Debi William's Testimony

    I am from England and I had grown up as a member of The Church of England.  Until I met my husband, I had never heard that I needed to be saved to go to heaven.  We were taught that as long as you try to be the best person you can be, God will deal with you okay when you die.
    I was saved at the age of 20 while attending Delview Baptist Church with my husband Ron and his family.  God gave me a burden about my family back in England.  I felt there was a need for someone to go and tell them about Jesus.  While praying about the need I felt that God was calling me to go.  I talked to Ron and he had been praying about the same thing.
    We surrendered as missionaries.  In 1982, we started college at Arlington Baptist College.  I took mostly missions courses and also some child evangelism for 2 years.  Ron received his bachelors’ degree and after a brief period of deputation we went to England.  We were there for 3 years and saw the Lord bless.
    Through conflicts in the fellowship back in the USA, we lost most of our support.  We came back to the states in 1990 and for a while looked for a church to attend.  I was feeling quite discouraged by what had happened, and after a while I stopped looking for a church.  I stopped thinking of the things of the Lord and put more focus on worldly matters.  Needless to say, I was not living in the will of God and time and time again, now that I look back, God was trying to get my attention and guide me back to church.  I would come under conviction when I read the Bible, so I stopped reading it as much.  I was just not living right and I thought God would never use me again.
    My mother in law visited Grace Baptist Temple and invited us to attend and that is where we now have our membership.  Pastor Dennis Isbell has been such a blessing and an encouragement to me.  We currently teach in the Junior Church and have done so for the past year.  This year it is our privilege to organize the Vacation Bible School.
    This past year has been one of change in my life; I have gone from doubt to belief, belief that God will use you if you are willing.
    Ron felt that God still wanted him to preach, but I was unwilling to re-enter the ministry because of what we went through in England.  It was really hard on our family.  I spoke with our pastor and shared this with him. He advised Ron and I to pray that God would make us willing to do whatever he wanted us to do.  Whether it would be going into full time service or serving through our church.  We took his advice and I have never been happier.
    Shortly after we began to pray, we had several missionaries visit the church.  I was moved by all of their presentations, but not to any full time service.  Then Greg and Michelle Windell, who are going to Kenya, spoke to our church.  Their message touched me and I knew that the Lord would allow me to be used again.  I knew God wanted us to go to Kenya.  After praying in secret, I spoke to Ron and told him that I felt that God wanted us in Kenya, and the more I prayed the more sure I was.  Unknown to me, Ron had felt the same call and had been praying.  It was really confirmed for me when our 14 year old daughter Michelle said that she had been thinking that we should go to Kenya so dad could preach to all those people who had never heard about Jesus.