After many years of faithful service to the Lord, Steve Hisey went home to be with his Heavenly Father on Saturday May 10th, 2008.
He and his family served with Youth With A Mission for 26 years. In 1979, after ministry training schools in Kailua-Kona HI, he was a part of the first Far East Evangelist Team. Based in Hong Kong, they ministered in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo. From 1989 to 2005, Steve ministered in St. Croix at the Youth With A Mission Campus. In those years he managed the Cornerstone Coffee House ministry in Market Square after Hurricane Hugo. He led the Discipleship Training Ministry for 3 years, which included taking several teams into the interior of Guyana, Belize, and multiple islands throughout the Caribbean. He then served as the Director of YWAM St. Croix for 12 years prior to his retirement in June 2005. He is survived by his wife Kay, son Scott, daughter Bethany, and three grandchildren. To contact the family send an email to skhisey@earthlink.net
The family will be having a Memorial Service of Celebration and Praise to the Lord at the Hephzibah Baptist Church in Coatesville , Pennsylvania on Sunday, June 22nd, at 2:00pm.
May 18, 2008
Dear Kay,
I can’t tell you how much I long to be with you on this especially significant day. But, my current living arrangement makes it impossible for me to be there.
Today is a day where people will have a chance to honor and remember a wonderful man. Steve Hisey was probably one of the greatest men I have ever known. His love for people and for life itself was genuine and beautiful.
I want to share with you a few of the enduring images I have of Steve because I think they communicate a lot about what Steve was about and what Steve meant to me.
I remember one time Steve and I were working together in the workshop on the base in St.Croix. We were trying to clean it up and straighten it out. Steve really wanted to get this job done because it was important to him. But, I had something I was going through at the time. I asked him what he thought about this broken relationship I had and what I should do. Steve stopped what he was doing and just talked with me for the next hour and a half. He asked questions, he shared stories from his experience, and he quoted from the Bible. He even told a joke to make some of his points. The whole time I never felt as if I was being lectured too; rather I felt like Steve cared for me and genuinely wanted to help me through my current problem AND give me wisdom to know how to live in the future should similar situations arise. He did this all as a way to teach me about the importance of putting others first in a relationship instead of focusing on what I needed out of the relationship. We didn’t finish cleaning up the workshop that morning. But as we went to lunch I knew I had been given some very Godly wisdom from a man who had lived out what he said. I still remember that morning and the words he said I carry them with me to this day.
Another image I have of Steve actually includes you in the image too. I can clearly see the two of you in shorts, t-shirts, and Birkenstocks heading down the driveway of the YWAM base when it was still unpaved. The two of you were holding hands as you were heading out the driveway. The thing is…everyone on base knew where you were going. The two of you were headed to Pizza Mare for one of your many dates together. It was clear to me that Steve really loved you, loved his family, and lived as if family was the most important thing to him—outside of God. Steve always honored you in public and I never can recall him saying a bad word about you. I can remember seeing the two of you heading off for your date and thinking to myself: “Look at those two. They live a simple life, they serve God with all their hearts, and they deeply love one another.” I remember thinking: “What more could anyone want out of life?” “That is what I want in my life. I want to have a simple life, I want to serve God with all my heart with my family, and I want a wife who I can love deeply and who loves me deeply.” The many images of Steve and you being together and serving God together are images that I cherish because they are images that taught me the value of loving my wife and serving God together as a couple.
There are many more images that come to mind regarding Steve; but I will share one more. I can clearly see Steve and you in the late evening sitting down by the basketball court together. I wondered what you were doing down there so late in the evening. As I watched and listened I realized you two were talking and praying together. After a few minutes, the two of you got up and began to walk around that part of the yard of the base. It was clear to me, as I watched, that you were praying for God to breakthrough into the lives of people on the base and the lives of people on the island. I didn’t hear everything you prayed; but I didn’t need to. Just to know that you were praying gave me a great sense of security as someone who was under your leadership. Steve was a man of prayer and although there were times that he wasn’t able to attend the prayer times in the mornings—I knew he prayed because he was often up late at night (when the rest of us had long finished our day) with you praying. Praying for us as his staff, praying for the island, praying to hear God’s voice, praying for God to move. Steve was a man of prayer and the image of him circling the basketball court as he prayed is something I will remember for years to come.
On this day, the day that we remember Steve, there is a mixture of emotions that I have. I am so tremendously grateful to God that Steve is with Him today. Steve no longer has to suffer. Steve no longer has to wrestle just to get up and do the simple things. Steve no longer has to carry a heavy heart. Steve is free!! Steve is free!!! Steve is free to do the one thing he always longed to do—worship God with everything that he is!!!!
On the other hand, I have a great sense of sadness. I am sad because I will miss my friendship with Steve until I see him again in heaven. I will miss talking to him on Skype. I will miss feeling encouraged and refreshed in my current situation after having talked with him. I will miss hearing him share all his wonderful stories. I heard many of them several times, but you know what? I never grew tired of them. I enjoyed talking with Steve and I enjoyed listening to Steve. He always had a lot to say—and much of it came with great wisdom and insight. I will deeply miss that wisdom and insight in my life. I don’t know how I will be able to replace that. I will truly miss that. That is why I grieve today–my life is less full and less rich today because Steve is gone from this earth. I honestly believe that many peoples’ lives will be less and will have less because Steve is no longer with us. For that, I grieve.
Please know that I loved Steve greatly and am truly grateful to God for the impact he had on my life. I wish I could be there with you today to remember his life. But please know—my thoughts are there with you!!
Love,
David Stabler a.k.a. Bob Schwartz
Dear Kay, Scott, and Bethany ,
It is with great sadness that I have to send this e-mail to let you know that I will not be able to attend the memorial service for Steve. My heart if filled a sense of honor for this warrior who has gone home to be with his heavenly Father. Steve was a man of great strength and conviction. In the time we served together in St. Croix the Lord used Steve to help me grow and learn what it means to stand for what you believe is right and to be willing to pay the price of your convictions. He was a man who love God, who passionately loved his family and was desperately in love with his precious Kay. Although I have not served with Steve for many years now, I will forever be indebted to our Lord for allowing me the privilege of serving with him in our Lords service.
With Kindest regards,
Ed Sinke, Pastor
The Lord’s House of Prayer, El Paso, Texas
Peter Jordan
Dear Kay,
I had no idea until I saw the Memorial site… Donna & I send our love to you and pray that you will be comforted by the Comforter.
Peter & Donna