Hazel Evangeline (Lyn) Ambacher: July 8, 1935-October 27, 1999

Lyn was born in Caroline, New York, into a pastor's family. One of five children, Lyn grew up in New York and Kansas. She was taught the Word of God from an early age, and received assurance of her salvation at the age of 12.

Lyn studied at the Omaha (Kansas) Baptist Bible Institute, at Shelton (New Jersey) College where she met Harry Ambacher, and at Ashland (Ohio) College, from which she received an A.B. degree. Lyn and Harry married in 1958, then the couple moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where Lyn taught elementary school until the births of their two daughters. In 1962 the Ambachers were accepted by ABWE as missionaries; they arrived in Hong Kong in 1965.

Lyn gave birth to the Ambachers' third child, a son, several months after arriving on the field. In addition to raising her children, Lyn's first term was spent studying Cantonese and establishing relationships in the satellite city of Kwun Tong where the Ambachers were one of only two American families among 300,000 people.

Over the nearly 30 years the Ambachers spent in Hong Kong, Lyn led many individuals to the Lord, taught Sunday school classes, tutored students, taught English to factory workers and at the China Baptist Theological College, and helped her husband start four churches.

A brilliant teacher and gifted linguist, Lyn was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease in 1994. The rapid progression of her disease forced the Ambachers to return to the United States in 1996. Lyn's health plateaued until September 1999, when she experienced a severe infection, followed by viral flu and a stroke.

Lyn is survived by her husband, Harry; and their three children, Kristi, Lori, and Brent.