Another Paul Almstead Story

21 June 2020

Dear Phyllis,

I know I have written to you about Paul Almstead before but he is absolutely one-of-a-kind. He is the most ridiculous man I have ever met. He is easily the most violent man I have ever met and he is one of the most completely given to Christ man in my sphere of associates. When I first met him I said this man is so far to the rear of a line of candidates for salvation that the only way he could contact the front of the line would be by email. His salvation has got to be one in a million. And the things Jesus has done for him are on a page by themselves in heaven.

For twenty years before he came to Thailand he had been a prison guard in New York state. There he was one-of-a-kind, as a prison guard.. He had his own group of special guards, who were good in hand-to-hand combat, that he had put together for riot control in prisons. One day there was a serious riot in a prison 40 miles from his city in Utica. Some prisoners had broken through an inner perimeter and had taken over the prison. The prison was in complete lock down with an out-of-control riot inside. Paul heard of this riot and got his team to go there to help out. When he got there, the guard at the main gate refused to let him in. He said, “I have orders not to unlock this gate for anyone.” Paul answered, “Look, I am an officer and I am telling you, unlock that gate - now.”. Against firm instructions the guard let him in. Before they went in Paul told his men, “This is suicide. There are 300 of them against 30 of us. These men are extremely dangerous armed with knives, clubs and other weapons. Anyone that wants to get off this bus is free to do so. There will be no questions asked.”. Not a man moved. When the guard opened the gate and Paul and his 30 men went inside, suddenly every prisoner fled in terror, running back inside the perimeter and to their individual cells. The FBI and New York prison commissioner had an investigation for this unusual phenomenon. They asked the prisoners, “Why in the world did you run when you saw that group of 30 guards get off that bus, and you had them out-numbered 10 to 1. The prisoners answered, “No, it wasn't them, but we saw the other group of hundreds of policemen. Man, we didn't have a chance against them.”. Every prisoner had the same story. When Paul and his team of 30 men get off the bus the prisoners saw hundreds of policemen behind them, and fled. No one had any explanation for this unusual phenomenon, but today Paul knows why. That was a group of ministering spirits sent forth to help those who will be the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14).

Since being saved, Paul has seen an enormous number of incredible miracles, but the most ridiculous one I ever heard happened about two years ago. Paul's mother was unusual. Like she was a leading candidate to be one of the most wicked women on this planet. Paul hadn't seen his mother for 20 years, but when he was in the states four years ago he wanted to look her up and share Christ with her. They were originally from New York state and Paul had no idea whee she lived now. Miraculously he learned she was living in Florida not far from where his daughter lived. He was able to look her up but found that she was a complete psychotic. She had struck so many people that no nursing home in the area would allow her to stay there. She had disturbed so many police stations in that area that they had a special number for her. She was incredible hostile, fiercely anti-Christ, and almost violent when Paul tried to share Christ with her. Nice try, but no deal.

Two years later Paul was wondering what happened to his mother He had no idea what state she was living now, and much less any idea what number to call on a phone. I can't recall how it happened but somehow, calling from Thailand, Paul got a man on the other end of the line in Florida, and asked him if he had ever heard of a woman by the name of Phyllis Almstead. The man answered, “Yes she was a very dear friend. I led her to Christ a year ago”. Paul hit the floor. Here he got a man that he had no idea who he was that said he had led his mother to the Lord. The chance of that happening are considerably less than 1 in 320,000,000, That beat anything I had ever heard. But the testimony was even more stunning.

Paul's mother hated blacks and the man who led her to Christ was a black man. His mother had never allowed him, or anyone else, to call her mom, but the man said she was the sunshine of the nursing home where she was living and everyone called her mom. He said she was always cheerful, loved the Lord, and was a woman of deep prayer. He and his wife visited her every day, fixing her hair, praying and fellowshipping with her. After a marvelous walk for six month Phyllis Almstead joyously went to be with Jesus. The man wanted to tell Paul but he had no idea where he was or how to get in touch with him until Paul was on the other end of the phone line. If that isn't the most ridiculous testimony I have ever heard I don't know what is.

I can't match Paul, but the Lord has been good in revealing Himself to me in miraculous ways. Ten years ago I was in the states driving across Idaho. When I came to Boise I wanted to see my old buddy, Wirt Edmonds. I stopped at a pay phone, called the operator, and asked for Wirt Edmonds phone number. The operator told me that was an unlisted number. Next I thought of his son Robbie. I asked the operator for Robbie Edmonds phone number and she said that there was nothing like that listed. In desperation I thought maybe the phone might be listed under Robert Edmonds and asked the operator if she had that number. She gave me some number that I dialed and asked the lady who answered if that was the Robbie Edmond's residence. She said, “I'm sorry. My name is not Edmonds but Edmondson, but I know Robbie Edmonds. I am a close friend of his sister.” I said, I am trying to get in touch with Robbie Edmonds who was a carpenter in Japan.” “Yes. I know all about that. His sister is my best friend.” She got Robbie's number and thirty minutes later I was in his house drinking coffee. Now you figure that one out. There are a quarter of a million people in Boise, Idaho, and by the operator giving me the wrong number of a person with a different name I got a person who knew Robbie and gave me his number. Oh, Jesus is amazing.

Like Paul, I had numerous incidents where the angels in charge of me before I was saved, had work to do. Before I went into the Air Force I wanted to get a pilots license. I was 20 years old and went to our local airport that was nothing but a grass strip. I got my student license and soloed so I could fly by myself. One Sunday morning I decide to do some flying. No one was there but I had a key to the hanger and got our little Piper Cub out of the hanger. We were low on fuel and our fuel pump wasn't working. I decided to fly down to our nearest airport in Towanda to tank up. There was a slight overcast but that didn't look too difficult. Because the clouds were only a few hundred feet thick and it was bright on the top side, it was too difficult climbing through them topping out at slightly over 1,000 feet. Under me it was a solid undercast that looked just like a bed sheet. I knew Towanda was about 30 miles south, so I took up a compass heading of 180 and flew for twenty minutes. But getting down wasn't that easy. My instructor, Mr. Evert, told me, “Never fly in clouds. If you get in a cloud you can't tell up and down”. I didn't know about Mr. Evert but I had never had a problem telling up from down and was sure I knew better. There was a small hole and I tried to circle down through it. In a second I learned the greatest lesson of my life. Mr. Evert was right. I lost all control of the airplane. I knew I was in a spin but I had no idea which way the bird was spinning or how to correct it. Pulling back on the stick only intensified the spin. In God's amazing grace I fell out of the clouds at about 700 feet slam in the middle of a narrow valley with mountains in the clouds on both sides a quarter of a mile away. Had I come out 460 feet to either side that would have been the end of my journey on this planet.

We may not realize it but Jesus has been with us, unseen, for all of our lives and has promised to stay with us until we meet Him in His home – and our future home.

Have a good week, bill