A little about who I am …
The only way to get the full story is through a personal sit down, but I can give you the super-condensed, but non-deprived of juicy details testimony that will help you, my supporters and blog onlookers, get a chance to know who I am a little better. I have shared my testimony numerous times, and it never gets old; it defines me and who God made me to be. From the beginning: My parents divorced before I was two years old, but I gained an awesome step-dad who proved to be more of a man and father than my real-dad could ever dream if being. My real-dad told me later at about the age of twelve that he was gay. His lifestyle choice was a source of joke-making at school and even church. I grew up in southeast Texas in a city called Lumberton. I have an older step-sister, an older adopted brother, an older real brother, and a younger half-sister; quite the smorgasbord right? My mom and step-father (who I will call dad) raised me and my siblings in a typical conservative, southern church. I was always involved in activities within the church such as youth, and choir. One summer, I went to a pre-teen camp at thirteen years old, and came back on a spiritual high where I “got saved” by walking down the aisle. Before I go on, I need to tell you that I really didn’t commit my life to the Way, but I was simply on a spiritual fever from camp and thought I knew what I had done. Nevertheless, I thought I was saved, but I wasn’t. I basically grew up in the church continually being involved with church activities thinking I had it together…little did I know there is so much more to following Jesus, to being committed to His call.
High school rolled around and it only brought an inappropriate relationship combined with a party atmosphere. I played several sports, so the party scene was grafted in easily. This is when I slowly began drifting from church and from God. I graduated in 2006, and moved off to college in central Texas. The window of opportunities eh? That cliché was right. It was the window for more drinking, more partying, more drugs, more inappropriate relationships with girls, more “fun” (so I thought), more bad decisions, and more of my life swirling down a figurative toilet bowl in a clockwise fashion (western hemisphere). In college, I played for the rugby team which only added more flushing power to the aforementioned toilet. Throughout the first years of college, I totally ignored God. I did not attend church, did not read His word, and I felt no conviction for what I was doing (that’s a scary thought isn’t it?). I ended up crushing my foot in a tournament one weekend, and came back home to have multiple surgeries on my foot while also having a small benign tumor removed from my face. You think I would have cleaned up my act by coming home right? Wrong. Once again, I was involved in a very inappropriate relationship with a girl, and I was drinking more than ever.
This is where the story gets good. Halloween night of 2008. Get ready for this; it’s so awesome. I was at the club with several friends, wearing the most ridiculous costume/outfit ever (I am telling you this to give you the full impact). From a pair of older, heavily bleached and torn jeans I fashioned a pair of ridiculously short shorts. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt, cut above the belly button that read “natural by day and nasty by night” on the back. I had a blonde mullet wig on and a hat that had a dial on it reading various measurements from “sober”, to “Drunk” and “Irish”. You get the picture. Now imagine me at the club wearing this. By this point in my life, I was depressed. I had hit an all time low. I was drinking a few beers, chilling off the dance floor, and something hit me like a brick in the face. I hadn’t been to church, I hadn’t talked with anyone, I hadn’t read my bible in a very long time…why was I all the sudden feeling convicted. In my head there was an instant battle saying.. “Hunter…you are meant for better. You are meant for something deeper. You are better than this. Hunter…you are meant for better!” As I drove home drunk that night, I almost made it home, but the tears were flooding my eyes so I had to pull over. Not far from my house, early in the morning (still tipsy), I cried my heart out to God. Tears of pain and sorrow were followed by an immediate flood of joy; an instant hope that God can restore what has been broken for so long. God called me that night, the Holy spirit was the brick in my face, and Jesus was the Savior that washed me clean. It was a night for the record books (or should I say the Lamb’s book of life).
More than two years later, I have not fallen back to the elementary principles of the world. I’ve been sold out, and have experienced amazing growth. God gave me amazing, Godly friends. I attend a once a week bible study that has challenged me, and caused me to dive deeper into the person God wants me to be to help him save the world. I joined an amazing church in a bad part of town. My church is based on outreach. We love to pour into the neighborhood via corner side meals, and grocery/clothes hand outs where the love of Jesus surpasses cold/hot weather, and broken lives. My pastor has shoved me into new arenas of ministry that I never dreamed of. On Wednesday nights at the church, I teach the little kids, ages 5ish to 11. They are amazing, hilarious, and under-appreciated for their potential. I play the bass, and sing on the worship team. I have had several opportunities to speak, preach, and teach not only at my church, but other local churches in my area. I am a part of the leadership to for First Tuesday (First Tuesday shout out). First Tuesday is a once a month college ministry where an average from 80 to 100 people attend. Recently, a guy friend and I started a guy’s bible study with our close friends which will help us be the men and leaders God wants us to be. I have ventured on a few mission trips including water well drilling in Atoyac, Mexico to spending a blessed month in the slums of Kenya. I tell you all these things to show the fruit in my life. It’s not what I do, but my constant involvement is proof if my continual commitment.
Finally, I am not a loose Christian. Abhorring evil, I strive to be perfect like Christ knowing that I will not achieve it, but will continue to press on. I came out of drunkenness, sexual immorality, loose and profane language, drug use, and all the other things that weighed me down forcing me into sin’s shackles. You will never see or hear of me engaging in these things. I strive to be holy in all my conduct, because God who loved me, even though I was a drunken idiot, is holy (1 Peter 1:14). This is the person you are supporting. Someone who is sold out, giving his life fully to He who has called me. God has placed a call on my life for missions. More specifically I feel led to enter medical missions. The world race will help me see the suffering and hurting world that is thirsty for the knowledge of Christ which we ungrateful Americans take for advantage. The world is yearning for Him, crying for Him, and dying for Him. Help me help them.
