The family of Judie Ramsey has asked to honor her life by directing any memorial donations to support the ministry of David and Beth Saavedra with Reach Beyond.

Judie was a beloved “second mom” for Beth and the rest of her Douglas siblings, serving as a mentor, discipler, and home-away-from-home during key growing up years. As a spiritual mother, Judie played a decades long role in guiding and supporting Beth in cross-cultural mission work. Not just a pastor’s kid, Judie was a third culture kid before the term was coined. Judie’s deep respect for the Ojibwe and Standing Rock Sioux neighbors she grew up beside captured Beth’s imagination, too. Beth and Judie shared many long conversations about the complex dance between Christianity and culture, reflecting on how God can use culture to help us better love our neighbors.

Through the church mission committee, Judie championed Beth’s desire to dedicate a year of service in 1998 to at-risk children in Puebla, Mexico, and she joined the short-term-team that went to visit her. When Beth and David joined Reach Beyond as missionaries in 2006, Judie’s advocacy on their behalf continued for two decades, during which she visited them in Quito, Ecuador, highlighted their work in her church, generously donated to the mission, motivated others to give, wrote letters of encouragement, was always ready to take Beth out for a coffee date, and faithfully lifted the Saavedras up in prayer. Judie’s impact sharing God’s love will ripple out into eternity!

David Saavedra heads up the Bible department at the Alliance Academy International, teaching, mentoring, and discipling a diverse population of high school students. Beth works as a nurse and in community advocacy in the local church. Both David and Beth enjoy practicing hospitality along with their children, Levi, Luke, Aaron and Evangeline.

Blog: Saavedra Stories