My Testimony

      I was born and raised in Athens, Tn. The bible belt. I was very fortunate to be born there and to have 2 loving christian parents. I was raised in Clear Springs Baptist Church. A place where I felt I could be me. Where everyone was family (quite a few really are my family).  On  March 25, 1999 when I was 10 I accepted Christ as my Savior. We were having revival that week and it was Thursday night. The man preaching that particular night was Earl Graves. Before he started he asked someone to lead page 14 in the baptist hymnal "I'll Meet you in the Morning" and He said turn to the person sitting next to you and let them know if  you'll be meeting them in Heaven someday. I was sitting with my Mamaw Harmon as the music started and everyone began to sing She turned to me and said Stephanie have you thought about being saved? My heart started pounding as I shook my head yes and then she said do you wanna be saved today? I shook my head yes again. She went up to the alter with me and Ralph Swafford prayed with us. My mom and Dad came up to the alter too and my momma cried and cried. My Daddy normally sat in the back but when We got up from the alter him and momma hugged me and we all sat together on the row momma and me always sat on. That night as I lay in bed I felt relief and peace like I had never known, and I thought to myself if I die im going to Heaven something I couldnt say even the night before.
       My preacher Dink Harris explained to me that the next step was baptism. I understood but I wasnt ready. I am terribly afraid of water especially the thought of going under. Everytime I turned around someone was asking when you gonna get baptised thats the next step you know. I put it off and off until i was 14 I made my way up to that alter one sunday morning I was presented as a canadiate for baptism and of course I was accepted.  I remember crying the hardest I had ever cried in my life not because I was scared but because after 4 years of telling God not now someday I was finally surrendering and again I felt that same peace. I was baptized on January 26, 2003.
 Like many I strayed from God alot through out my teen years and I did many things that im very ashamed of. I was not a good person and I can never take that back. When I was 19 I hit rock bottom and fell to my knees one night in mine and Jeremys apartment I was a newlywed this should have been the happiest time of my life but i was struggling with depression and too ashamed to tell anyone that night in our apartment God had finally got a hold of me and He was wearing me out. That night on my knees I got my happiness back and from that point on no more depression. I also got forgiven because My God is faithful and just to forgive my slat was wiped clean that night.
 When I was 21 Jeremy and I went to Oak Grove Baptist Church. A church in my hometown just down the road from Clear Springs Baptist Church. Jeremy had went there as a teen with his friends and wanted me to go with him. So one sunday in December there we sat. We loved it and joined in January. Jeremy started running the computer for the projector. I started helping one sunday a month in the nursery. Everything was great. Then Jeremy started playing guitar with the praise team. Then one Sunday night in July a group from the church who had went on a mission trip to Hungry Horse, Montana spoke. They showed pictures and talked about there trip and as I sat and watched I got this strange feeling that I should be there and I thought ok Jeremy and I will go next year on the mission trip Who could have predicted that the next July when Oak Grove came to Hungry Horse, Montana We would be living there.
   Now im 22 and a Missionary I would have never dreamed that this was Gods plan for my life. Jeremy and I are worship leaders here at Canyon Baptist. We help cook for tuesday night bible study, and for the kids on wednesdays. We also volunteer 2 tuesdays a month at our local food bank. We are currently looking for more ways to do outreach. We are trusting God and doing what he called us to do and Our future has never looked brighter.