My name is Andrew Justin Wagoner, but I go by A.J. I am from Eustis, FL and have lived here since I was in 1st grade. I accepted Christ back in 9th grade, around 2000, after going to Acquire the Fire in St. Petersburg, FL. Since that time I have gone through the rollercoaster of life trying to decipher God’s will for me and constantly trying to not screw things up, even though I do anyway. I graduated from Eustis High School in 2004 and then I went to college at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics.
I attempted to live in St. Augustine for awhile after I graduated and basically survived because of God’s infinite kindness providing for me. However, in July 2009, I ended up having to come back home full-time after a horrible break-up and the lack of a job. The break-up cast me into darkness for quite some time and I didn’t know what to do. I forgive her and love her still to this day. Through that experience and because of it, I will constantly praise God for everything that occurred. I know why things had to happen the way they did and I am a stronger man because of them. I felt God calling me out of the state, so I went with my cousin to his grandfather’s farm in Louisiana for two months to work and allow God to heal me physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It was an amazing adventure.
When we got home, right before Thanksgiving, I spent time getting things in order to attend UCF for grad school towards a Masters in Nonprofit Management. Doors opened up for me to have the semester paid for by me becoming a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) with the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management (CPNM) where I was to get a chance to work with nonprofit organizations helping them build capacity. Unfortunately, due to me not having a working car (I have a 1988 Lincoln Continental dubbed the Decepitcon) and other circumstances, they let me go mid-March from the GRA position. I got to finish the semester in my classes, but did not receive any other payments. At first I was confused, then I started asking God why that door would close. He answered. He pointed me to the fact that through one of my classes I had to do a case statement for an NPO and I chose Camp Boggy Creek out here by me to begin with; however, someone already did one and posted it, so I had to go back to the drawing board and I decided on Campus Crusade for Christ International. A good fit because I was apart of Crusade while at Flagler. During the writing I learned of their program Athletes in Action and so once everything went down and I was frantic to find which way to turn, I looked into it. God though in His infinite wisdom led me somewhere else.
Throughout the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, I learned of The World Race from my friend Sara Hansen up in St. Augustine who had signed up for the July 2010 Race and was raising support. As I prayed about where God was leading me, He told me to look into The World Race and so I did that, applied and after two anxious weeks got accepted for the October Race. I am indeed blessed to be able to have this opportunity that I believe God will use to help build me into the man He desires me to be.
Anyway, this is A.J. Wagoner in a nutshell…”Help, Help! I’m in a nutshell!” Lol, sorry couldn’t resist! 😀
Love you all! Jeremiah 29:11.
