These past two weeks in Pestere, Romania has been awesome. We are partnering with a ministry that hosts churches for conferences and children for Christian summer camps. We’ve been helping construct a new dormitory building for the kiddos with a man who lives in the states. I want you all to meet my new friend, John Munsinger. I’ve only served alongside this man for less than one week, but I felt like we’ve been friends for way longer. I met him here in Pestere, Romania in this ministry we are serving for called Apa Vie. John is a 54-year-old white American man who grew up in Queens, New York and is now settled in Westchester County, NY. He owns his own business as a professional carpenter, but he also uses his unique skills to serve alongside ministries in different countries about 4-5 times a year. He’s just a regular funny guy, but he has an extraordinary story of how he’s gone through brokenness with drugs and yet found a love that has changed his life to make a difference globally.
The reason why I wanted to dedicate this blog post to John Munsinger, who I’ve only spent time with for 6ish days, is because I’ve been traveling and serving different countries these past 8 months meeting incredible humans who follow Jesus, and these people are changing my perspective of life and of who God really is. But, I’ve been getting nervous about going home. What if I go back in my comfort zone, get stagnant or culture shocked? How am I supposed to really explain my experience of the world race to people back home? Will they think I’m crazy? Will they be able to relate to my experience with God around the world?
Yet, I met John, who reminds me a lot of my friends and family, and he’s given me hope. He has this powerful influence that gathers everyone in the room to feel calm, joyful, smile and laugh. On top of this, he is also a hard-working, creative, detailed and focused carpenter passionately working for God by using his hard earned paychecks from his own business to do missionary trips around the world. The more he did it, however, the more people began to financially support him on these trips. Thankfully, he too has financially supporters sending him to different countries to serve around the world. He’s also a great story teller. He’s super open to share about his past with drugs, his thoughts on life, and at the same time very encouraging and inspiring. So I asked if I can interview him to share with you all. Below is a conversation I had with him as I typed his answers.
–John, can you tell us about your past and how you eventually started following Jesus?
Well I grew up in a Christian home. I was always told it was the right way, but I didn’t understand why. So I ran away from that lifestyle at the age of 13, where I started smoking marijuana. At the age of 15, I started doing snorting coke, then started smoking crack at age 20 for the next 12 years. I fooled around a little bit with heroin, but I did not like it. Through that time, I was taught how to build my own carpentry business, and worked for myself. I would work all day and party all night. Through that time, I remembered God was always pursuing me. I knew it was God because I felt my conscience saying “this is wrong,” but I kept doing it anyway. I lost a lot of friends due to not following through on commitments or not being intentional with them. I kept doing it until a friend eventually led me back to church, and I remember asking them to pray for me. They prayed for me about once a week. Until finally, someone confronted me about not changing for myself, and she was right. I eventually took it seriously and slowly weaned myself off it until I got tired of it.
Can you share more about what you do on these missionary trips?I
‘ve been traveling for the last 26 years doing missions work by using my construction skills to construct houses, orphanages, churches, safehouses for saved victims of human trafficking, bathrooms, or to refurbish old houses. I have also have done other projects – like plant trees, speak at churches and do VBS (teach the Bible to children). Some of the trips I’ve done were in the states, or in other countries like: Haiti, Mexico, Kenya, in the jungles of Nicaragua, and so many other countries.
What drives you to do missions?
Compassion. See, I grew up as a white guy in NYC. I am one of 7 children whose family owned a summer home and boats. I am very grateful for my childhood and family.
But when I went to Nicaragua, no one had anything. I have nothing to complain about. If I can construct a church or some houses or an orphanage for a family or community, that’s the least I can do. God has given me the gift to empathize that drives to me to serve others.
Do you feel you are living God’s calling for yourself?
In some ways I believe I am, but as a human, I feel like I fall short of God. My anger, frustration can get to me. Everyone knows I am a Christian, like at the deli or the lumbar yard, but I don’t know if I represent my God everywhere I go. I’m critical of myself. I want to make sure what I do is not a sense of pride. I always tell God, “Lord, if this missions is not of you, then please end it.” I also told God that if he wants me to do a missionary trip, then I want people to come up to me and ask me to go. Every trip I’ve ever want on has been someone asking me to go.
At home, you also volunteer at your church as a youth leader. Can you explain more about why you do that?
I have been serving there for the last 26 years. Why? It is pure joy. I love every child I get to lead, guide, and build a relationship with. I get excited when they want to spend time with me or they greet me with big hugs. We meet once a week to do Bible studies, worship, and activities to help them grow closer to God.
Do you have any advice for anyone trying to live life for those who are younger than you?
Yes. Life is short; it’s not a joke. So don’t give yourself a reason to look back at your life and think: “Oh how I’ve wasted time.” Partying is fun, but it is better to give than to receive. Learn to trust God and help people. So volunteer, or if you do things for yourself, then be productive and learn a language or learn an instrument.
So this is a little bit about John. He’s not only naturally funny, but he has a kind gentle soul who is not ashamed to cry during a prayer, a story, a movie or a song. He has a compassionate, passionate heart who is very considerate and inclusive of everyone around him. He has a past, but his past doesn’t define who is now nor how he lives this life with and for God and for God’s people around the world.
It was an honor meeting you John. Thanks for the laughs, a reminder of home and inspiration that when I go home, I too can be someone living in the states still doing God’s work.
