The ways of the world seemed better than pleasing God. I continued to go to church on Sunday, and even after I married, I made sure that my children were in church. There was no outward reflection that I knew the Lord. My Christianity had become a well-kept secret and I was what I call “a closet Christian”, jumping out on Sundays and back in on Mondays.

In the spring of 1990 things changed. I was in Atlanta, Georgia at Emory Hospital and my brother was dying and in desperate need of a liver transplant. My brother’s condition was critical and his body was frail. Just before the surgery, I talked to his doctor. I was told that my brother may not make it through the 22-hour surgery and his only hope was to pray for him. Except for saying a blessing before a meal, it had been 25 years since I had talked to God.

Outside, alone in the back of my father’s van, I cried out to God to save my brother’s life. It was at that moment that I totally submitted my life to the Lord and committed to do the things that pleased God. I don’t believe that God made my brother ill for me to get myself right with Him, but it took that tragic incident to make me realize that I needed Christ first and foremost in my life.

I committed from that day forward to live a God-focused life. Not a day goes by that I do not praise God’s Holy Name and hardly a week goes by that I don’t talk to my brother or see him whenever I can.

God saved my brother’s life that day and gave me a new life worth living. Because of God’s mercy and grace, He has allowed me to be involved in things I would have never imagined.

Starting in 1997, with a mission trip to Uganda, Africa, my love for missions was birthed. In April 2004, in obedience to God, I “gave away” a prosperous transportation business in Atlanta and answered a full-time missions call from God for the country of India. And by the way, to this day my brother is doing well and he brother and his wife have already been on a trip to India with us. Praise and Glory to the Name of Jesus!