his family.
“Before I started making any contributions myself, I noticed that my parents, Fred and Gertrude, made several contributions,” Paul says. “That helped me feel the importance of contributing to American Bible Society, so I finally started contributing myself.”
In addition to his faithful contributions over the years, Paul has chosen to include American Bible Society in his Will, ensuring that his ministry of sharing God’s Word where needed most will endure for years to come.
“American Bible Society is doing such great work,” Paul says. “I feel happy to be contributing in some way to helping the Bible Society in their extremely important mission.”
