This is an open declaration of the work and love of God in my life. I am twenty-one years old and I currently reside in the hot and huge city of Phoenix, Arizona. I was born and raised in a complete opposite environment: Vancouver, Washington. I moved to Phoenix when I was eighteen, after summer was over the year that I graduated high school. I always felt that God was pursuing me even at a very young age. Of course I didnât realize that at the time it was the actual Creator of the universe who was pursuing me, but it felt more like someone watching over me, and drawing me near. I can remember when I was about seven or so years old when I said the invite-Jesus-into-your-heart prayer at our small town community church. From then on I called myself a Christian though I had a lot to learn about what it truly means to follow Christ. I would say I grew up in a less than average American Christian home, my mom would take us to Church while my dad stayed home or went to work on Sundays. That first church that I went to as a kid, in Brush Prairie, had a huge impact on my life. As I reflect back upon those early years throughout elementary and middle school I remember the good times, the mentors, and the lessons that came from attending that church with my mom and two younger brothers. When I was about twelve years old I met a guy that God used to influence me in a positive and powerful way. His name is Jason and he taught one of the Sunday classes in the youth area. I remember sitting in that room with only about a half dozen other early teens not paying any attention to a word he was saying, and thinking about almost anything but church stuff. I was young and all I wanted to do was go skate out in the church parking lot. Little did I now that this was the beginning of something big. I donât remember how long after but following that Sunday there was a teenâs church camp coming up, I was two young to go and didnât think too much of it. One day my mom tells me that they are allowing me to go to the camp and that the church was paying for it. Now keep in mind that I never asked to go, because I didnât care that much and I also knew that I was a year too young, as well as this was an extraordinary and expensive camp that my mom (now separated from my dad) couldnât afford. So I guess Iâm trying to say that this was a âGod-thingâ as I like to call it, and He was interceding in my life on my behalf, before I really even knew him. That is not all, whatâs even more awesome is that my cabin leader was none other than Jason. At camp I learned from Jason more of what being a Christian meant. He taught me what the bible was and how to use it. I remember sitting on the porch of the cabin, while all the other kids were playing games and what not, and just reading the bible and being blown away at how accurately it touched upon my life. It was a book that knew me, written by a God who knew me, and about the one who sacrificed all for me. I remember being truly impacted and hit hard by Gods love for me and the rest of his church, and when I left that camp I was never really the same from the inside out. From then on I knew that God was calling me to learn more about him and I kept reading the bible. I would go out and buy Christian books in search for a better understanding of this King who loves me. âAs the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.â is the cry in Psalm 42:1 and this verse was on the cover of The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, a book that Jason had given me when we started hanging out together more often. We would meet and we would read the word together, talk and eat together, and truly just live together. He was a disciple of Jesus who was making a disciple of Jesus and it was good. This book is still my favorite book and has definitely taught me the most about God and my response to his great love. Eventually Jason moved away and I went on to high school we kept in touch but it never really was the same. I kind of drifted away from Jesus during this time, never completely turning my back on God but definitely turning the volume down on his voice, in a way. I graduated high school and completed a two-year course in fire science through a Fire Cadet Program. Thatâs what got me headed to Arizona; I wanted to be a firefighter. I packed up my backpack and âGreyhoundedâ it to Phoenix, Arizona with only what I could carry on my back. It was thirty-three hours from Portland, Oregon to Phoenix by bus, and the bus seat wasnât the most comfortable. When I got to Phoenix I stayed with my buddy Nigel and his mother for about a year pursuing firefighting. I worked at one point three jobs and eventually narrowed it down to two. To back things up a little bit, I met my now fiancĂ©, Kassandra, about two months after I arrived in Arizona. She is pretty awesome and we are planning a wedding. She is my best friend and my companion. I love her and would do anything for her. I pray that God can teach me how to serve her rightly and lead her faithfully. Now later on, I took and passed an EMT class to continue pursuing firefighting but I felt called and pulled in a total opposite direction. I felt called to ministry and to lead. I donât know where or when or even what specifically but I know that it is what Iâm meant to do. Now I know that community is very important and that Christ loves his church so I needed to get connected somehow. I just looked online and tried to find churches that were strong bible believing and teaching churches and Kassi and I tried quite a few. None I felt were where I could settle in and produce fruit. None of those churches were bad churches I just didnât fit there. Now one day a girl that I worked with had told me about Phoenix One and that it was a super cool place to meet people and find churches so Kassi and I went with her one Tuesday. Jeff was awesome and you can definitely see the passion in his heart for young professionals. We went for a month (two Tuesdays) and eventually Courtney, who took us the first time, hooked us up with one of Phoenix Oneâs sponsor churches called New City Church downtown. New City is an amazingly blessed church and has been a blessing in my life too. I started attending New City and saw right away that Pastor Brian is a man that I can follow. The people are extremely friendly and loving. Itâs right smack dab in the middle of downtown where their mission is to impact the city in a positive way for Jesusâ name and glory. I got baptized at New City and am glad for the whole journey that has brought me there and I pray that God may continue to bless Phoenix, Phoenix One, and New City. As for me now and for my future I pray that God may take it in his hands and show me the paths I must take. My friend Mike Bahatti recently told me that the decisions that are made today will affect my future tomorrow. So I pray that the Holy Spirit may guard and transform my heart to align with the will of God so that I may make the right decisions in the right time. Wherever God leads Kassi and I, I hope for the obedience that comes from faith, to be able to go and be a blessing to others and continue to bring glory to God in everything we do. I thank everyone in my life that has helped me and built me up since I was young. From family to friends and everyone else in-between you have been a great blessing and benefit to me and I thank God for you. I pray that God may fill us with his mighty love and power to do the good works we were made to do, Amen.
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