Jesse's Story
I was born in Tennessee and lived there until I was 7. Some of my first memories are of living next to the farm Mom's parents owned. I like to start my story that far back because God was working in my life from the very beginning. I didn't live in a Christian home, but God made sure I still had Christian influences in my life through my godly grandparents. They were at church every time the doors were unlocked and a lot of times when they weren't. They took my older sister, Misty, and me with them anytime we would go.
The summer after my first grade year Dad got a better paying job and moved us to Greenbrier, AR. Four years later God moved Dad's parents into the house next door. Grandpa felt like he needed to "retire" from being a pastor (that never actually happened) and focus on loving his wayward son and his family. God knew I was in need of more godly people in my life at that time. That was the year (11 years old) that I had started really diving into the world of alcohol and other stuff. By the time I was 13 I had more than one addiction but alcohol had the biggest grip on my life. I was drinking whatever I could get my hands on and still keep it hidden. I preferred the hard stuff and drinking alone so I didn't have to share. By the time I was 16 my life had already spun out of control in a big way. I was still very good at keeping up appearances, good grades, good manners, never a bottle out of place in Dad's cabinet. I was a "good" kid on the outside, but inside my motto of "live while I'm alive and sleep when I'm dead" had taken me to the deepest pit I could ever imagine and chained me there to die.
It was at that place and time in my life that I started feeling like God was calling me into full-time ministry. As hopeless as my life was I still wanted nothing to do with Him but I could not get away from the feeling that He had a purpose for my life and it was to serve Him full-time. I remember asking Mom (who wasn't a believer at the time) to pray for me as I was leaving to go to school. I was so confused I didn't know what else to do. I knew I needed help but I didn't want it from God.
The summer before my senior year I had reached the point of giving up on the good guy cover up. I didn't care who knew what and with that went the only reason for going to church. Now, I still loved going next door to Grandma's house to eat her cooking and I was good at timing it just right where I was at her door for breakfast before the food got cold but after they had finished with their morning prayer time. One morning as I got to the door Grandma met me there. She stopped me and wouldn't let me in at first. She had tears in her eyes from where she had just finished praying for me and the rest of my family. She asked me to go to church with her that Sunday and of course I said I would without any intention of actually going. That's when she grabbed my cheeks and made me look her in those tear-filled eyes and promise her that I would go.
That Sunday found me sitting in church next to Grandma. God wasn't done with me yet. That Sunday, by no accident on God's part, was the Sunday the preacher asked for volunteers to help with the upcoming Vacation Bible School. God knew that the only other thing besides my little grandma that I couldn't say no to was spending time with kids. Ever since I can remember I have loved kids younger than myself. I didn't know it at the time but it was something He had created in me because it was part of His purpose for my life. He knew it though, and He used it to get me where He wanted me. I volunteered to help with the kids even though it meant spending time in church.
Thursday night of the VBS I was finishing up playing "Horse" with about 12 kids as the pastor's daughter came over to teach one of the lessons for that time. We sat down Indian style in the floor to listen to the lesson. The kids were climbing all over me trying to fit in my lap as she started to tell the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. The next thing I knew God was speaking to my heart like I had never known before. He was telling me, "You've heard your Grandpa tell you time and time again that if you were the only sinner on earth Jesus would have still died on the cross for you because He loves you that much. But, I want you to know that if it meant me, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Almighty Creator of the universe coming down and bowing down on my hands and knees before you to wash your dirty, nasty feet, if that's what I had to do to show you how much I love you I would have done that." In that instant I knew that I had to serve someone in this life and serving myself wasn't getting me anywhere but deeper in that pit. I knew that if I had to serve someone I wanted to serve a God who loved me that much.
I went home that night and waited until my parents had gone to bed. I went out and sat on the porch swing and started pouring my life out to Him asking Him to forgive me. As soon as I said amen to that prayer, at the same instant that wonderful peace and forgiveness I had been needing for so long came flooding into my soul, God spoke to my heart again. He said, "You know what you are called to do." It was so real, so powerful, I answered out loud because it felt like He was right there beside me talking to me on the porch swing. I said, "Yes," to serving Him in full-time ministry. By the time six weeks had passed God had saved my whole family!
I went back to school my senior year and started making new kinds of friends. Rebecca was one of the true-blue living it out kind of Christians in school and we became close that school year. After graduation I moved off to Indiana to attend a small Bible college called Union Bible College and Rebecca and I quickly lost touch with each other. During my four years there God continued to lead me step-by-step to missions as the main form of full-time service He wanted me in. I ended up doing my internship in Haiti and graduated in 2004 with a B.A. in Missions. While in college God had allowed me to start getting my feet wet in the ministry by starting a bus ministry at the church I was attending. That's where I realized that God had given me a love for kids for a reason and that kids would be a big part of my ministry for God.
