Stories from the Boxcar

A spiritual journey of the author, based on his paternal and maternal heritage of China missionaries and pastors; the stories and lessons learned, based on his destitute father's growing up in a boxcar in Canada, to becoming a China missionary with the author's mother and family; the author's own spiritual struggle in going from 'missionary kid,' to his own musical and academic successes...and failures, to finally becoming a pastor, missionary, counselor, husband, and father, in a life filled with recovery, ministry, and hope.

A spiritual journey of the author, based on both his international paternal and maternal heritage as a pastor, counselor, and child of three-generational China and Alaska missionaries, pastors, teachers and musicians and counselors; the exciting story of Hungarian and Chinese influences, even a fictitious tie-in to the biblical story of a runaway Sythian slave who becomes a follower of 'The Way' with the Apostle Paul, to later becoming the Bishop of Ephesus - the real live story of the author's immigrant and destitute Hungarian father having to live in a boxcar in Canada, but who becomes a pastor and missionary to China; the stories and life's lessons learned, become the focus of a spiritual, musical, and academic detour that ends with a change of course in life - that is exciting and fulfilling, and the author becoming a pastor, musician, and counselor himself, in reconciliation with his father and family.

Dr. Frank Varro Dr. Frank Varro, author of 'Stories from the Boxcar,' is a retired Methodist pastor, prison and hospice chaplain, missionary, teacher, counselor, and musician. He is from a three-generation family of China missionaries. This 'Quilogy' (five-books-in-one) is the story of his paternal Hungarian-immigrant heritage, and his maternal-missionary heritage. It relates to his father's boyhood home–a boxcar on a siding in Regina, Saskatchewan–from which came his father's many stories and life's lessons: the theme of Dr. Varro's book, pictures of his own life, struggles, victories, and detours along the way. The journey takes us through his international childhood in Alaska, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and five states of the U.S. He graduated from Morrison Academy, a Taiwan missionary boarding school; he also graduated from Seattle Pacific University, where he met and married Margo Moore, his accompanist–and now wife of fifty-four years. The story goes on with their own radio and TV missionary work, and teachers at Taipei American School in Taiwan; it continues on then with the birth of their daughter in Taiwan, and an around-the-world trip through Asia and Europe; then back to Seattle at the University of Washington–earning a Masters of Music, Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting degrees. He taught elementary, middle school, high school, and college music in Taiwan, Seattle, Oregon, Ohio, and Texas. After fifteen years as teacher and college music professor, he held music positions in churches, and founded two community music ensembles. During these times of spiritual renewal, he graduated from Houston Graduate School of Theology with Masters of Divinity, Masters of Arts in Counseling, and Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling degrees. He trained and was Staff Counselor at Krist Samaritan Counseling Center in Houston. He founded Varro Counseling, spending the next twenty years in pastoral counseling, free-lance music, prison and retreat ministries, and pastor, as an ordained minister, first in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and then the Methodist Church. The last two books outline this spiritual renewal before ordination. He and Margo are parents of Shelley, born in Taiwan; Steve, born in Oregon; and Rob, born in Ohio; and grandparents of five. Margo and he have lived in Houston, Texas, for thirty-eight years.