I was 8 years old when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but I didn’t understand that the Holy Spirit had come to live in me; I thought I had to be good on my own. As I grew up, I really felt that the God of the universe wouldn’t want anything to do with me because of my sin practices; and that I couldn’t possibly be His child. I was married to a wonderful Christian woman and we raised our two sons to love the Lord, and I looked really good on the outside, but ugly on the inside.

We were blessed financially and I retired early so we could travel and I could play golf. But God had other plans! First, when I was 58, He brought me to my knees, exposing the sins that had control of me. It was painful but wonderful at the same time! Jesus hadn’t let me go, I still belonged to Him! It was then that I faced the fact that I couldn’t change the past, but I could certainly change the future with God’s help. He taught me to love Him through service at Miracle Hill’s Greenville Rescue Mission and later through the Overcomers, their Christ-based drug and alcohol recovery program. It was there that I had my first opportunity to share the Gospel.

Thanks to my good friend and mentor, Bill Albert, I found my way to Colombia, South America, with e3 Partners when I was 61. e3 Partners’ ministry is door-to-door evangelism for the purpose of planting new churches, only working in partnership with a local church that will disciple the new believers. I have been on many campaigns over a span of 21 years in eight countries, but predominantly in Colombia. I have often been asked why I continue to go. My answer is always the same: It is such a privilege to watch the Holy Spirit repeatedly change eternal destinations right before my eyes! No one is worthy enough to experience that, but Jesus lets us, as broken as we all are. I would be happy to meet with any small group that would like to know more about e3 Partners and my experiences with them.

My favorite passage of Scripture is from John 10:25-30. These are Jesus’ words: “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”