|
The Tsoukalases
Jimmy's Testimony
I was born in Astoria, New York to first generation Greek immigrants. I grew up attending the Greek Orthodox church without an interpreter. Because I had no understanding of the Bible, I became an atheist until I graduated high school.
At the end of my first year at college in NTID/RIT, I was led to Christ by my friend, who had been praying for me and witnessing to me since high school. On May 11, 1989 I came to that friend and asked him how could I become a Christian? He explained the simple plan of salvation and I realized that what he showed me from the Bible was what I needed. So, with my heart pounding, I received Christ as my Savior. It was the greatest moment of my life.
Through a preaching event in the Deaf ministry, a guest speaker touched my heart to surrender to serve the Lord full time. I realized when he explained the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers few, that God was asking me to go into the harvest. After that time, I entered the Bible Institute to prepare myself for the ministry, whatever God would have me to do.
At the BIMI Deaf camp, in the summer of 1994, the theme was "Mission Possible". During the week they emphasized world missions for the single and college age group. They showed a video of the needs people had in Romania, and the Lord pricked my heart. I surrendered to serve Him as a missionary wherever He would lead me. I have met several international students from RIT who were from Africa, and the Lord used them to touch my heart for Africa. I really began to think about Africa and the needs there when I met a deaf African man who was zealous to serve the Lord. He begged me to be a missionary in his home country of Ghana. Then I started to fervently pray about Africa.
Dennis Anderson came to preach in our deaf ministry, and shared the needs of the deaf in Botswana. That they had no one to reach them, and no missionaries, deaf or hearing, focusing on just them. That really burdened my heart, and I earnestly began to pray if the Lord would have me to go to Botswana. Then through the scriptures the Lord solidified it. In Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus was moved with compassion on the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord told me I was to go and be a shepherd to the lost deaf in Botswana Top.
Julie's Testimony
I was raised in a Christian home, and thought I was saved at the age of seven, after making a profession in AWANA. Through my life I struggled with doubting my salvation. This past summer, July 20, 2004 I was saved after the Lord showed me I had lacked repentance. To read my full salvation testimony, click here...
When I was a teenager, my sister and I went on our first mission trip to NYC. It was a very humbling experience for me. I never thought that I grew up really sheltered from the world, but I realized just how much on that trip. I had some wonderful growing experiences, and challenges, and faced the oppression of Satan more than I ever had in my life before that point. As I watched the people of that city, and their need for Jesus, especially the children, I felt the Lord telling me this is what He would have me do with my life. I surrendered to full-time ministry at age 18. Though at the time I was thinking it would be for children's evangelism. Little did I know the Lord had other plans.
At the age of 19 I decided I needed to go to Bible college. After visiting FBBC, I thought there could be no better place for me. So, two weeks after my visit, I moved! I became involved with the singles ministry, and one afternoon at our picnic, the teens came and shared their experiences from a missions trip to Zambia, Africa. I remember sitting there listening to them tell how the deaf there have little or no help, and I felt this hot tugging in my heart. I kept looking around to see if anyone else was as uncomfortable as me, but I couldn't tell. This was my call to missions. I didn't even know sign language, but the Lord knew I would learn.
A few years later, the Lord brought Jimmy and me together. We began to pray about where the Lord would have us go as missionaries, and try as we might, we couldn't avoid Botswana. We said "But Lord, they have an established Bible Institute in South Africa. Couldn't we go there? Lord, the deaf really need help in Zambia, couldn't we go there?" Then the Lord told us the deaf in Botswana had no one. So we surrendered. Praise God He shows us where we need to go and in His perfect timing!
|
