Dan's Story
My parents didn't raise me as a Christian. My maternal grandmother was a strong believer and through her prayers I eventually came to faith. It was at her house during summer trips I attended church and heard the Gospel. I went forward during an invitation at vacation Bible school when I was about 7 years old.
My childhood was normal and calm, but my parents divorced when I was 18. This upheaval made me angry and rebellious. I spent the next couple years trying to do all the bad things I had avoided, but I just felt emptier and emptier. I sank into deep depression and almost failed out of college. One day, an old friend invited me to a Baptist Student Union meeting on campus at Arizona State University. I really enjoyed it and I kept coming back to every meeting or Bible study but the friend who invited me never came back. As I began to make better friendships and read the Bible, it brought me to repentance of my rebellious ways. I didn't know if I was a Christian for sure so I decided to take care of it for good. I prayed one Sunday, "Lord, I don't know if I'm a Christian but from this moment on I will follow you as the Lord of my life." I've never doubted it since.
As I grew in faith I had an opportunity to go to Glorieta, NM to work for the summer and take part in a discipleship training program. I met a group of students and leaders from the OU BSU, and I noticed that these kids had a lot more on the ball regarding their walk with the Lord. Whatever the Kool Aid was they were drinking I wanted some of it. One of the leaders from OU started to meet with me a couple times a week showing me how to memorize verses, pray, have a quiet time, share my faith, etc. He also showed me that this is called discipleship and that I should pass it on to other faithful men. The following year I moved to Norman Ok, to get more training. Amy was a student in the OU ministry and when we got married a few years later we committed to each other to make disciples our whole lives.
My childhood was normal and calm, but my parents divorced when I was 18. This upheaval made me angry and rebellious. I spent the next couple years trying to do all the bad things I had avoided, but I just felt emptier and emptier. I sank into deep depression and almost failed out of college. One day, an old friend invited me to a Baptist Student Union meeting on campus at Arizona State University. I really enjoyed it and I kept coming back to every meeting or Bible study but the friend who invited me never came back. As I began to make better friendships and read the Bible, it brought me to repentance of my rebellious ways. I didn't know if I was a Christian for sure so I decided to take care of it for good. I prayed one Sunday, "Lord, I don't know if I'm a Christian but from this moment on I will follow you as the Lord of my life." I've never doubted it since.
As I grew in faith I had an opportunity to go to Glorieta, NM to work for the summer and take part in a discipleship training program. I met a group of students and leaders from the OU BSU, and I noticed that these kids had a lot more on the ball regarding their walk with the Lord. Whatever the Kool Aid was they were drinking I wanted some of it. One of the leaders from OU started to meet with me a couple times a week showing me how to memorize verses, pray, have a quiet time, share my faith, etc. He also showed me that this is called discipleship and that I should pass it on to other faithful men. The following year I moved to Norman Ok, to get more training. Amy was a student in the OU ministry and when we got married a few years later we committed to each other to make disciples our whole lives.
Amy's Story
Sadie's Story
Sadie asked a lot of questions about Jesus and salvation starting when she was very young. Dan would always make car trips when they were alone an intentional time of answering spiritual questions. On April 25, 2015 on the way to school Sadie prayed to accept Jesus in her life. She was baptized in our local church and she has been living for Jesus ever since.