It’s still hard to talk about my childhood. I was born into a Christian family, one of four children, but I was still very young when my mom died. We never knew our father, and I ended up living with my aunt. Each part of my mother’s family took one of us. Our whole growing up we were apart.
Though God gave me grace–I was by myself, we each were all alone. I was always in church with my Aunt, and I wanted to make a good decision to walk in the church, and I made the decision in 2009.
I still live with my aunt now. She has diabetes and is often sick. She has helped me all she can, but it is I, now, who try to help her.
I know God’s got his eye on the orphans, the Bible makes that clear. When I finished school I asked friends to help me learn a trade, laying ceramic tiles, and I worked.
I was questioning the Lord continually about if, while He cared for the orphans, did He have a plan for my life, too? In that time of waiting and searching, someone came to me and suggested I go into the study of God’s Word.
That really surprised me, because I didn’t have that in my mind AT all. I started to think and pray about it, and eventually I began to realize that even I WANTED to, I had NO way. No helper. No real income. No possibility.
But when I shared what was clearly becoming my calling with my church, there were people there who said they would help me. They told me to move forward by faith. There were men and women I didn’t belong to, who said they’d become a part of His story for me.
That was huge. That led me to boldness and obedience. I knew if I came, God would be helping me, and coming with me.
My cousin had studied at Emmaus, and he told me to go there if I wanted to grow in God’s Word. So…I came. Ever since I was born, God has been driving me and leading me and protecting me.
Since coming, I have been working with two alumni, Pastor Nosebin and his wife, Pastor Phida, at their church plant in Difour. I teach a Sunday school class and help lead worship, and I love working under them and growing by their faithful example.
I LOVE my introduction to the Bible class, and I am learning so much I never knew. I knew the Bible had 66 books and all that, but I sure didn’t know anything about how it all works together, about the history, about the prophets, about the message of each book, the poisition of them, the context. I have SO much to learn and this class has been rich and inspired!
Pray that God would help me be a true shepherd, that I might be a good shepherd for Him!
To be a part of a story like Johnsly’s, please give online here now or send checks payable to Emmaus University to 3170 Airmans Drive Unit 1153-EUH Fort Pierce, FL 34946