Jenny's Testimony
My twin sister Jessica and I were born in 1987 in Windsor, Ontario. My dad was a hard-working entrepreneur who owned and operated a window cleaning business. He also dappled in public-speaking and networking. My mom was a home maker and dedicated herself to cleaning the house. My brother Brian was 3 years older than me, and I spent most of my time bothering him. Growing up, I felt like I didn't know my dad, though I did respect him for being so hardworking. I was closest to my mom, although it took a long time for me to realize how troubled and disturbed she was as a result of a sorrowful childhood.My dad was always a social butterfly, and very out-going, making friends everywhere he went. My mom was the opposite and would hide in my bedroom when my Dad had any get-togethers at the house. Jessica and I were extremely close, partners in crime and rarely failed to see the great humour in situations.
There wasn't very much talk of God in our house although we did attend church a few times when invited. When Jessica and I were twelve years old my mom began attending a small Baptiste church at the end of the country road we lived on. She began attending the Bible study there, but church remained unattractive as my mom brought home materials from her study, and insisted that no one bother her while she completed her work. She seemed to look down on my 'heathen dad' and so the rest of us weren't eager to become Christians.
Jessica and I began thinking about eternity after an intense talk that my mom gave us. The two of us would sometimes attend church with her, and on one of our walks to the service, she told us that if we died tomorrow we would go to Hell and she couldn't stand the thought of it. She told us that she heard the pastor say a prayer for someone that would get them right into Heaven, and he could do the same for us. Jessica and I were more frightened than anything, and we reluctantly met with the pastor, who prayed with us.
As far as I knew Jessica and I just scored a 'get into Heaven free' pass and my education about God didn't go anywhere beyond that. I attempted to read the Bible because something inside of me did change. Suddenly I had an interest in God and I believed that He loved me and that He did want to spend eternity with me. I believed that He did have a purpose for my life, and that I was precious to Him. I read some dialogue from Jesus and didn't understand or even like the things I read, so I ended up tossing my Bible in my backpack, carrying it around school with me but not reading it. My mom continued attending church for a short time, but was kicked out of the choir when refusing to participate in an exercise. Soon her desire to go to church fizzled out.
The death of my meme, was devastating to my mom, sending her into a whirlwind of depression. The next year was an ongoing series of difficulties as my mom withdrew herself from the family.
My mom had developed friendships in chat rooms online. Some people she met online sent her tickets to California, and she decided to take a week-long vacation to visit them. By this time Jessica and I were thirteen years old and my brother was seventeen years old. My dad received an email from my mom, and he called us kids together and read it out loud. In the email she announced that she wasn't coming back. She did visit Windsor the next year and Jessica and I visited her one evening. Since then we haven't seen her.
I went from not knowing my Dad to him being a best friend. We had so much fun together and my family life became very sweet.
When I was fifteen, I contemplated the pointlessness of life as I imagined getting a job, getting married, having kids and dying. I wondered what the point was. Jessica began dating a boy who was a dedicated believer. I also began seeing a boy who was a Christian. I did consider myself a Christian but I realized that I was missing a relationship with God, when I saw how at ease they were. I began attending youth group where I prayed to be close to God. I was filled with absolute joy and relief. I began to understand how Jesus died on the cross and I became baptized in the Holy Spirit and in water. I became involved in my youth group and started a Bible study at school. I poured myself into studying the Bible and reading and listening to whatever teaching I could get a hold of. As soon as I felt close to God, I knew that I was supposed to be in the ministry.
I decided to attend Bible school, and studied for 2 years in St.Catharines at Peter Youngrens's World Impact Bible Institute/Celebarion Bible College. Jessica who also found a great love in Jesus, attended this college. Those years were invaluable to me, as I received foundational new covenant teaching. I felt my spiritual life flourish and my greatest adventures involved street evangelism. Josh was an evangelism leader and I met wonderful friends who loved Jesus, in word and deed. We even had the privilege of starting a church in a group home. Since then I have worked with children from troubled homes, led homegroups, organized Sunday school in a new church and continued to do street ministry. Josh and I have also enjoyed preaching at nursing homes. This past summer we worked at a camp for Chronically and terminally ill children.
