About Terry
Terry Hurt
The author of Almost Missing Heaven
Terry Hurt’s testimony begins long before the evening he came to faith. It begins with a family in Ohio, a boy growing up on a farm, and a decision to stop going to church.
In Almost Missing Heaven, he looks back on the experiences that followed and the people who helped him confront the question of his own salvation.
Growing up near Greenville
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Terry was raised on a farm near Greenville, about thirty-five miles northwest of Dayton. His childhood included the demands of farm work and the rhythms of family life.
He also experienced loss very early. His biological mother died when he was a small child, leaving him with few memories of her. In the book, he recalls standing before her photograph on the family piano, trying to remember what she had been like.
His father and Christian stepmother raised him. He attended a small country church until about thirteen, when he decided that he no longer needed to go. Looking back, Terry sees that choice as the beginning of his years away from faith.
Beyond the farm
As a young man, Terry served in the United States Air Force. After basic training, he was assigned to Travis Air Force Base in California. His service also took him to Guam and Germany.
The book remembers friendships formed during those years, including the kind of companionship that remained important long after military service ended. Terry also recounts dangerous decisions and experiences that left him wondering whether his life needed a different direction.
His concern did not immediately become faith. He first tried to make changes on his own, giving up habits and searching for a way to put his life right. The uncertainty remained.
The woman who kept writing
At Travis Air Force Base, Terry met Eunice, who was also serving in the Air Force. What began as a relationship in California continued across an ocean.
During Terry’s three years in Germany, Eunice wrote to him daily. After he returned to the United States, their relationship continued, and they married in her hometown of Grand Ridge, Illinois. They then began their married life in Greenville, Ohio.
Eunice also helped bring Almost Missing Heaven into print. In his acknowledgements, Terry thanks her for her patience during the writing process and for typing his original handwritten manuscript. The book closes with a poem he wrote for her.
July 14 1970
Terry returned to church with Eunice after his stepmother invited them. Following a service, a deacon asked him whether he knew Jesus Christ. The question made an impression he could not put aside.
He continued attending, but struggled to respond to what he understood as God’s call. He felt burdened by his past and feared that even if he changed, it would not last.
Then the deacon and his wife visited Terry and Eunice at home. A conversation in the living room became a long and deeply personal discussion about faith. Terry finally spoke about the guilt and doubts he had been carrying.
On July 14, 1970, he placed his trust in Jesus Christ. In the book, he describes that decision as the beginning of his assurance that forgiveness and salvation were available to him.
For the reader who thinks forgiveness is beyond reach
Terry wrote Almost Missing Heaven to share his experience and explain the Christian beliefs behind it. Throughout the book, he draws on Scripture to discuss repentance, grace, salvation, and eternity.
His purpose is especially personal when he addresses those who believe they have done too much wrong to be saved. That was once his fear, too.
He acknowledges Eunice and longtime friend Leslie Sakolnik for their help in preparing the manuscript, and credits Jesus Christ as the inspiration for sharing his story.
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