madre

Our Beloved Israel
Uganda Ministry
My Testimony
This is what I call the 30 second version. I have been asked to write books to tell all the amazing details of the stories, but haven't yet found the time.

"How" did I get here? --is a really long story-- My blogs may give some hints, as well as the 'About Us' page on our website. I was saved in 1972 by receiving Jesus as my savior while I was reading a Gideon's Bible. I finally found a church 7 years later. I didn't know anyone that believed in God as I did, reading the Bible daily. God was my personal tutor during that time, with some inputs from the radio occasionally--Keith Green, Sid Roth, J Vernon Magee, etc. But it was the Bible itself that taught me a love for Israel--land and people. I never knew any Jews until I was in my 30's.

In 1983, God told me I would go to Israel. I was in the midst of living on welfare off and on for 15 years at the time so it was a real sacrifice to act on faith and get a passport. It took 19 years before I came to visit Israel the first time. During that time the Lord took me on many journeys, I nearly died when I lost my 4th child at birth, we were homeless, I saw my alcoholic husband gloriously saved, then have a mental breakdown 2 yrs later. I went back to college(God had to twist my arm), ended up with scholarships. Then more ups and downs and another failed marriage. Finally in 1993 I was established successfully in software telecommunications industry, which crashed in 2000-2001--so did my marriage. I began again, helped with a startup company, lived marketplace ministry to corporate America, besides raising 4 awesome God fearing/loving kids(one a genius and in special ed)...

All the while I was holding on to that passport--I had to renew it when it expired. I bought a house, shared it with visiting missionaries, giving them a car to use as well. In 2001, 2 of my sons joined the US Army. I was disabled with virtigo, then healed. Then in 2002, the Lord opened the door and I came to Israel as an intercessor--twice. I was able to visit again in 2003 and 2004--God miraculously gave me time off from work-with pay! My job was even working in partnership with Israeli companies. In 2004, my daughter gave me my first grandchild, and I met my current husband, former a pastor from CA(born in OK) living in Jerusalem. God did some more amazing things and we were married 5/5/2005 in Jerusalem, 3 wks later we began our ministry to the nations in Lugazi, Uganda. Meanwhile my 2 sons were discharged from the Army, one has served in Iraq for a year. And the 3rd son graduated from High School.

Today we volunteer on staff at a Christian church in Jerusalem, and volunteer with BGEA in New Orleans. I must add that it is all only by the grace of God that I am alive and working for the Kingdom of God, and He gets all the glory. My head spins thinking about it all, who am I? A farm girl from a tiny town in upstate NY, snow country, now called "mama" by hundreds of Africans, and a mother in Israel by Jewish and Gentile believers here in the Holy Land--with friends all over the world. But still Father God's little girl...