Debra Sue Stancil Cayot

Debra Sue Stancil was born to Marcus & Elsie Stancil in San Diego, California on August 21, 1962. Two years later her father Marcus left the family, never to see Debra again. Elsie and young Debra Sue and her older sister Cynthia Marie were in Minnesota by this time and stayed there until Debra finished her 2nd grade year at school, then moved to Hemet, CA. Debra attended Hemet Elementary School in 3rd grade and then was enrolled in Baptist Christian School in the 4th grade thanks to a anonymous benefactor. At the beginning of Debra’s 6th grade year at BCS, Elsie became engaged to Edgar Gustafson of Minnesota. Elsie married Edgar and the girls gained a younger brother David and a sister Theresa a year older than Debra. The new family moved into a house on an island in Mound, Minnesota. God blessed the new family with a baby, Peter Olaf Gustafson.

Debra finished 6th grade and Junior High school in Mound. During her 9th grade year, the family bought a 10-acre hobby farm in Watertown, MN. As a high school student, Deb participated on the Track Team as well as the Volleyball, Basketball and Softball Teams. Upon high school graduation ‘with honors,’ Debra left Minnesota and traveled to Hemet, CA and moved in with her Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill Bledsoe on Mayberry Avenue.

Debra once again attended First Baptist Church and got a job cleaning residential and commercial buildings. It was as a housecleaner she met a couple that God would use to change her life, Marv and Harriet Sconce.

Deb had attended an evangelistic meeting as a 5 year old realized she was a sinner, and placed her faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. While in the 4th grade, she had been baptized in First Baptist Church’s Rhodda Hall. As a 16 year old she rededicated her life to the Lord and asked God to use her as He saw fit. Now as a housekeeper in Hemet, she felt like she was not able to do much for the Lord that really mattered. As she shared this view with Marv and Harriet Sconce, they challenged her to investigate New Tribes Missions’ short-term mission trips for young adults. Deb ended up going to Senegal, West Africa where she built trusses for a new building at the mission base. During the trip, they traveled into the villages where Debra was struck by the fact that no one had a window in their hut. When she asked why, she was told that the people believed windows would let evil spirits into their huts. She also noted that the people wore little pouches around their necks, on arms or around their waist. She was told each of these contained a Muslim saying that would ward off different evil spirits. Debra saw the utter hopelessness of these people and wanted to reach them and others like them with the good news of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

As she landed back in the United States she saw all the trash in the airport and realized that if they were here, the starving African people would carry it all off as treasures or for food. A little girl bounced by with antennae’s on her hair band and Debra was once again struck by how we spend our money on things which bring happiness for the moment while much of the world is starving. She made up her mind that she would use her life to make a difference.

Deb enrolled in New Tribes Missions’ Bible School in Waukesha, Wisconsin and the following January began a 2-year study of God’s Word. Her next step was Boot Camp in Kentucky for one year and then 6 months of language school in Missouri. After raising the necessary support, Deb went to Papua New Guinea as a missionary with the intent to live in a tribal area and teach the Gospel.

Her second week in PNG an event took place, which would once again change her life. A group of single young ladies set off from the mission base to walk through some local villages. On a deserted path two native men attacked them. The screaming girls fled. The instigator managed to catch one girl and pounce on her. Deb looked back, and not wanting to let something happen to her friend, and without regard for her own safety, went back and began beating the man’s head with her fists. The startled man finally let go of her friend allowing her to escape. The deranged man began to attack Deb, and pushed her to the ground. Lying on her back Deb kicked and kicked until the man’s groin injuries caused him to recoil in pain allowing Deb to escape.

The young lady Elaine, who Deb was supposed to work with, was delayed in the States. Two weeks after the attack, Deb was sent out to a remote tribal area where a missionary couple had already settled among the people. Living alone, thousands of miles from home, Deb began to go into shock due to the attack and was unable to concentrate on her language studies. She was reassigned to work with a linguist, Lenore in a different tribe. Seeing her difficulties adjusting to the culture, leadership asked her if she would consider working in the mission base’s tax office for the rest of the term. The last year of that term, leadership asked if she could fill a teaching position for the school where she would teach 7th grade math, girl’s physical education, and tutor in math and reading. After 5 ½ years, she took a 1-year furlough to the United States and back to Hemet where she was once again involved in the College/Singles group at FBC, Hemet.

