Steve's Testimony
I was born in Nebraska in 1962, the youngest of four boys. Before I was two my dad, an air traffic controller, was transferred to Seattle. Nominally Lutheran, had me baptized at some point. I have no recollection of the event. The only church experience I can recall is being in a type of Sunday School lesson and seeing an illustration of a little boy eagerly reaching for a nest of defenseless baby birds. The idea that we all had a built-in sinful nature was etched into my mind. About three years after my parents' divorce in 1967 my mother and brothers & I moved to the Washington D.C. area. It was a turbulent period in our lives, coming from the sedate Northwest to the suburban jungle of a major Eastern Seaboard city in the midst of anti-war protests. Civil upheaval, cultural displacement, an atmosphere of alcoholism and domestic violence, and the insecurity of being without a father's influence began their work of twisting my young psyche.
Dad had transferred to Portland, Oregon and bought a new house in Gresham, a growing suburb. One by one my brothers escaped the situation in Maryland to live with him. I would visit over the summers; daily swimming in the rivers & lakes, romping through fields & forest and nightly learning to sin like my older brothers. During the school year life in the D.C. area continued to be one of emotional and financial insecurity. By age 11 I'd been drunk, smoked pot and lost my innocence. I remember one episode when I was feeling bad about myself and resolved to be a 'normal' kid. I actually wore a bow tie on one occasion and tried to be a 'good boy'. That ended quickly in boredom and defeat. The idea that there was a God out there somewhere floated on the outer edges of my mind, though it was never discussed. If He was there He apparently didn't have much interest in me. At some point during this period I entertained the idea that there is no such thing as God.
After sixth grade I moved to Gresham to live with my dad & brothers. Now living there year-round my apprenticeship in sin continued without interruption. My older brothers delved deeper into rebellion, drugs, alcohol, debauchery, and occasional violence. Unequipped to cope with 4 dysfunctional young males, dad's alcohol problem grew worse. The house was a war zone. Being the youngest, the stress often rolled downhill to me. So, having learned to go it alone, I retreated into myself. School for me was an aimless drudgery. German class and the wrestling team were my only true interests there. Smoking pot and indulging in fantasies were my escape. I felt alone, unloved and unwanted. One evening - I was 14 -, after being punched hard in the chest for the grievous offence of not wanting to eat spaghetti, I went to the back yard and cried out to the sky, "Why doesn't anybody love me?" I didn't know it, but Someone was listening and was already on the move.
My brother Gene had begun to go to Young Life, a Christian youth outreach group. Over the Summer he went to their camp Malibu in Canada and there received the Lord Jesus as Savior. He came back all happy and talking strangely; Jesus this and Jesus that. I wanted to celebrate his return by smoking a joint with him but he refused. "I'm a Christian now. I've been born again. I don't do that anymore.", he said. I was astounded and skeptical. From that day on I watched him like a hawk, pointing out every mistake and flaw; mocking him. At the same time I was intensely curious. A hunger began to arise in me. I went to YL meetings with him to see what was going on. Besides the friendly girls and snacks, there was something going on there I wanted to know about. Bit by bit the gospel began to seep into my soul. By late winter I had a terminal case of conviction, already knowing I was a sinner but beginning to have a hope that Gene's Jesus was somehow able to do something about my problems.
The YL leader's son, Scott Teeny, was on the wrestling team. One evening after wrestling practice I asked him, "Can someone go to heaven if they've killed someone?" I figured murder was the worst of all sins. "Yes.", he replied. It blew my mind. "How?", I asked. He explained very simply that Jesus had taken our place - was punished for our sins - on the cross. If we'd be honestly sorry for our sins and hang all of our hope on Him, God would take our sins and put them on Jesus, then take Jesus' goodness and put it on us. My mind was reeling and my soul groaning with hunger. How could it be that simple? "How do you get forgiven?" I asked. He said, "Simply ask." I turned away and said inside myself, "God. I don't know You or Your book, but if this is true, would You forgive me?" Something happened! I suddenly felt clean and right. I don't remember any of details of that evening but I do know that from that moment something changed inside me. Rather than sit up in bed, smoke bong hits and look at bizarre magazines, I read a pocket New Testament. For once, I wanted to read the Bible. More than that, the words on the page came alive and stuck in my head, as if it were written for me, to me. Psalm 32 exploded in my heart like an H bomb. "I acknowledged my sin to You...and You forgave the iniquity of my sin...I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye..." stuck in me like a barbed dart. Psalm 51 blazed in me like an inferno. "Have mercy on me...blot out my transgressions...wash me thoroughly...cleanse me...then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You." I had no conception of how or when, but I knew that God wanted to do big things with my life.
