Inspiring Convert Story-17
"God's purpose for keeping me
alive"
By Raymond D. Harper
Canton, Illinois, U.S.A.
DURING MY YOUNGER YEARS, I didn't think much about
whether or not there was a God. I was born on October 26,1947 in
Canton, a small town 'in Illinois, USA. My father was a carpenter
and farmer, and my mother was a nurse aide. I had four brothers and
a sister. We didn't go to any worship services. Sunday was just
another work day.
Two months before my 17th birthday, I joined the
United States Marine Corps. Eventually, I was assigned the MOS of
0331 (M60 Machine Gunner) and was sent to Vietnam. While in Vietnam,
I was captured.
One night, after having been beaten severely, I
was thrown into a cage in a rice paddy. I had given up hope and was
thinking that if I just put my face in the water and breathe in I
would die and not be hurt anymore. But at that exact time, I had a
strange feeling and a surge of inner strength to have more patience
to withstand my ordeal for some reason.
That incident somehow made me believe that there must be a God and
He had a purpose for keeping me alive. That made me want to know
more about God.
When I returned to the United States,
I started attending the worship
services of a number of churches. I attended the Catholic, Baptist,
Lutheran, Methodist, and other services but with
no satisfaction. A cousin of mine had become a Pentecostal minister
and had his own church. My mother had joined his church and asked me
to also join. I went to the services with her and was baptized, but
I still wasn't satisfied. There were just too many questions not
answered.
Later, my wife and I got a divorce. I was back to
being single, lost and lonely, and still hadn't found what I was
looking for. I surfed the Internet and met many people. Most of
them, sad to say, were just hanging out to have fun and were not
serious.
On January 3, 2004, I chanced upon someone from
the Philippines who seemed to know what I was looking for,
prompting me to visit that foreign country. I arrived in the
Philippines on September 6,
2004 and started going to the worship services of the Church of
Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo). I asked to undergo study on the Church's
doctrines, so I could become a member. At first, I thought it would
be like all the other churches I had gone to. Then I met Brother Del
Gibson, a deacon, who eventually became my overseer. He introduced
me to their resident evangelical worker who taught me the biblical
doctrines.
.As I progressed in learning about the Church's
teachings, many of my questions were answered. The evangelical
worker wouldn't only explain things to me but would show me the
proof written in the Bible. My cousin, the Pentecostal minister,
hadn't done that. I was beginning to have different thoughts about
the Church of Christ. I finished instruction in biblical doctrines
and was eventually baptized on February 19, 2005. My mind and heart
have finally been satisfied with the teachings in the Church of
Christ, the only true Church.
___________________
Source: May 2010, God's Message, p.37