Marnie Scott: In Loving Tribute
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his merciful ones.” Psalm 116:15
Life was a creative adventure for Marnie Scott. She turned the broken into beauty.
Marnie nurtured dirt into flourishing gardens. Blank pages into artistic photos and poetic stories. Teaching into life-changing mentoring.
She poured herself into people and watched God turn them into new creations in Christ.
Marnie ran CFI’s Victory Bible Academy in Mae Sot, Thailand, with her husband Joe. Their daughters Kiera and Maija grew up on missionary adventures and helping at the school for persecuted Christian refugees.
Students at Victory quickly learned that she loved them as fiercely as her own family. She would search out what the students needed to know to survive and succeed as a persecuted minority and taught them how to be Christian leaders with servant’s hearts.
Marnie grew up on a farm in Canada and brought her hard-working enthusiasm to all that she did.
When Joe, her teenage sweetheart, nearly died from a motorbike accident she visited him every day for a year, bringing his homework and nursing his crushed body back to health.
“That tragedy was the catalyst for our lives,” Joe said.
“We knew early in that God had created a world out there to be experienced, people to see, and lives in need. We as a family have always lived life this way.”
“Whether it was backpacking through Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, boldly teaching in church programs, pursuing justice for the needy, moving to the other side of the planet to help the persecuted or feeding street dog. These pursuits were never done recklessly. We took lessons, learned to crawl before we ran.”
“Actually, Marnie never ran unless something was chasing her. But we knew there was always someone in need, a lesson to learn and life to be experienced,” Joe said.
In May, Marnie competed in Thailand’s first gravel cycling race – and was thrilled to come from the back of the pack to place third against cyclists in their twenties.
Victory’s class of 2022 graduated in March. Marnie was looking forward to the new school year with new challenges.
“Our goal every year is to get the persecuted to help the poor, so that more people might get to know Jesus,” Joe said.
“She never settled for good enough in fitness, faith, cycling or love. Kiera and Maija are reflections of this. They have always pursued life instead of letting it float by. Even when it meant that sometimes those lessons hurt, sometimes they seem unbearable, sometimes we are reminded that we can’t do this on our own.”
“It’s at those times we grow strongest in our faith and it is now that we lean fully on Jesus, because I can’t do this on my own,” Joe said.
On a final vacation with Joe, Kiera and Maija before school began and their daughters returned to Canada, Marnie died in a biking accident.
Marnie kept her eyes on Jesus and finished her race on June 18, 2022.
Funeral service in Mae Sot, Thailand, on June 21, 2022.
In Canada, a celebration of life for Marnie on:
Saturday, July 16, 2022
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
Bible Fellowship Church,
756 Landslide Rd. in Sault Ste. Marie.
Please dress in bright colours and bring many memories to share.
From Marnie’s blog after Joe’s mother passed away:
My mom-in-love’s home was my second home for more than 30 years. It was a place where I could be me, where good conversations were had over a coffee or a glass of pop. Sometimes though, people were missing.
Today, as I taught from Revelation, God spoke to me. His words reminded me that He is home. That my mother-in-love is home.
He, like her, prepared a beautiful place for us to be as we were made, a place where others were sitting at the table with us. This place, as wonderful as it is, is not our forever home, someone is always missing.
Mom S, how do you like your new home? Save a place for me at the table and I will see you when I get there.
