My Testimony

My testimony is one of endurance and evolution.  I was infant baptized in the Catholic church, raised in the Methodist/Presbyterian church, grew up questioning organized religion.  I didn't understand why giving money to the church was helping the poor.  I believed that we needed to help and serve others.  I have grown in my faith and continue to strive closer to God on a daily basis, here is the rest of the story.

 Growing up my parents figured out that I wasn't interested in church (but still made me go).  Understanding this and wanting me to serve others they signed me up for a summer work weekend at our local church camp.  Since I love building and working with my hands this was a perfect fit for how good could use me.  In collage they offered me an opportunities to go on a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico.  Through this opportunity God showed me how he can use every skill and strength that he blessed me with to bless others.  I was able to added a second floor office stairs, ceiling over the baby room, figure out a way to install a sign on the roof of the church, design brackets to hang the sign, and have them built by a local metal smith, and with spare time and some scrap wood made wooden blocks for the kids to pay with and easels to hold up display boards in the Sunday service.  As I sat one of the nights on the concrete wall of the church compound that we working and living in, looking up at the stary sky, God revealed to me that all this was for his glory.

After graduating collage I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, and got a job designing aircraft.  Pretty much a dream job out of college.  I told myself I need to find a church.  Through that I got a chance to serve on another work construction mission trip.  This trip took a team to an orphanage in Guatemala City.  I was primed and ready to serve in pouring concrete, laying bricks, installing roofing!  Well, it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.  God had other plans.  Due to lack of materials and the progression of construction they were not ready for us to do the tasks scheduled for our team at the work site.  God said,"this isn't about you".  We did end up doing some minor construction projects, but a majority of our time was spent doing some over due neglected tasks around the compound and loving on the kids.  The chance to love on those kids was priceless.  They showed more unconditional and unafraid love by sitting on our laps and playing with us even with a language barrier.  God doesn't always use us as we plan!  

I got opportunities to serve on multiple other trips, have been baptized as a believer and continue to walk in faith that God has a greater plan.  After having kids, my mission field turned to raising 4 people to knowing the Lord.  God is still working on me and I have my struggles and ups and downs, but God is my refuge in this broken world.  

Currently I serve in my community as a member of the town council, coaching sports and robotics, the Lions Club, and Cross Timber's parking lot team (Parking Lot Cowboy).