Thomas E. Olson was born in Norway, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula, while Virginia Puglese was born in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Tom graduated from Kingsford High School after moving to Quincy, Michigan, from Norway when he was four. Virgie graduated from York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. So how did this Italian girl from Chicago and this Scandinavian boy from the UP meet? And what does that have to do with IFCA and the Faithful Servant Award? Now, Tom isn't known to be a man of many words. He likes to keep it short and sweet. But Tom loves Virgie, and if there's anything that makes him laugh and smile, it's his sweet wife. Many years ago, Tom wrote about how he met Virgie, and it was a match made for the IFCA history books. Let me read what Tom wrote. In 1974, I went to the IFCA convention at Scroon Lake, New York as assistant quiz coach and delegate to the adult convention. While attending the adult convention, Virginia Pugliese and I kept running into each other the first three days of the convention. After convention, we had five days of straight dating. About three weeks after the convention, I made my first trip to the Chicago area to visit Virgie, and we were engaged five weeks after that trip. We were married June 7, 1975 at the Westchester Bible Church by Rev. Robert Gray. Rev. and Mrs. Brian Jones sung at our wedding. However, a special memory of our wedding was when Dr. William McCarroll, one of the founders of the IFCA, prayed at the end of the ceremony. We honeymooned at the IFCA convention in Portland, Oregon. You can't get much more dedicated to the IFCA than that. Tom was accepted into membership in IFCA in November of 1992, and when Tom took the position of business manager at IFCA, which was located in Westchester, Illinois at that time, he and Virgie were members of Westchester Bible Church. Tom's start at the home office was announced in the May-June 1977 issue of The Voice magazine, and in February 1977 that year, Tom left his position at Superior Accounting Service, a tax accounting firm, to work for IFCA International. In a special Voice article honoring Tom at his retirement, Timothy Caballero, who replaced Tom after he retired, wrote these things. Tom served as the office accountant, head of payroll, coordinator of convention, head of voice advertising, office janitor, local tax exemption expert, and more. If that doesn't impress you, he's worked with five different executive directors, overseen 42 annual conventions, served for 20-plus years on church boards, is a loving father to three children, a supportive grandfather to nine grandkids, and has been married to Virgie Olson for almost 50 years. Virgie has served alongside her husband in the home office and has been equally committed to our fellowship. For years, she's brought laughter and light to the home office. We're very thankful for this couple who have loved and served our IFCA international family in so many ways. So it gives us great pleasure to honor them. They're only the third couple to ever receive the Faithful Servant Award. Tom and Virgie, congratulations. We love you. Well, today we are here to celebrate a truly remarkable milestone and to honor a couple whose dedication and service has profoundly impacted IFCA International. The IFCA International Faithful Servant Award is voted upon by the IFCA Board of Directors, with the board's executive officers making the initial recommendations to the board of who would receive this award. The usual timing for the board to vote on this is in the mid-year board meetings in November, with the presentation to be made here at the convention. Now you guys could make it to the convention and we understand that and so we wanted to make sure that we did something to honor you so that everybody here at the convention as they're watching this live could see this happening. Now, let me tell you a little bit about this. You guys working in the office for so many years may already know this, but sometimes people ask us, well, what qualifies a person to receive the Faithful Servant Award? And sometimes we even joke, is it like almost on death's door award? Because so many people are so elderly and in the past that may have been true. We want to make sure that we are honoring everybody that we want to honor well before the Lord takes them home. so we can thank them and enjoy them for many years. So here are the criteria. There's actually five of them that are recommended to the board. He or she must have many years of continuous IFCA individual membership. They must have many years of leadership in IFCA International on the regional level. They must have many years of leadership at IFCA International on the national level with a reputation well known among IFCA members. They must have the highest level of credibility in a sustained, highly reputable ministry with wide-ranging effect upon numbers of IFCA members. And then fifthly, the award is not limited to men, but only If the selection is not a man, the honoree must be a husband and wife. And so you guys both qualify for that. When the board of directors were bringing up all the different names that they were considering, your name was brought up. It was Tom, and then it was Tom and Virgie. Very, very quickly, And that was the end of the discussion. As soon as you guys came up, pretty quickly, it was settled, the vote was taken, and it was unanimous. And so, it is a great joy for us to be here today, and for me to have the honor to represent the Board of Directors on their behalf. For over 42 years, Tom and Virgie have devoted themselves to this organization, embodying the very spirit of commitment and faithfulness. Of course, Tom began his service as our business manager and accountant in 1977, which I was digging through the files. It was quite an eventful year. There was a lot of drama going on in 76, 77. And you eventually became our Director of Finance and Operations. Your office was just right down that hallway for many, many years. Before that, it was over in Westchester, Illinois. Vertki has served in a lot of capacities in the Home Office, including as one of our Secretaries, and your office is still standing there. If you want to go to work after we're done here, we'd love to have you join us again. Tom and Vertki officially retired from their work in the Home Office in 2019. Their journey with us has been marked by unwavering dedication, countless hours of hard work, and an unyielding passion for our mission. In 1 Corinthians 1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote this, this is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. Tom and Virgie, your service has not only been years long, but deep in its impact. You've touched live through your ministry, through your involvement, not only here at IFCA's home office, but through your ministry at Jenison Bible Church, through the Michigan Regional Office, and your continuing involvement in the home office, and Tom, especially, Finance Committee. You've inspired colleagues with your joyful presence and steady commitment to our fellowship through your work here in the home office for many decades. Your legacy is one of tireless devotion and heartfelt contribution. We often speak of the importance of service, but you both have lived it every day. setting a standard for all of us. Your leadership and your kindness, your unwavering faith have been a beacon of light and it's guided us through challenges and it's been a time of celebration through our times of triumph. On behalf of everyone at IFCA International, I want to express our deepest gratitude to both of you. Your 42 years of faithful service here in the Home Office has been a testament to what true dedication looks like. We are immensely thankful for all that both of you have done and for the example that you have set, not only for those now, but even for future generations. Today, we celebrate not just your years of service, but the love and the commitments and the faith that have been the cornerstone of your journey with us. Congratulations, Tom and Virgie. This is an incredible achievement. May you continue to inspire and bless all those around you just as you've blessed us for over four decades. It's because of your many years of faithful service that we give to you as stewards of Christ that it is my honor and my pleasure, on behalf of the Board of Directors of IFCA International, to present to you the IFCA International Faithful Servants Award. Let me read to you what it says on this award. It says, the 2024 Faithful Servant Award, Thomas and Virginia Olson, for decades of service involving tireless commitment to the men and churches of our fellowship. Thank you so much for all that you have done in serving the members of ISCA International. you