Upon return to PNG, leadership realizing her strengths in the office, put her in charge of United States currency, various foreign currency and the PNG Kina at the mission base in Numenoi. Deb worked in the front office, oversaw payroll, as well as supervising some of the national citizens who were employed as workers by mission base. After the completion of that 4-year term, she returned to Hemet once again and was hired as a housekeeper 2 days a week at Victory Ranch.

When Bob Litts, the camps Director heard of her office experience, he offered her office work, which soon had her working 5 days a week. Not having a place to stay, Larry and Janiece Ramseyer offered to let Deb stay in their R.V. trailer at the Ranch. In June she set out deputation, but failed to get the necessary support she needed. Sensing the Lord leading in a new direction, she accepted the job offered to her by Bob Litts as Office Manager for Victory Ranch where the next chapter of her life began.

Deb originally met Paul in 1986 at First Baptist Church of Hemet’s College/Singles group. Both enjoyed playing volleyball after church on Sunday evenings with the group. Deb left shortly thereafter for Bible School and returned for short visits between semesters. Deb’s Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill Bledsoe were the College/Singles sponsors at that time and encouraged everyone to write to Deb. Paul wrote fairly regularly, unaware that he was one of the few that wrote.

Now working at Victory Ranch full time where Paul was the Ranch foreman, mutual friends encouraged the two to ‘get together’. Paul’s father even told him how wonderful she was. Paul finally prayed, asking God to change his heart, if He wanted them together. Finally, yielding to the Lord, Paul proposed on December 25, 1998.

Paul & Deb were married April 3, 1999 at First Baptist Church of Hemet. Always wanting children, the Cayots were excited to learn later that year that Deb was pregnant. However, Deb experienced a miscarriage after a few months. The following year Deb became pregnant again and was able to carry this child to full term. On December 24, 2000 the Cayots were blessed with John Paul Cayot. Leaving the hospital, Deb told the nurses she would be back next year to have the next one. However, this was not to be, as it was not until May 30, 2004 that the couple was blessed with Jasmine Marjorie Cayot. Deb finally had the little girl she always wanted, and once Jasmine had enough hair to do something with, Jasmine would have a new hairstyle every day.

In 2007, Deb was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. She was treated with Chemotherapy, which was very hard on her, leaving her in bed for over a week following each treatment. She went on a strict regimen of organic fruits and vegetables, and in the following years tried almost every homeopathic cancer treatment available. Despite her health, Deb stepped in and served as AWANA Leader for the cubbies when she heard there was no one to do it in 2009.

Over the course of the next 4 years, Deb was in and out of the hospital, but God graciously allowed her to chauffer the children to school, play ball, travel, and even home school John Paul since September 2010. Although experiencing a great deal of discomfort, Deb was able to travel to Michigan with Paul and the children for a conference in November 2011, visit a former missionary friend and visit her mother in Minnesota. Following her doctor’s appointment in January 2012, Deb agreed with her doctor to sign on with hospice.

Deb’s mother Elsie Gustafson, her Aunt Nancy Bledsoe, her sister Cynthia Bach and Paul’s sister Mary have all been a tremendous help in giving Deb constant care through the last few months. Countless friends from church have helped with the children and other chores. Thank you to all, who have given her care and visited, prayed or sent cards.

Deb’s greatest desire was to use her life to glorify God and share His salvation plan with others. Perhaps today, you realize you have never placed your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe you are trying to get to heaven by being good, or doing good things for others. In the book of Romans we read that all our righteousness are as filthy rags before a holy God. However, God did make a provision for us by sending His Son into the world (John 3:16) to pay the penalty for our sins, allowing those who repent and place their trust in Him to have Eternal Life. Won’t you trust Him today?

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions are preferred to Victory Ranch 18080 Gilman Springs Road, Moreno Valley, CA 92555 (951)654-7766.