Josh and I were married on Sept 9, 2008. I now look forward to continuing in every way: pursuing Jesus and the call to minister.
There wasn't very much talk of God in our house although we did attend church a few times when invited. When Jessica and I were twelve years old my mom began attending a small Baptiste church at the end of the country road we lived on. She began attending the Bible study there, but church remained unattractive as my mom brought home materials from her study, and insisted that no one bother her while she completed her work. She seemed to look down on my 'heathen dad' and so the rest of us weren't eager to become Christians.
Jessica and I began thinking about eternity after an intense talk that my mom gave us. The two of us would sometimes attend church with her, and on one of our walks to the service, she told us that if we died tomorrow we would go to Hell and she couldn't stand the thought of it. She told us that she heard the pastor say a prayer for someone that would get them right into Heaven, and he could do the same for us. Jessica and I were more frightened than anything, and we reluctantly met with the pastor, who prayed with us.
As far as I knew Jessica and I just scored a 'get into Heaven free' pass and my education about God didn't go anywhere beyond that. I attempted to read the Bible because something inside of me did change. Suddenly I had an interest in God and I believed that He loved me and that He did want to spend eternity with me. I believed that He did have a purpose for my life, and that I was precious to Him. I read some dialogue from Jesus and didn't understand or even like the things I read, so I ended up tossing my Bible in my backpack, carrying it around school with me but not reading it. My mom continued attending church for a short time, but was kicked out of the choir when refusing to participate in an exercise. Soon her desire to go to church fizzled out.
The death of my meme, was devastating to my mom, sending her into a whirlwind of depression. The next year was an ongoing series of difficulties as my mom withdrew herself from the family.
My mom had developed friendships in chat rooms online. Some people she met online sent her tickets to California, and she decided to take a week-long vacation to visit them. By this time Jessica and I were thirteen years old and my brother was seventeen years old. My dad received an email from my mom, and he called us kids together and read it out loud. In the email she announced that she wasn't coming back. She did visit Windsor the next year and Jessica and I visited her one evening. Since then we haven't seen her.
I went from not knowing my Dad to him being a best friend. We had so much fun together and my family life became very sweet.
When I was fifteen, I contemplated the pointlessness of life as I imagined getting a job, getting married, having kids and dying. I wondered what the point was. Jessica began dating a boy who was a dedicated believer. I also began seeing a boy who was a Christian. I did consider myself a Christian but I realized that I was missing a relationship with God, when I saw how at ease they were. I began attending youth group where I prayed to be close to God. I was filled with absolute joy and relief. I began to understand how Jesus died on the cross and I became baptized in the Holy Spirit and in water. I became involved in my youth group and started a Bible study at school. I poured myself into studying the Bible and reading and listening to whatever teaching I could get a hold of. As soon as I felt close to God, I knew that I was supposed to be in the ministry.
I decided to attend Bible school, and studied for 2 years in St.Catharines at Peter Youngrens's World Impact Bible Institute/Celebarion Bible College. Jessica who also found a great love in Jesus, attended this college. Those years were invaluable to me, as I received foundational new covenant teaching. I felt my spiritual life flourish and my greatest adventures involved street evangelism. Josh was an evangelism leader and I met wonderful friends who loved Jesus, in word and deed. We even had the privilege of starting a church in a group home. Since then I have worked with children from troubled homes, led homegroups, organized Sunday school in a new church and continued to do street ministry. Josh and I have also enjoyed preaching at nursing homes. This past summer we worked at a camp for Chronically and terminally ill children.
Josh and I were married on Sept 9, 2008. I now look forward to continuing in every way: pursuing Jesus and the call to minister.