nlr.aboutus

By Way of Introduction:
We'd like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves to you. We're John and Carol Wassell. As of July 2009 we will have been very happily married for 38 years. We're grateful that the Lord in His love and mercy brought us together and that for the past 34 years we've been able to serve the Lord together. We'd like to share our personal salvation experiences with you.

Carol's life history in short form:
Your time is a valuable commodity so I'm purposing to be brief yet still cover what I feel are the important points. Though for the first nine years of my live I lived with an alcoholic father, both my parents came from a Christian background. My dad's family came from a long line of Mennonites and so I was raised conscious of fact that family was important. The years following my dad's abstinence from alcohol were great. My mother has always loved and protected me and saw to it that I went to Sunday school from a very early age. This strongly contributed to my salvation experience at the age of five. Some would question this, however, I can still clearly recall the first time I asked Jesus to come into my life. From that day on I have never denied my faith in Christ, not that I have always lived a spiritually devoted life.

During my mid to late teen years I'm sure no one would have known I was a Christian! The intimacy of my relationship with Jesus had grown cold. It was in this state that I met, fell in love with and married my husband, John. It was a story book romance! We fell in love and to this day our love is as alive as ever.

My journey back into an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord started with the birth of our first child. It didn't go well and was serious. They gave us no hope that our son would be normal. Next two years saw me stepping ever closer to the Lord. I started listing to Christian radio broad casting, reading my Bible, praying and eventually going to church.

One of the major factors that influenced my turning back to God was the concern I had regarding John's (my husband) none Christian influence upon our new family. Though John always treated me with love I could see trouble coming. I was greatly concerned. This concern brought me to earnest prayer for John's salvation. I knew I had do wrong by not marrying a Christian. My very godly grandmother had tried to warn me of this but I just wasn't hearing it. I loved this man and wanted to marry him and did. What could I do now? I could now see from God's word that I had not done the right, but how could I correct this? I went to the Lord with this and in all sincerity repented of my personal disobedience, asking forgiveness and pleaded with Him for John's salvation.

When our first child (Luke) was two years old I wanted to have him dedicated to Lord. John was not opposed to this. Shortly after this John accompanied me to a Sunday evening church service. The message preached that night was clear regarding peoples need of a Savior and that Jesus had come to save people from the penalty of their sins. When the preacher gave the opportunity for people to respond to the message John went forward and their received Jesus Christ as His personal Savior. What some had that was an impossibly had happened, my husband had repented of his sins and had personally accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior. From here on things would change for us, and they did.

John's salvation experience was quite dramatic and resulted in some immediate changes. He was strongly committed to following the Lord and as a result wanted to learn as much as He could about His Savior as soon as he could. Six months latter we had left our welding business and were off to Bible College. This marked a change in life's direction for us which resulted in us pursuing full time Christian ministry which over the years has led us to various placing in different accepts of Gospel work.

I would like to say in all honesty that life for us as a family has not been without it's trials but I can also say that over the years God has always proven Himself to be absolutely faithful to His Word. I have experienced many changes in my own life over the years as the power of God continues to transform my life, making it more like Jesus. With all honest I must say that I am grateful for God's love and personal care of me and my family. He's an awesome God, worthy to be loved and served with all my heart. Thank you for time and God bless you.

John's life history in short form:
Well, some of Carol's story tells some of mine but I'll tell you mine life history from my perspective. To start with I want to say that my sole purpose in telling you my story is so you can hear the truth about God's saving power in the life of one sinner. Unlike Carol I was not raised in a family situation with any Christian influence! As I look back on my life as a child I think the most accurate way to describe it would be dysfunctional. I was sociably acceptable but I was definitely dysfunctional.

I grew up in a home environment that was argumentative and alcoholic. I'm sure that both my parents loved me, but these people had both been involved in the II World War which I believe left them scared people. I grew up fighting and unknown to me there was a war raging deep within my soul. I simply couldn't understand life. I didn't know what it was about or where it was I was going. I was successful at what I purposed but was always frustrated and angry. I lived with a strange internal intensity that I was unable identify.

The best human thing that has ever happened to me occurred when I met Carol. She just seemed to bring something with her into my life. I loved her then and I love now! The best unhuman and supernatural thing to ever happen in my life occurred the night I repented of my sins and received Jesus as my personal Savior. That's the night peace came into my life. That's the night when everything seemed to finally make some sense to me. That's the night I got purpose, meaning and direction for life. Maybe I'll just share with you the events that lead up to this incredible life changing experience.

After we had our first child and started our own welding and heavy equipment repair shop I found that even though all was well in the family and the business I was restless inside. I was doing what I wanted in life but still there was this deep inner frustration and eruptions of anger. Inside I wasn't happy, I still lacked purpose and direction and I had no idea what my problem was.

I needed God but didn't know it, then suddenly God brought something into my life that arrested my soul. One early morning as I enter my workplace I heard these words, and at the time they were audible, "This day I could require your soul of you"! I mention this for no other reason than, this is the way it happened! It's my personal experience! I can't deny it! To do so would be lying to you! This voice arrested me. I wasn't afraid to die but what I was afraid of was, my plans for my son to one day take over the business wouldn't be realized. There wouldn't enough time. This really got me thinking and searching for the truth. Was Carol's God of the Bible real? I was self made! I had fought my way through life and I needed no one! But what was behind these word's? Whose voice had spoken so authoritatively and clear? I needed to to know! I needed to find out the truth! My search started!

It was during this time that Carol had been in prayer for me and that she had wanted our son, Luke dedicated. I had never opposed Carol's religious beliefs but strangely had encouraged her to live what she believed. She was wanting to dedicate Luke to God and asked if I would come to church with her for this. I loved her and did not want to hurt her in any way and if this is what she wanted to do that was fine by be. I could see any harm in it because I was an unbeliever anyway!

It was the evening following the dedication service that found me were a few weeks ago a team of horses would never have been able to drag me. You know, the fellow preaching that night was the same minister that I had run off our property when he had come to share Christ with me. At the time I wasn't interested in his God. Now it different! I was wanting to find the truth! I was wanting to find who it was that had spoken into my heart that morning in the shop. The Gospel, the good news, that there was forgiveness of sins for me through the Lord Jesus Christ was preached that night. I clearly understood that I was a sinner in need of being saved and that Jesus had died on the cross to pay the ransom for my sin sick soul. When the preaching gave the opportunity to come to Christ I responded immediately. It seemed to me that I ran to that place of prayer. There I confessed to God that I was sinner, that I offended Him, and that I believed Jesus died for me. As I was in deep repentance, the tears flowing as I wept because of the many things I had done in offense to God, as suddenly as I heard the voice of God in my shop that morning I now was free! It seemed as though a great load was lifted off my soul and I was now experiencing such incredible peace.

I was "Born Again" that night, February, 1975. From that moment changes started taking place in my life, some immediate some over time. This I know as do those who knew me before, I'm a change person! I must tell you that the changes all of which are good have happened through the grace, love and power of God. I'm thankful for the events of that night. I'm thankful Jesus died for and that He was willing to forgive and receive me into His eternal kingdom.

I want to conclude by saying to you that Jesus works for me. Life has not always been an easy road for us since turning my life fully over to the Lord. But God is faithful to His Word. Never has He let us down! Never has He failed us! God is who He says He is in the Bible and does all He says He will do.

John & Carol Wassell

May 2009