I was born into a family struggling to keep themselves together, a family that eventually lost its grip upon itself. My life thereafter was deeply affected by this rift in the family, and many of areas of growth that should’ve matured remained stunted or even misdirected. My life was incredibly hard. I had no real purpose, no God to love, no life to live.

My struggle persisted throughout my childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood. I entered college as a dejected, miserable, and sad young man. I hated the world and wanted everyone to know it. Although I didn’t know it then, I wanted–needed–love and purpose, but all I had was isolation and meaninglessness.

The pain I was shouldering reached a weight that I could no longer bear, it was too heavy to continue carrying. For the first time, from the bottommost rock I sat upon, I cried out to God. He heard my cry. As the old story goes, after I encountered the living God, my entire life changed. As I sought Him, He sought me the more.

I made friends–real, loving friends–I grew in virtue, I finally found my major in college, philosophy, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Akron, I went to places I never could have, I met FOCUS missionaries, I got engaged! In seeing all that Jesus Christ did for me, I was moved to do all I could for Him. I asked Him what He would have me do, and He told me go love others as He had loved to me–He told me to become a missionary!