Touch Point From God

From the Archives: Winter 2011

Written by Marti Barinowski

God has had His hand on my life all my life. I grew up in Bedford, New York, and was the eldest of seven children. Christ was always the center of our home.

One Foot In the World, One Foot in Christianity

When I went to college I got away from Him as many young people do. I attended Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. My “Big Sister” was involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. God had His hand on my life though I ignored it. I ended up in Columbia University’s nursing program where God gave me several girlfriends who loved the Lord. I got involved in Bible studies and prayer gatherings but I still had one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity. My first job was in Brooklyn, NY, as a visiting nurse, which is called home health today. The Holy Spirit led me to a mission church on the Lower East Side. It was a storefront church and the people who attended were Hispanic. I couldn’t speak Spanish but many of them could speak English so it worked.

A Touch Point of God In My Life

While I was in school, my parents attended a missionary conference in New York once a month. It was there they met Bob Barinowski, a young Air Force Captain from Augusta, GA. I was brought up in the Plymouth Brethren Assembly and Bob was, as well. Mother encouraged me to visit an Assembly in Brooklyn, which I did. There I met Bob, and we started seeing each other. Bob was a career officer, a solid Christian guy. I knew I would marry a Christian man even though I dated other guys. We married and lived in Manhattan and continued to attend the storefront Assembly. This was a “touch point” of God in my life. I knew God was in control.

God’s Faithfulness Through Military Service

We had four children and moved 13 times during Bob’s military career and were active on each base in the Officers’ Christian Fellowship. None of these fellowships were large, most had 15-20 members but it was a place that Christians from all denominational backgrounds could fellowship around the Lord and be encouraged. While we were in Germany for three years, we attended the base chapel programs as well. It was a great source of strength and fellowship. The Lord always helped me when Bob would go away for weeks at a time. Everything rested on me. Taking care of four children, our home was a lot of responsibility but the Lord provided the strength I needed. The biggest challenge was yielding the authority back to my husband when he returned home, which was an effort and a relief. Our kids were very young when Bob went to Vietnam. Three of our children and I moved back home to an apartment over my father’s office. My parents were a good support and helped with the kids. After Bob returned, we were assigned to Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, NC, and then to the Pentagon. We continued to attend the Assemblies wherever we could.

New Town, New Purpose

While in Washington, I began teaching Bible studies in our home. I realized that the “younger women needed older women to teach them”. I was only 33 years old, but the need was obvious. Both Bob and I began to teach the Navigators’ Timothy’s series as well as other Bible studies. A non-Christian couple we met were reading The Late, Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay. They had lots of questions, so Bob took them through the Timothy series as well. They both became Christians. This was a “touch point” in our lives as we began teaching couples and other people the Bible.

Change of Scenery, Change of Season

Even though this was a good time for us and our family in many ways, Bob soon realized that working at the Pentagon was not for him. He put in his papers to retire and soon bought a cleaning company franchise, Environment Control, in Maryland. We had bought property in Linville Land Harbor while based at Pope AFB and so were slightly familiar with the area. We really wanted to live here year round. In 1977 we came down from Maryland to look at properties in the Banner Elk area and, due to our request, our realtor reluctantly took us to see the farmhouse we now live in. The kids were horrified by the mess it was in and the fact that there was no bathroom and icicles were frozen to the faucet in the kitchen. Even those challenges and more didn’t put Bob and me off. We loved the area and loved the house. We realized it was time we began to pray specific prayers so we would know if we were supposed to move from Maryland to North Carolina. Within a few weeks, all of our prayers had been answered and we moved to beautiful Banner Elk and our new but very old mountain farmhouse. We know God orchestrated the move because we saw a house that was in terrible condition but Bob and I “saw” what it could be and we bought it even against the wishes of our four kids.

It’s Been Great Because God Has Done the Work

For some time, we attended a denominational church but began to meet with a few other couples for prayer on Sunday nights in our living room. This eventually led to a fellowship which began meeting every Sunday morning. Over the years, as the group grew in number, we were led to purchase property that is the current location of Banner Elk Christian Fellowship. Everyone came from a different background – it was a mixing bowl. It’s been difficult but great because God has done the work. We agree to disagree on the non-essentials and love one another deeply. Bob and I have tried to follow the Lord’s leading. My ministry is to women, one-on-one, teaching Beth Moore studies and doing counseling with younger and older women. An intercessory prayer group which meets weekly has been an important part of my life for many years.

Passing the Baton

I believe I am now to pass the baton to younger women who are handling the retreats, counseling, mentoring and Sunday school classes. I am thankful for those whose hearts belong to the Lord and are willing to serve His body. I am also very thankful for a wonderful husband and for four great children who are married and love the Lord and have provided us with 10 wonderful grandchildren. God truly has been the touch point of my life, and I praise Him for it.