Doris Spurrier remembers her late husband’s return from a mission trip. The Rev. Tim Spurrier announced they would be moving to Guatemala.
“I looked at him and said, ‘Maybe you are,'” she recalled with a laugh. “Contrary to his family’s beliefs, I was not the instigator. It was incredible because he made another trip back to Guatemala before we finally moved there. I wasn’t able to go, but I said, ‘I will pray about it.’ And I know God spoke to me. He said, ‘If you will follow him, he follows me. I will give you the desires of your heart.'”
The family left Canton in 1988 and drove to Guatemala, which was in the midst of a civil war.
Tim Spurrier, 71, died March 29 in Guatemala. The couple’s mission, according to those who knew him, Hospital Shalom in San Benito, Petén, Guatemala, is a testimony to a life dedicated to God in service of others.
“It’s been an awesome 39 years,” Doris Spurrier said.
Family and friends will celebrate Tim Spurrier’s life at 5 p.m. May 9 at Faith Family Church at 8200 Freedom Ave. NW in Jackson Township.
Spurrier was buried in his beloved Petén. In a 2019 video, he said his goal was to provide world-class medical care to people who otherwise could never access it.
Doris Spurrier; the couple’s daughter Amy Spurrier-McKnight; and Amy’s husband, Logan, will continue the mission in Guatemala.
“The love that he had for people.” his wife said. “He just loved everybody. It didn’t matter what they did or what they said. I can’t explain it, but he was incredible.”
In addition to Shalom Hospital, the couple built two rural medical clinics that offer free care, and had plans for a third.
The hospital charges for services based on ability to pay.
Remembering Tim Spurrier
“We go out every two weeks to these areas and check on them. If they’re diabetic, all their diabetic meds are free. We also provide prosthetics,” Doris Spurrier said. “We share the love of Jesus with them. We also have a program called Champions Club for autistic and special-needs children.”
The Rev. Bill Parsons, a longtime friend, said the Spurriers made a lifelong sacrifice to further the kingdom of God.
“The hospital continues to do a significant work there,” he said. “He built a hospital and touched probably thousands of lives.”
Parsons noted that the couple worked with global ministries, including the Rev. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse and New Covenant Global Missions, a ministry of Faith Family Church.
“He was a friend since childhood,” he said. “I know the people of Guatemala are grateful for what he did for them.”
‘God can do anything’
Prior to moving to Guatemala, Tim Spurrier was a heavy-equipment mechanic with the city of Canton. Neither her nor his wife initially could speak Spanish. Their young son and daughter quickly became fluent.
“That tells you that God can do anything,” she said. “I remember when we started building the hospital, I said to him, “You know, our credit cards don’t have this kind of limit.’ It just gets done. God will do it. The hospital is complete. We are confident that God did it and we didn’t. We were obedient. I think that would be the word; be obedient to the call of God on your life. The journey he will take you on will be incredible.”
Tim and Doris Spurrier were married 53 years and had two children, Amy and Joseph. They have four grandchildren. He also is survived by two brothers and a sister.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to New Covenant World Missions, P.O. Box 35968, Canton, OH, 44735.
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton minister remembered for his Guatemalan hospital mission
Reporting by Charita M. Goshay, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
