Caleb-
Early life & Salvation
I came into this world on August 15th, 1989, and the first few years of my life were less than perfect. My parents loved and cared for me, but they didn't really know what love was. Thankfully, I had a Grandmother who did. She had gotten saved many years before my birth, and she made it a priority to take me to church and faithfully witness and pray for her son and his little family. Through her faithful witness, prayers, and God's divine hand, my mother found herself at El Bethel Baptist Church one Sunday morning. The Gospel was preached, my mother knew that the Lord was dealing with her heart, and she believed in Jesus that day. Not many weeks later, my father, upon being released from the county jail, found himself in that same church, hearing the same Gospel, coming under conviction of his sins, trusted in Jesus that day. I was only 6 years old, but I can still recall the immediate change in my parents and our home. I wasn't sure what had happened, but everything was undeniably different. We continued attending that church, and three years later, I came to know what, or who, it was that had changed my parents and our home. On a Thursday night of a revival meeting, the gospel pierced my 9-year-old heart. I hadn't been a drunkard or a doper, but I had been a sinner; I came under the weight of that relization, called on Jesus, and he saved me. Oh, what a savior!
The Call to Preach
My father answered the call to preach when I was around 12 years old. His surrendering his life to the Lord made me realize that our lives are not for our desires and devices but for God's greater plan for us. I wanted to know what that plan was, and I asked the Lord to show me what he wanted from me, and to my surprise, he did. I opened my Bible to read after praying, and the very first verse was a text about preaching. I was amazed that my prayer had been answered so quickly and plainly, and I was afraid. For the next 7 years, I would wrestle with this calling. At moments I would be willing then fear, doubt, peer pressure, and many other things would keep me from being obedient. This period of my life came to a crossroads in my late teen years. I had tiptoed around the world and bad influences, and at 17 years old, I took my journey into the far country, and for the next year and a half, my life fell apart. Pangs of conviction always tainted every sinful indulgence, and I was a miserable man. I lost everything: my testimony, my joy, the home I was renting, my driving license. I was at the bottom with nowhere to go. Thankfully, his grace is much more abundant than our sin; his hand reached down into my horrible situation. My best friend came and witnessed to me, invited me to church, and over the next few weeks, the Lord made it clear to me that his gifts and callings are without repentance, that I knew what he wanted, and I knew what life without him looked like. In March 2008, I surrendered to the call he placed on my life many years prior. The verse He used to persuade and comfort me was Philippians 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." That verse is still a constant reminder that he began this work in me, and he will perform it until I see him.
Africa
I began preaching in 2008 and attended the Bible Institute our pastor organized. I mostly preached in small country churches, children's church, nursing home, street corners, and really anywhere God opened the door. I was content to do that for several years, but somewhere around 2013, God began to stir my heart for missions. I read somewhere about a missionary who spun a globe and stopped it with his finger, and that was where he went, so I did the same and my finger landed right on the center of Africa. It didn't take me very long to convince myself of how foolish a way to ascertain the will of God this was, but for the next few months, my mind would drift to that day with my finger on Africa. Fast forward 6 months, on a Wednesday night service, a fellow brother stood up and announced that God had been dealing with his heart about Africa for months and that he and his family would be moving to South Sudan as missionaries. Immediately, I felt as if I would fall out of my chair; how could this be a coincidence? At this point, I spoke to my pastor. I told him about the globe and my desires, and he told me that if God wanted me in Africa, He would make it clear and open the door.
For the next 3 years, I waited. I had the opportunity to pastor during that time, but God gave me a distinct no. I determined that I would not go anywhere until I knew it was where He was sending me. In January 2016, Brother Holloway came home from South Sudan for a 6-month furlough. I bumped into him in town one evening after work, and he told me about all that God was doing in East Africa. He invited me on a survey trip, with a few caveats. He was leaving in 2 weeks and would be gone for the whole month of February. I went home knowing that God wanted me to make this trip. I didn't have a passport or money for tickets, nor could I afford to miss a month of work. Within a week, I had everything that I needed. I boarded a plane for the first time in my life, and 24 hours later, I was in Entebbe, Uganda, where I currently live. We visited Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan that month and God made it clear that this is where He was sending me. Before I flew home, God burdened my heart with a verse of Scripture for the years to come; Deuteronomy 1:21 "Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged." To this day, I am often brought back to these words.
Currently, we've been here for 5 years, and we've seen the Lord provide over 100,000 Bibles to be distributed to schools, prisons, and churches. He has saved 3 of our 6 children, and he has allowed us to plant a church and a mission. The past 5 years have been like a dream lived out. Sure, there have been many negatives, but seeing the fruit borne out of those times makes us forget the labor pains. I am encouraged to always wait on Him. I had other opportunities before coming to Africa, but I am not sad about one opportunity I let pass. He has repaid me in durable riches, riches that will follow me into eternity. I have crowns today, what are they? The ones that have come to know Jesus as I did 25 years ago as a young boy. The young men who have surrendered their lives to the gospel ministry as I did 16 years ago. These people are my joy and reward; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 20 For ye are our glory and joy.
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