In this powerful episode of Cultural Connections, Pastor Daniel Cox and his wife Marie welcome special guest Sig Pell — deacon at Calvary Baptist Church — to share his remarkable true story of faith, resilience, and God’s grace through the immigrant experience.
Born in a refugee camp near Hamburg after World War II, Sig recounts how his Mennonite family fled their East German farm in the harsh winter of 1945. Traveling by horse-drawn wagon train, they faced destroyed bridges, thin river ice, advancing armies, thievery, and a stunning divine reunion with his father that can only be described as God’s hand at work. After years in the refugee camp, they immigrated to Michigan where they encountered both hardship and hope.
From hand-me-down clothes and early bullying as “the poor immigrants” to building a successful life (including military service, a 37-year career at General Motors, personal trials, and later finding love again with his wife Judy), Sig’s journey is a living testimony of God’s sustaining grace.
The conversation draws wisdom from the Old Testament’s commands to love the “gare” (the stranger and sojourner) and challenges Christians today to respond to immigrants with compassion, dignity, and the love of Christ rather than fear or assumptions.
The episode closes with a rare, deeply emotional audio recording of Sig’s mother, Emma Powell, sharing her firsthand account of their terrifying 1945 escape.
Chapters / Timeline:
- 00:00 – Introduction & Biblical View of the Stranger
- 03:37 – Sig’s Family Flees East Germany in 1945
- 07:18 – Miraculous Reunion with Father on the Frozen River
- 09:41 – Arriving in America as Refugees & Early Struggles
- 12:33 – Bullying, Prejudice & How They Handled It
- 16:15 – Parents’ Deep Gratitude for the United States
- 18:54 – Education, Military Service & 37-Year Career at GM
- 20:35 – Personal Trials, Loss & God’s Chastening Grace
- 29:18 – Meeting Judy & Finding Love Again
- 34:38 – How Should Christians Receive Immigrants?
- 39:48 – Final Thoughts on Gratitude and the Stranger
- 45:57 – Emma Powell’s Powerful Testimony (Sig’s Mother)
