In Reply to: Re: reposted letter from Mr. John LaMattery Sr. posted by Ben Dere on February 09, 2005 at 06:56:18:
Hi Ben!
My wife just read your comment/query and said what we did was just be faithful with the little God gave us and He kept giving...I would add that at times we didn't do that so well, He gave us another chance.
We had to laugh about your 'factory' situation.
We left Holland as Pilgrims fleeing persecution. The Lord led us to Germany. We had little money and a bag full of posters and tapes. Guess how He kept the 9 of us fed. After 2 weeks searching for what He'd have us do, He led me to an auto industry factory. I didn't know it but lethargy, selfishness, and lack of caring were plaguing the 1,150 person operation.
The Spirit was pretty strong on me and I demanded to see the general manager. His secretary showed me to the door...I told her I'd be back tomorrow. On the 'morrow I informed her that what I had (the fire inside,) they needed and I would persist until I saw the GM. She gave in.
He received me and despite my nervousness and lack of understanding, God managed to get the point across and he sent me to the personnel dept. to be hired. He issued a stern warning, "I'm not going to protect you or do you any favors...you will earn your own way." He also wondered how the heck I thought I'd make it in this notoriously rough & closed minded bunch when I didn't even speak German?! I wondered the same thing! In departing I sold him a tape so we could have our next meal.
Later, he would call me his 'Paradise Bird,' saying, "One day he just flew in the door."
Aeroquip made power steering & air-conditioning hook-ups for the auto industry worldwide. Their biggest problem was in the hand bending dept. where you clamp down a piece of metal tube and physically bend it with two handles. If it comes out right you place it in the case with the good ones, if not you throw it in the scrap. Each piece of scrap you must explain on a report card.
Well, I had never worked in a factory before and this place was scary...especially when these guys found out I wasn't even German! Holy Madoli!
The largest minority were the French speaking Alsatians who crossed the Rhine to work every day.
I spoke French...survival point #1. The quality inspectors who gave your work the 'eagle eye' all wore green robes and nearly the entire bunch were Italian. When they found out I spoke Italian, I suddenly had many brothers and few quality hassles...survival point#2. I was a hand labor starved missionary who hit the floor with a vengance and a strong work ethic (both hands & all your might.) The Dept. Head needed that desperately...survival point #3.
The production output of the dept. nearly doubled in two weeks. I was transfered from one problematic dept. to another, learned German on the way and became a Quality Trainer, trained by Mercedes Benz. Every one of the 1150 employees; office workers, managers and floor operators would go through a series of training courses I helped build.
Mr. Schaefer who was GM was now in charge of all operations in Germany.
After several years, I was nominated to become an International Quality Auditor and was sent to London for schooling. This brought my entrance to the managerial level with all my piers & colleagues holding multiple degrees and myself, a high school diploma.
Mr. Schaefer took responsibility over all European Operations, then Worldwide.
I was sent to the US to help with the start-up of BMW's Z-3 platform...
All this came from simple listening to The Lord as He directed daily...and perhaps because we had built an account of dedicated, sacrificial service to Him ultimately even though under a very questionable umbrella.
My wife comments, "Would you have been able to survive the factory floor without the hardening gained in the family?" Good question.
We do know that all things work together for good to them that love God...