Landon’s Testimony and Call to Missions
At five years old I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior
in April of 1985 at South Hills Baptist Church. A missionary
with Word of Life Ministries was speaking that Sunday. For some
reason it all seemed to become clear that day what I needed to
do. Van Nelson led me through the Romans Road that morning. I
accepted Christ and the next month I was baptized. My parents
were always very active in our local church, especially in the
youth programs. We were at church every time the doors were
open; on Sundays, Wednesdays and the occasional revival or
mission’s conference.
By the fifth grade I was enrolled in a Christian school. I was
afforded all the opportunities that a young evangelical
Christian teenager needed to develop into a man after God’s own
heart. However, as I advanced in my teen years I began loosing
interest in the things of the Lord. I became more consumed with
pleasing my friends and increasing my social status than serving
an Almighty God. I continued on this path until these
distractions were removed as I attended my very first year of
secondary education at Pensacola Christian College.
Throughout my first year of school, the Lord started showing me
areas of my life that needed drastic improvements and in some
cases complete overhauls. After I began receiving credits for an
engineering degree, the burden was put on my heart for full time
service. I was singing in the choir at Marcus Pointe Baptist
Church for the funeral of Veronica and Charity Bowers when the
realization hit me that someone needed to replace them in South
America. Brushing it off as a guilt trip, I kept working towards
an engineering degree. Working full-time and going to school
full-time with a wife and son at age 20, I didn’t have much time
for Christian service or free-time. I received my degree in 2001
at age 21 and then quickly pursued a career as a project manager
in mechanical construction.
At this time I became heavily involved in working with the youth
ministry at my home church in Raleigh, NC. The Lord continued
to work on my heart about going into full time service but I
just wasn’t sure what he was calling me to do. My wife and I
began talking about this extensively and the discussion was
brought up regarding being missionaries. At this time my wife
informed me she was also praying about a burden for full time
missionary service. Through much prayer, fasting, and wise
council it became apparent the Lord wanted us to serve in
Brazil. We publicly declared the Holy Spirit’s call to serve as
missionaries in March of 2003 at our home church, Faith Baptist
in Knightdale, NC. I have been studying and preparing since that
time.
We will be starting deputation in February of 2005 and with much
prayer and hard work we will be on the field in the spring of
2006. Most importantly we covet your prayers for we know that
the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.”(James 5:16)