After a few years of stumbling & bumbling around God got me into the Air Force and brought me to Tucson, Arizona. On May 2 1983 I repented of backsliding and drew a line in time. "From now on, if You'll help me, I'm going to serve You or die trying!" was my prayer. God has been gracious, kind and generous beyond description. By the blood of His cross and the power of His resurrection He has broken the curses and chains of sin that tormented my life. He has liberated and restored my sin-sick mind, healed my brokenness and mended my aching heart. By God's grace, I've forgiven as I've been forgiven. I'm not scarred by bitterness or anger from my past life. The abuse, violation and wreckage of my past is all under the blood of Calvary's cross. He's gifted me with the most wonderful woman born to the daughters of Eve as a wife: Shirley. God has called, gifted, inspired and enabled us to respond to amazing opportunities to serve Him. He's given me the home, family & life I only could dream of and He's not through yet!!
SHIRLEY’S TESTIMONY
I am from a small town in Tennessee where I was raised on a farm. My mother and dad got a divorce when I was nine years old. After graduating High School in May of 1976 I joined the Rodeo where I barrel raced. My life quickly went downhill as I followed the crowd I found myself in. I was miserable and wanted a new life. I wanted something better. I saw an ad on TV and realized that it was what I wanted to do. I joined the Air Force as a Morse Code Operator. I went through boot camp and a 21 week technical school in Mississippi but I could not meet the speed required and cross trained into Supply. This took me to yet another Tech School. At both tech schools I continued my lifestyle. Partying. Running with the crowd. My life didn’t change. Before going to my first duty station, which happened to be Tucson, Arizona, I prayed. I wanted to start all over again once I got to Davis Monthan AFB. I was not a religious person but I was desperate and I figured that there must be a God.
My job on the base was in supply. I was working in pick up & delivery. The first day on the job a guy named Steve Anderson showed me around the destinations on base that I would deliver to. We were in the truck he was driving when all of a sudden he looks over at me and states “I don’t know what you have been through in your life, but I know Jesus can heal your broken heart and help you to start all over again.” It was all that I could do to keep from crying. I had to look away and change the subject. That statement hit me like a ton of bricks. We went on with our business that day. The coming Friday evening I was sitting in the day room of our dorm building, just like so many others, watching TV when Steve walks in and invites me to a Bible Study on Base. I say no and he leaves. Minutes later a guy ask me if I want to go to Cowboys, which is a bar. I say yes and go but at the bar is not what I thought it would be. There were no cowboys and it was full of yuppie types. Still the same dull, dark atmosphere. I started looking around and thinking, “Do I want to be doing this type thing when I’m 40?” So I told the guy I wanted to go home. He said that we had just got there. I repeated that I wanted to go home. So he took me back on base.
The next day I decided to go and see the horses which were in the base stables. I go to where I believed Steve’s room was. He was there reading the Bible with his door open. I asked him for directions to the stables. He’s says, “That’s a long way, maybe 5 miles.” So I say, “I’ll go anyway.” He says that, no, he would take me. On the way I’m taking pictures of cacti because I’d never seen any before. I pet the horses when we finally get to the stables. Shortly after, on our way back to the dormitory, Steve mentions that there will be a music scene with drama at church tonight. So I say, OK, I’ll go. I don’t remember what was preached but I prayed that night and I walked out of there feeling clean and forgiven. I did get a new start in life that night. The following day was Sunday so I was in church and got filled with the Holy Ghost. The following week I was water baptized. I was faithful to come to church and I joined choir and a drama team called The King’s Players. I just wanted to do something for God. Before long Steve and I started liking one another. We worked together, went to church together, and went to choir. He proposed to me months later and on January 20th 1985 we got married.
God has been good to me. He has forgiven me and given me a new start in life. Plus, He’s blessed me with an excellent man of God and three great children who serve the Lord as well. I am blessed.
We as a family have pioneered a church in Kostroma Russia from 1993-1997. Then we pioneered a church in Windhoek Namibia from 1997-2002. We went to Kiev Ukraine from 2007-2008. Now Steve and I will be going on another adventure to Tanzania Africa. All I can say is Thank You Jesus.
