Virginia "Ginny" Ruth Wait

Virginia was born on July 10, 1930, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Lester and Ruth Tice. Virginia was the third of seven children. She grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. During her last year of high school, the new pastor at her church (Plymouth Congregational Church) explained how to have a relationship with Jesus and eternal life in heaven with Him. Virginia told the pastor she wanted to do that. He told her to think about it for a few days, but she said, no, she wanted to accept Jesus as her Savior right then, and she did!

After high school graduation, she attended Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She had a desire to be a medical missionary, possibly in Africa. She met her husband, Lester Wait, at Northwestern. They talked about getting married the following summer, but Virginia had also applied to a nursing school in Chicago, which meant that they would need to postpone their wedding by at least a year. They prayed about it and decided that if the nursing school acceptance came in the following two weeks, she would go to nursing school and postpone their wedding. By Saturday night two weeks later, the nursing school acceptance letter had not come, so they decided to get married that summer. The following Monday, her acceptance letter came! But they believed it was God’s will that they get married that summer, and she would not go to nursing school. They married on August 8, 1953, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After Lester finished seminary, they moved to Maple Plain, Minnesota, to minister at Maple Plain Community Church for three years, where they have friends to this day.

Virginia and Lester served with One Challenge (formerly Overseas Crusades and OC International) in Taiwan from 1961-1976. She learned to speak Taiwanese, and held Bible studies with ladies who spoke Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, and English! Many of us remember Virginia as a premier hostess who always laid out a beautiful table—she also did that in Taiwan for groups both large and small. She did all this while lovingly raising their three children.

After returning from Taiwan, Virginia and Lester ministered at Roswell Community Church (Colorado Springs), then with International Students, Inc. (Colorado Springs), and later ministered at the Evangelical Formosan Church in Denver. Virginia loved singing duets with Lester—she had a beautiful soprano voice. Virginia enjoyed the outdoors, and she accompanied Lester on many hikes and 4-wheeling adventures. She kept a photo album on the coffee table of the many Bhutanese/Nepalese people who she hosted for special occasions. Many of them have said they will never forget how gracious and kind she was to them, and they loved her big smile!

Virginia is survived by her three children, five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, her sister Helen, and many nieces and nephews. Virginia is preceded in passing by her husband, Lester, and five of her siblings.

A Life Celebration Service will be held at Village Seven Presbyterian Church, 4040 Nonchalant Circle S. in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Anyone who is unable to make it to the service is welcome to join the service via livestream: https://boxcast.tv/view/virginia-wait-celebration-of-life-f5otxy2wgm5ahsfvuqxr

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Virginia’s home church: Roswell Community Church, 2728 Beacon Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907. Please include “Wait Memorial” in the memo line of your check, or use the following link to donate online: https://56358446.churchtrac.com/give