Tarnished Gold Thread
Sometimes the path of following God’s call can be dotted with tedious (and sometimes treacherous) twists and turns. In Tarnished Gold Thread, Barbara Dowdy reflects on her soul’s journey from her ancestral roots (slave owners) to the struggles of growing up dirt poor (rural Texas in the Great Depression), to the joys and challenges of a mid-century housewife, mother, and savvy businesswoman ahead of her time, to at last following her lifelong call to Mission work in rural Africa.
Enduring the trials of a mixed-bag marriage Barbara found strength she never knew she had, hard-won grit that taught her to dance with peril (sometimes daily), and resourcefulness that led to co-founding Capital City Baptist Church in Lilongwe, Malawi (one of the largest and most successful Baptist church starts in Malawi history.)
In this insightful series of compelling vignettes and observations, told in a narrative voice that pulls you in and holds you tight for the whole ride, readers experience Barbara’s journey of unflinching vulnerability through the excitement, wonder, heartbreak, laughter, disappointment, and unflagging determination that line her jagged path to following Gods call to mission ministry. Tarnished Gold Thread is a story of a life well lived — and love without measure.
Drawing from letters, journals, and her own indelible memories, Barbara Dowdy decided years ago to put a pen to her amazing life experiences for her family and friends to read. From this one unique perspective, readers find a history lesson (her own lineage and what life was like for struggling families in rural Texas during the Great Depression), a ministry lesson (what kind of determination it takes to become a foreign Missionary. Hint: it’s a lot), psychology and self awareness lesson (how understanding the deeper truth and purpose of your life can lead to perseverance and tolerance you didn’t know you had), and a wide-eyed and accepting crosscultural exploration. (From the unspoken trials of mid-century American life to stark realities of Malawian culture to day-to-day living in war ravaged Somalia)
Now that the book is complete and edited, this “private family memoir” is a must-read for anyone interested in mission, ministry, and the nuances of following God’s call — wherever and however it may take you. In the pages of Tarnished Gold Thread you’ll fi nd a take-it-instride roller coaster ride of this life well lived through laughter, heartbreak, and hard-won wisdom about Love that redeems the grittiest of realities.
BARBARA DOWDY grew up in rural north Texas, graduated from high school and, like so many women of that era, got married, went to work, kept a tidy home, raised two beautiful and exceptional children — and supported her husband, Jerry, in his business endeavors.
Revisiting together the call to mission ministry that Barbara received (and tucked away) when she was only 16 years old, Barbara and Jerry decided their success in the office equipment business would allow them to retire early and follow the path to Southern Baptist mission work in Malawi, Africa. Serving 10 years in Malawi, they tended to the basic needs of the people, ran a bustling printing and publications office, built homes, repaired and maintained vehicles — and founded and nurtured Capital City Baptist Church that still thrives today.
After a brief but treacherous year-long mission stint in Somalia, they returned to live their later years in north central Texas, enjoying time with their family, including their two grown children, Peggy (and husband, Bruce) Ken (and wife, Suzanne) and four beautiful grandchildren.
