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Storyteller

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Storyteller

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139: 13-16

Betsy teaching at 15 years old

God definitely made Betsy a “Storyteller”. In fact, that was the nickname her parents gave her as a little girl. At two years old she was already telling fantastic tales about her imaginary playmate, Mary, and their adventures. As she grew up, Betsy was always on the lookout for a listening ear. Soon she had her built in audience, being the oldest of four siblings. Her passion was reading them their bedtime stories, making the characters come alive by giving each one their own
voice and personality. At age 8, Betsy began directing weekend theatre productions using her brother and 2 sisters as the cast. When her parents woke up from their long awaited weekend nap after church, many times they would be entertained with plays like Babes in Toyland and Peter and the Wolf using the classical music played from old LP’s.

When Betsy reached her teen years, she began helping her mom out regularly, as the “Storyteller”, in the kindergarten division at church and during Vacation Bible School. She loved being able to get the children to sit on the edge of their seats with their eyes wide open waiting to hear what would happen next.

Betsy teaching with Huston

Betsy still loves teaching children

Time zoomed by and she left home to go on to college. Her storytelling times disappeared, but the passion was always there. One Sabbath in 1980, while sitting in church, a desperate plea for “HELP” in the children’s division was made. Something inside her awoke and she signed up. A year later, she found herself the leader of the 5 and 6 year old room, in charge of 60 kids (during the Baby Boom era!). In order to “survive” and keep their attention for an hour, she once again became the animated “Storyteller” God created her to be. Betsy participated regularly as a teacher and leader in the children’s divisions until 1996. During those 16 years, God trained her well for what He had planned next.

Betsy discovered the power of using ventriloquism and puppets in teaching and storytelling in 1990. Over the last 17 years, she has honed her skills as a professional ventriloquist and performed in many venues. Her regular cast of characters includes Huston, Sally, Katie, Fred, and Charlie, plus a few more, each with their own voice and personality. So, once again, Betsy is known to many as the “Storyteller.”