After college I was the Assistant Pastor/Youth Pastor at a church in downtown Indianapolis for awhile, as well as Young Adult Pastor at a church in South Carolina. Of course, at both of those churches God allowed me to help start a bus ministry even if we didn't always have a bus. Some of the best memories I have of ministry involve bringing kids to church and helping to teach them about Jesus.
It was in South Carolina that God miraculously opened the door for me to go to the mission field full-time. God started allowing me to raise support in 2008 and in 2009 I moved to the northeast side of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti to work with Haiti Gospel Mission in a little town called Despinos. As I was raising support to move to Haiti, Rebecca and I came in contact again and started talking. For most of the time I was living in Haiti we were "dating" through the wonderful technology of Skype. The earthquake happened in January of 2010 and ministry changed completely. I was in the States raising more money for the mission when it hit and I quickly fell into the role of coordinating the stateside part of the disaster relief effort for our mission.
By May 22nd I had finished my ministry with HGM and was standing before a crowd of witnesses marrying my pretty redhead. I moved to Joplin, MO where she had already started working at a clinic in order to pay off student loans. We started attending Fist Baptist Church in Galena, KS which is just a few minutes away from Joplin. God quickly showed us that was where He wanted us to be for that time in our lives. We became members and went to work in the bus ministry there. I was also involved in the Celebrate Recovery ministry. We didn't know then that FBC would be our sending church when we were ready to head back to the mission field. We are so thankful they are a part of our lives.
During our time in Joplin, actually on our one year anniversary, May 22nd of 2011, a massive tornado ripped through the town. I ended up becoming the Disaster Relief Coordinator at Grace Baptist Church in Joplin which is a sister church to FBC. We still attended and served at our church while I worked in that role at Grace for the next 2 years.. Again, God taught us both so much about Himself and His wonderful power and grace through that time of ministry.
After being in Joplin for about 3 years God had provided for us to have all of our loans paid off and in a position where we were able to go to the mission field full-time. After much prayer and leading we applied and were accepted as missionaries with the Baptist Missionary Association of America to go to the Dominican Republic and work with the local churches in their children's ministries. We are very excited to be allowed by God to serve in this way.
The summer after my first grade year Dad got a better paying job and moved us to Greenbrier, AR. Four years later God moved Dad's parents into the house next door. Grandpa felt like he needed to "retire" from being a pastor (that never actually happened) and focus on loving his wayward son and his family. God knew I was in need of more godly people in my life at that time. That was the year (11 years old) that I had started really diving into the world of alcohol and other stuff. By the time I was 13 I had more than one addiction but alcohol had the biggest grip on my life. I was drinking whatever I could get my hands on and still keep it hidden. I preferred the hard stuff and drinking alone so I didn't have to share. By the time I was 16 my life had already spun out of control in a big way. I was still very good at keeping up appearances, good grades, good manners, never a bottle out of place in Dad's cabinet. I was a "good" kid on the outside, but inside my motto of "live while I'm alive and sleep when I'm dead" had taken me to the deepest pit I could ever imagine and chained me there to die.
It was at that place and time in my life that I started feeling like God was calling me into full-time ministry. As hopeless as my life was I still wanted nothing to do with Him but I could not get away from the feeling that He had a purpose for my life and it was to serve Him full-time. I remember asking Mom (who wasn't a believer at the time) to pray for me as I was leaving to go to school. I was so confused I didn't know what else to do. I knew I needed help but I didn't want it from God.
The summer before my senior year I had reached the point of giving up on the good guy cover up. I didn't care who knew what and with that went the only reason for going to church. Now, I still loved going next door to Grandma's house to eat her cooking and I was good at timing it just right where I was at her door for breakfast before the food got cold but after they had finished with their morning prayer time. One morning as I got to the door Grandma met me there. She stopped me and wouldn't let me in at first. She had tears in her eyes from where she had just finished praying for me and the rest of my family. She asked me to go to church with her that Sunday and of course I said I would without any intention of actually going. That's when she grabbed my cheeks and made me look her in those tear-filled eyes and promise her that I would go.
