Keith’s Testimony
I’m so thankful for the great parents I have who have always encouraged me to serve Christ. They are examples of godliness and love to me. As a family, we faithfully attended Northwest Bible Baptist Church in Elgin, Illinois every service. But being in church and serving isn’t the answer. It’s making a personal decision to turn from my way and turn to Jesus as the only payment for my sin. When I was six years old, I remember my dad showing me the gospel and I remember praying. Over the years though, I began to doubt. Sure I was in church and “doing good”, but something didn’t seem right. One Monday night in February of 2006, God moved in my heart and I finally settled the matter, truly repented of my sin, and asked Christ to save me.
Missions has always been close to my heart. At our Missions Conference in 2002, my family had a missionary going to Brazil stay with us. Through the time he stayed with us, his testimony of the great need, and a clear, God-given call, I surrendered to go to the mission field. Through the years, God has put Brazilians in my life and confirmed that Brazil was where he wanted me to go. I had the opportunity to serve in many ministries growing up at NWBBC. For several summers, I worked at Cedar River Baptist Camp. I was also able to travel with Evangelist Oliver Araiza for several weeks. In August of 2011, I enrolled at Providence Baptist College. Through my time there, God gave me many wonderful ministry opportunities including soul winning, disciplining, leading a bus route, and serving in our children’s church and music ministry. It was there God gave me my wonderful wife, Jamie. To help me prepare for the mission field, I was able to go to Panamá for 3 weeks in June 2014.
As we continue to serve Christ and follow his call, please pray what God would lead you to do to be a part of His plan for our lives and His glory.
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Growing up at Faith Baptist Church of Bourbonnais, IL, I was presented the gospel at a very early age. At the age of five, I had made a profession of faith though I don’t recall much of it. I do, however, remember praying at the age of ten after my stepfather led me through some verses, and for years I claimed that as my assurance of salvation. But in my later teen years, I began to doubt. For too long, I struggled with the matter of my salvation, trying to convince myself that “surely I was saved.” Finally, in my sophomore year of college, I swallowed my pride and accepted Christ as my Savior. Since then, I have had no doubt that I am on my way to heaven.
In my opinion, one of the greatest blessings of growing up in church was the opportunity to attend our missions conferences each year. These were some of my most favorite times. As a young teen, God put a great burden for missions on my heart. I wanted to be a missionary! In my senior year of high school, I prayed that God would make His will for my life very clear to me. It was at that time that God increased my desire to be a missionary. Through the years, God has confirmed this desire in my life in many ways, to include my marrying Keith and surrendering to the call on his life. I cannot wait to see how God can use our family in Brazil!
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