It was one of my more surprising letters. A few weeks ago, I received a news article in the mail from Rev. Darrell (Mitch) Mitchell, a retired pastor in the Iowa Annual Conference. Darrell had been highlighted in the Morningside College alumni newsletter, Alumni Showcase. What you need to know about Darrell is that he has been a runner for much of his life. However, it wasn’t until he reached his 80’s that Darrell came into his own as an athlete.

In the article, Mitchell says that he grew up in a loving home and became more serious about his faith when he was in high school. He started with something as simple as saying grace at the dinner table. He said, “It was Rev. John Ackman who helped me get enrolled at Morningside College. I chose it over any state institution because of their Christian values. With a faculty holding moral values and Christian organizations on campus, it built confidence in my life.”

Darrell, 92, developed a love for running when he was a student at Morningside, and the well-known NFL football coach, George Allen, was his track coach. Even to this day, Mitchell can hear Allen’s words of encouragement in an effort to develop his confidence, “Come on, Mitch. You can do it!” Darrell’s theme verse is Hebrews 12:1 (RSV), “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

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