I often say I have been a christian since conception, because my parents are both christians. Just like my United States citizenship comes from my parents. Being christian is just what we do. I was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where my parents were missionaries, from 1974-1976. So I had my first birthday in ‘the states’. Thirty-one years ago.
I have lived in, or at least been able to receive mail in, Wilmington, MA (20 mi. nw of Boston), for 30 years. I actually vaguely remember accepting Jesus as my savior, with my older brother (chris), when I was four years old. We prayed to accept Jesus as soon as my parents felt we were old enough to understand what we were doing. So I don’t remember there ever being a time in my life where I doubted Jesus, although following Jesus and keeping him on the throne and me off of it is a battle that I’m not too sure even many ‘good’ life long christians actually get. I would say the title of “Good Christian”, would not always apply to me, and even now when one of my clients said I was a good “church guy”, I wasn’t sure how to take it.
I am ‘lucky’ that God brought Linnea and I together (I definitely married up). It is easy to remember the date of our wedding because our English Mastiff, Sequoia, was born 3 days after on June 7, 2005.
I managed to get a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, cramming my studies into 7 years. I say that shows true perseverance, 2 years at Falwell’s Liberty University, then 5 at UMASS in Lowell.
I have payed my bills through the years with a moving company for 9 years and have been a personal trainer for 5 years.
Exercise has always been my passion, I remember getting my first 5lb. cast iron dumbell when I was very young, and since then have always loved physical challenges. I played football for 9 years, finally quitting when I realized I was too short, and too flat-footed (I run like a duck) to play further. I wrestled (poorly) in high school, and even spent a couple years training and dreaming of fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, until I realized I don’t like getting hit. I then spent a few months hiking the Appalachian Trail and hitchhiked home from Virginia when I ran out of money. That was when I went on my first missions trip to Tijuana with a group from my church (Wilmington First Baptist) through YWAM, which was an incredible and life changing experience. I would say it was the first time in my life I actually experienced what I believe God wants from His Bride. It was the first time I saw the real power of people serving God, and not just arguing over a budget. I saw lives changed. I came home and worked at a Christian camp in Maine (New England Frontier Camp), for the next 3 summers. During that time I trained and competed in some amateur strongman competitions, which was fun, but not fulfilling, and really beat me up.
Since that first mountain top experience in Tijuana I have gone on four more short term mission trips (Guyana 2x, and New York with Group work camps, and this past april to New Orleans, where I first heard about AIM.) It seems like life is all about the ups and downs, one mountain top after another following God, but the valleys and ups and downs really suck. I have learned this is where character is built and it is always worth pressing on, because God always has something for us next. I looked into other missions organizations through the years, but could never buy into their vision. After going to New Orleans, I came back and found this web site, I thought this organization(?) looked interesting, and was only half serious when I told my wife about the World Race. Since then, after doing more research, reading the blogs and some of Seth’s stuff, I felt this was a place where God could use me (finally a ‘fit’?). So now if I don’t get overwhelmed with all the preparation and computer stuff, trust God, and see what He will do when we let Him, I expect this to be not only a life style change, or life changing experience, but I expect who I am to be changed.
