How Do You Turn a Meteorologist into a Missionary? Part 2

So after coming to Christ, I started considering what to do with this newfound relationship. I asked Karen what to read in the Bible. She said "Mark", and I read it in a day. I asked her what next and she said "Romans", and I read it in a day. It was at that moment that she introduced me to Chris. Chris and I would spend time each week reading through Luke, pausing to discuss or answer questions along the way. That would be my foundation of how to study the Bible and pray.

I learned the importance of Scripture memory as well. The first passage I memorized was James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds. For the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." I had taken a Bible class my Freshman year for which I had bought a Bible. I marked the James passage, and over the next couple years marked more and more as I sought to discern what I should do. I eventually replaced that Bible, as the binding eventually broke.

About a year after coming to Christ, I went to the Urbana missions conference in 1990. I went there not knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I went to as many booths as I thought feasible, looking for ways to use my impending meteorology degree in God's service. I left with a better understanding of missions and a ton of books, but no clear path for how to serve. Of course, someone else might have taken that as a sign to change majors. But remember, I was stubborn.

After graduation, the jobs that I thought were perfect for me turned me down. I stayed in Tallahassee and had a series of part-time and temp jobs as I tried to discern my next move. I decided to consider some type of full time ministry, which meant a need for Bible college. I made visits to Atlanta Christian College and Florida Christian College, two of the closer schools to Tallahassee. Florida Christian College seemed to be a better fit, and I decided to go there in the Fall. It was a decision that would shape the rest of my life.