Our
Testimony
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Thomas' Testimony
I was raised in a loving Christian family; my dad was in the U.S. Navy and we moved around a lot. At this age my dad would always read the Bible to my sister and I and explain what Salvation was, and its significance. But being such a young age of about 5, I didn’t fully understand what he was saying. Everything became clear to me one night when he was reading the Bible to us in bed. I don’t remember what part of the Scripture he was reading but I do remember salvation started to make sense to me. For the first time in my life I knew I was a sinner and the price that was to be paid. So, on that night, I asked my dad to help me pray and receive Christ as my Saviour. He helped me and that night I became a Christian. Not long after that, my family and I were moved to the island of Guam in 2003, not knowing how much of an impact the island would have on my life. Upon arrival, we all quickly fell in love with the island and its people and started attending a local church. By 2004 I had received assurance of salvation after months of doubting my previous decision. We spent two years on the island and developed a great love for its people, but in 2005 we were moved back to the states thus ending a loving chapter in my life. But what I thought was an ending, was actually just an introduction. When we returned, we moved to Lexington, Kentucky and started attending Clays Mill Road Baptist Church under Dr. Jeff Fugate. Many years went by and we just went about our lives growing up and preparing to go out into the world and make something of ourselves. As time went on and I grew into my teen years I got more involved in the church and ministries. By age 15 I was involved in the Bus ministry, Wednesday soul winning, and helping A.V. during church services. I was doing all of this but what I wanted to do with my life was go into the U.S. Navy just like my dad. It was all I had dreamed about since I was a little kid, it was all I ever really wanted. During the start of 2010 though, my whole life would be shaken. One night in April, we received a phone call that one of my family members had taken their own life. He was just about a year older than me and was going to graduate the next year. I have never found out why it affected me so much, I had only ever seen him maybe once or twice and never really talked to him. But all I could do was ask myself, why? Why do something like this? Was there no one that he could talk to, was there no where he could take his problems? And more importantly I started to wonder, could I have stopped it? A month after this massive blow, I decided that I was going to join the military, I went to a Navy recruiter and a Marine Corps recruiter and got their information. When I graduated in 2012, I was going to go straight into the military. Another month passed and, still with the weight of my family members passing on my heart, it was time for me to start getting ready to go to teen camp. I started raising the money and my parents helped. But a problem came up, something had gone wrong with the bank and we were told that we wouldn’t get our money in time, that the money wouldn’t be available until the week after teen camp. I thought I would have been disappointed upon hearing this but instead I had this odd peace in my heart. I couldn’t explain it at the time, but something kept telling me not to worry and that the money would come in on the weekend before the start of camp. My family and I prayed about it, but I still wasn’t worried. I had even told my mother that she needed to wait to check the bank that Friday, sure that it would be in by then. Friday finally came, and my mother checked the bank in the morning, still no money had arrived. She told me the news, but for some reason I still felt sure that it was going to arrive, that I was still going to camp on Monday. Later that night, my mom called me into the living room, and with a smile on her face she told me that the money had come in and my sister and I were going to camp. I was ecstatic, but I did not yet realize why God had made this miracle happen. The next week, my sister and I went to camp had a wonderful time, then the final night came. During the sermon, my heart grew so heavy, and when the alter call came I was one of the first people to arrive. I cried, and didn’t understand why, but then like a small voice whispering to my heart I knew what was going on, God was calling me into His service, into His military. He was calling me as a missionary. All that had happened throughout the past few months was leading to this, the death in the family, the miracle of the money, everything was leading to God calling me. Though I didn’t understand why, and to some extent I still don’t, I didn’t hesitate, and I surrendered to be a missionary and preacher of the Gospel for my Lord and Saviour. I came back, after camp and continued to work in any church ministry I could involve myself in and in summer of 2012 I was graduated from Clays Mill Road Christian Academy and, in the fall, arrived at Commonwealth Baptist College. Though I was now in college and two years had gone by I had yet to receive an answer to question I had given the Lord. “Where do you want me to serve you as a missionary?” Although I had been called, I had never been given a place to be called to, I kept praying about it and, to my everlasting shame, I lied about it sometimes to people who would ask. About two years into college, the Lord started working on my heart about going back to Guam. But surprisingly, I didn’t want to go. As far as I was concerned, that chapter of my life was over, I might want to go there for vacation but nothing more. Finally, after about a year, I surrendered to what God wanted me to do and surrendered to go back to the island and spread the Gospel for my Lord. While I was finishing school is when I met my wife Rebecca, we grew in love and realized that God had us meet for a reason. After finishing college with my master’s Degree in Church Ministries, we were engaged and in the following year, June 2nd, 2018, we were married. We are now preparing our first missions trip to the island and will be preparing to go on deputation next year. |
Rebecca's Testimony
I am from the small town of Howard City, Michigan. I grew up in a Christian family and I am the oldest of 6 children. It was in my kitchen, at the age of 7, that I trusted Christ as my Savior. (I received reassurance of my salvation April 3rd, 2011) Shortly thereafter, my family realized that the King James Bible was the only Bible that was 100% inspired by God. This meant that we would have to start going to a King James Bible only church. We left our current church and started attending First Baptist Church of Morley, with Pastor Steve Finn. I had no idea how much this "small town" church would set my family on fire for the Lord. There was not a church service my family did not attend. There was not a ministry we did not help with. All the way through high school I can remember my life being like this. In 2012 I graduated high school. I had decided I was going to be an nurse. If I was a nurse I could stay in the area. This would allow me to work in my church and stay close to my family. I worked for about a year after graduation on my nursing school endeavor, but the Lord had other plans. The Lord had been working on my grandmother's heart to help lead me in the direction of Bible college. After several heartfelt conversations and many hours in prayer, God laid it on my heart to attend Commonwealth Baptist College, but only for a year. So, I moved from my small town in Michigan to the big city of Lexington Kentucky. While attending a Wednesday night service at Clays Mill Road Baptist Church, I surrendered to stay for all 4 years of college and receive my Education Degree. While I was in my freshman year, I felt the call on my life to become a missionary's wife. This meant I would only date someone who was called to the mission field. Shortly after I made this decision, I met a man who became my best friend. We started dating shortly thereafter and continued to date all 4 years. We got engaged my senior year and were then married June 2nd, 2018. We had our first son in 2020 and then added a second son in 2023! We have since finished deputation and are on the mission field! We are excited to see what God has for us! |
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