Jody LeVahn Honored With Carlson Award

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (June 20, 2004) - Joann Laurel LeVahn, known best to her friends as Jody, was presented with the first Dr. Paul Carlson Award during the opening worship service of the 119th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church at First Covenant Church Sunday evening.

The Dr. Paul Carlson Award honors the life of Dr. Paul Earle Carlson, a Covenant missionary doctor in Congo who was killed by rebel soldiers in 1964. The award honors individuals who share many of the same qualities that characterized Carlson in his life and ministry, including a profound commitment to Christ and his work, a living discipleship that follows where Christ calls, a servant's heart and clear respect for the people one seeks to serve, and the grace of faith in difficult circumstances. To read the text of the award plaque presented to LeVahn, please see LeVahn Award.

"I don't know that I really deserve this," LeVahn said in accepting the award. "Those were hard days," she said in recalling when Dr. Paul Carlson arrived in Wasolo, noting wryly that "nobody comes to Wasolo." She talked about the last time she saw Carlson alive – a Sunday morning at the river crossing. "He was late because of emergency surgery," she said. As Carlson crossed back over the river to return to the hospital, he said he would again cross the river and seek safety the following Tuesday morning. His return was delayed by a day – to Wednesday – but by then it was too late as rebels attacked the village that Tuesday evening.

Jody LeVahn served as a nurse and assistant to Carlson during his time in Congo and has maintained her devotion to and support of the people of Congo throughout her life. Even as a girl, LeVahn wanted to become a missionary. Born in Minneapolis, she attended North Park (then a junior college) for two years and finished her studies at the University of Minnesota. Having earned a B.S. degree and her R.N., Jody returned to North Park for two more years of study in religious education. In 1956 she was called by the Covenant for mission work in Congo - a call that she would live out for the next 40 years.

Jody spent most of her time serving at the hospitals at Wasolo, Karawa and Imeloko (Loko). She also served at the Kimpese Medical Center near Kinshasa, an institution sponsored jointly by a number of mission groups. At one time she was assigned by the Covenant to the United Methodist mission in Algeria. Among many other valued colleagues and friends, she worked with Carlson during his time at Wasolo. Trained in midwifery, she subsequently went back to school for further training in anesthesia. In her spare time she taught Sunday school, ran a religious bookstore and organized the pharmacy.

Since her retirement in 1996, Jody has been a strong and consistent supporter of the work of the CEUM (Covenant Church of Congo), returning there as recently as a year ago as part of a team charged with assessing the most urgent needs in the wake of the war. Known as an extremely hard-working and competent nurse, Jody LeVahn reflects a life of devoted service to Christ and the Congolese people.

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