Russell and Virgie Mueller

Russell and Virgie Mueller

Missionaries to Canada

Both Russell and Virgie grew up in Christian homes and in Bible teaching Churches. Both came to faith in Christ as teenagers. Virgie started attending OBA in 1953 and Russell in 1954.

They both remember the focus on Christian ministry taught at OBA. In his first year at OBA Elroy Ratzaff took Russell aside and personally challenged him to surrender all to Christ. After graduation, Virgie attended Nursing Training in Enid, and the following year Russell went to the Grace Bible Institute in Omaha. The two were married three years later.

At a missionaryconference during their last year of Bible school Russell and Virgie committed to serve as missionaries. They heard a representative from the Northern Canadian Evangelistic Mission tell of missionary work to Canada’s Indian people. They applied, were accepted and then began trusting God for support.

In January, 1962, Russell, Virgie and 17 month old son, Steven, left Enid by train to travel for three days and three nights to North Battleford, Saskatchewan. From there they took a bus another 100 kms to Meadow Laketo begin a missionary career with the Northern Canada Evangelical Mission. Their ministry was with the Cree Tribal people of Canada.

Their early days of mission work were replete with hardships and unique challenges. The Muellers encountered a number of superstitions and beliefs in various spirits amongst the indigenous people. Tribal chiefs made most spiritual decisions for the people and many obstacles stood in the Mueller’s way.

In Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, they studied the Plains Cree language while adjusting to living with few modern conveniences. Over time they built a rough frame of a 4 room house. They recall extended periods without supplies, and they endured isolation from civilization. There were days when mission work meant gathering firewood for heating and cooking. Temperatures would sometimes drop to -60 degrees during their first winter.

The Muellers made huge adjustments with language and culture. They were the first whites to live among these people. “The Lord saw us through that first year of loneliness and privation. We didn’t have fresh meat so asked the people to bring us meat and we gave them canned goods or tea in exchange,” said Virgie. There were times when they made simple trades for food and provisions.

In time Russell had learned to speak the language of the Russell learned to read the syllabics and could read the Bible and songbook written in the Plains Cree Syllabics,while pronouncing the language as spoken by the people. He would write out his messages and read them to the people who came. For a time there were a few conversions and for those who did come to Christ there was persecution. After 6 years, 1962-1968, we made plans to leave when the summer ship came in. We were heavy hearted to leave these people whom we had come to love.

Their 2nd mission station, Thicket Portage, Manitoba, was completely different. It was located on a rail line in a community of 200 natives, who had much contact with the white people. The Muellers lived at Thicket Portage from 1968-1970. These were dark years for the familywith many trails. They were threatened with a gun, choked and verbally abused numerous times. The two Mueller sons experienced discrimination from the village children.

The 3rd mission station was at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan where they ministered until 1974. At that time they moved to Lac La Biche, Alberta, to help get a Bible school started. At Lac La Biche they began ministry at the Bible school. Students came from various locations across Canada, the North West Territories and even the States.

In the next 18 years the Muellers took on other responsibilities: 1. pasturing a small church with both white and native people; 2. Serving on the Mission’s Eastern Field Council travelling to visit missionary families in isolated settlements; 3. Serving as the Canadian Representative and Treasure for the C.H.I.E.F. organization under Tom Claus; 4. Working as the assistant director of Northern Missionary Training Camp training future missionaries.

After serving with the Northern Canada Evangelical Mission for 30 years the Muellers became Honorary Missionaries. In 1992 Russell was Certified and appointed the Pastor the Yellowknife Church in the NWT’s some 1,000 miles North from where we were living in LLB. They would later begin attending the Spruce Grove Alliance Church and Russell joined the pastoral staff as Pastor of Senior Adult Ministries.