That Sunday found me sitting in church next to Grandma. God wasn't done with me yet. That Sunday, by no accident on God's part, was the Sunday the preacher asked for volunteers to help with the upcoming Vacation Bible School. God knew that the only other thing besides my little grandma that I couldn't say no to was spending time with kids. Ever since I can remember I have loved kids younger than myself. I didn't know it at the time but it was something He had created in me because it was part of His purpose for my life. He knew it though, and He used it to get me where He wanted me. I volunteered to help with the kids even though it meant spending time in church.
Thursday night of the VBS I was finishing up playing "Horse" with about 12 kids as the pastor's daughter came over to teach one of the lessons for that time. We sat down Indian style in the floor to listen to the lesson. The kids were climbing all over me trying to fit in my lap as she started to tell the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. The next thing I knew God was speaking to my heart like I had never known before. He was telling me, "You've heard your Grandpa tell you time and time again that if you were the only sinner on earth Jesus would have still died on the cross for you because He loves you that much. But, I want you to know that if it meant me, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Almighty Creator of the universe coming down and bowing down on my hands and knees before you to wash your dirty, nasty feet, if that's what I had to do to show you how much I love you I would have done that." In that instant I knew that I had to serve someone in this life and serving myself wasn't getting me anywhere but deeper in that pit. I knew that if I had to serve someone I wanted to serve a God who loved me that much.
I went home that night and waited until my parents had gone to bed. I went out and sat on the porch swing and started pouring my life out to Him asking Him to forgive me. As soon as I said amen to that prayer, at the same instant that wonderful peace and forgiveness I had been needing for so long came flooding into my soul, God spoke to my heart again. He said, "You know what you are called to do." It was so real, so powerful, I answered out loud because it felt like He was right there beside me talking to me on the porch swing. I said, "Yes," to serving Him in full-time ministry. By the time six weeks had passed God had saved my whole family!
I went back to school my senior year and started making new kinds of friends. Rebecca was one of the true-blue living it out kind of Christians in school and we became close that school year. After graduation I moved off to Indiana to attend a small Bible college called Union Bible College and Rebecca and I quickly lost touch with each other. During my four years there God continued to lead me step-by-step to missions as the main form of full-time service He wanted me in. I ended up doing my internship in Haiti and graduated in 2004 with a B.A. in Missions. While in college God had allowed me to start getting my feet wet in the ministry by starting a bus ministry at the church I was attending. That's where I realized that God had given me a love for kids for a reason and that kids would be a big part of my ministry for God.
After college I was the Assistant Pastor/Youth Pastor at a church in downtown Indianapolis for awhile, as well as Young Adult Pastor at a church in South Carolina. Of course, at both of those churches God allowed me to help start a bus ministry even if we didn't always have a bus. Some of the best memories I have of ministry involve bringing kids to church and helping to teach them about Jesus.
It was in South Carolina that God miraculously opened the door for me to go to the mission field full-time. God started allowing me to raise support in 2008 and in 2009 I moved to the northeast side of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti to work with Haiti Gospel Mission in a little town called Despinos. As I was raising support to move to Haiti, Rebecca and I came in contact again and started talking. For most of the time I was living in Haiti we were "dating" through the wonderful technology of Skype. The earthquake happened in January of 2010 and ministry changed completely. I was in the States raising more money for the mission when it hit and I quickly fell into the role of coordinating the stateside part of the disaster relief effort for our mission.
By May 22nd I had finished my ministry with HGM and was standing before a crowd of witnesses marrying my pretty redhead. I moved to Joplin, MO where she had already started working at a clinic in order to pay off student loans. We started attending Fist Baptist Church in Galena, KS which is just a few minutes away from Joplin. God quickly showed us that was where He wanted us to be for that time in our lives. We became members and went to work in the bus ministry there. I was also involved in the Celebrate Recovery ministry. We didn't know then that FBC would be our sending church when we were ready to head back to the mission field. We are so thankful they are a part of our lives.
During our time in Joplin, actually on our one year anniversary, May 22nd of 2011, a massive tornado ripped through the town. I ended up becoming the Disaster Relief Coordinator at Grace Baptist Church in Joplin which is a sister church to FBC. We still attended and served at our church while I worked in that role at Grace for the next 2 years.. Again, God taught us both so much about Himself and His wonderful power and grace through that time of ministry.
After being in Joplin for about 3 years God had provided for us to have all of our loans paid off and in a position where we were able to go to the mission field full-time. After much prayer and leading we applied and were accepted as missionaries with the Baptist Missionary Association of America to go to the Dominican Republic and work with the local churches in their children's ministries. We are very excited to be allowed by God to serve in this way.