When I was 18 and fresh out of high school, I joined the Army. I come from a family of servicemen, so it seemed like a next step to take in my life. I enlisted in 1999… I was a young woman who was excited to share the gospel in a way I hadn’t before—by being a light in a tough environment. I was a happy person, so even in the midst of basic training when some of my buddies were having a hard time, I was the girl laughing and trying to make the best of things. I was different because of God, and it showed.
Unfortunately, just three months in, I experienced a traumatic, life-changing event that left me questioning why God had left me alone in my darkest hour. I grew up in a church where I was focused on a checklist, and in my mind, I had been doing all the right things: daily devotionals, prayer, helping others, and leading others to Christ, including three of my Army friends… Why didn’t God protect me when I needed Him most? I was so mad at Him, and for a few years, I didn’t want to be anywhere near Him.
Thankfully, a couple of years later and after taking many hard steps towards forgiving my offenders, I found my way back to God through forgiveness, which changed me forever. In time, my joy also returned. During that dark time, I missed opportunities to share Jesus with others—especially with one of my good Army buddies who was killed in a car accident shortly after coming home from deployment. I felt so much guilt over her death, and it was hard.
It’s part of my motivation to reach unbelievers for Christ. It’s also one of the reasons why I spent the last nearly 10 years leading Starting Point groups at CRC—the program that really transformed my relationship with Jesus into what it is today. During many of those 10 years, I also had the pleasure of working at The Ridge and sharing the gospel with countless people. And now that I work outside the church in a new career, I have even more access to unbelievers. Day in and day out, I’m in the midst of hurting and curious people, and I hear so many stories of how people are suffering. I feel so honored and blessed that I can be a light in this broken world and tell people about the only One who can make it better.
Lisa
When I was 18 and fresh out of high school, I joined the Army. I come from a family of servicemen, so it seemed like a next step to take in my life. I enlisted in 1999... I was a young woman who was excited to share the gospel in a way I hadn’t before—by being a light...
When I was a young girl, my parents often took me to the Catholic church I grew up in. I knew God, but I didn’t have a strong personal relationship with Him. I never really felt a spiritual presence... In middle school, I was happy when we started going to Chestnut...
Yadira: I was raised in a loving, Catholic home and received Jesus when I had my first communion. He was the center of my life until I got married. My husband became my everything, instead of Jesus, and my life became a roller coaster. After 10 hard years, we...
Sixteen years ago, on 9/11, I was serving on active duty in the Air Force at Dover Air Force Base. I remember it like it was yesterday. My fellow airmen and I watched the events unfold on television, as the planes hit the towers, the Pentagon, and crashed into that...
I grew up in Nigeria, and after college, I got my master’s in Sweden, and then my Ph.d. in statistics at WVU, where I’ll be a visiting assistant professor this fall. Growing up in Nigeria, my family was Muslim, but religion didn’t really play a role in our home. I...
When my husband and I received Christ as our Savior in 1987, we were in a difficult financial situation. Even though we weren't aware of it, the Holy Spirit led us to a church where tithing was preached. These are times when our eyes roll in our heads and we thought...
I was recommended The Ridge about two and half years ago by my tattoo artist, Patty. I was attending a church in Masontown where I was the young guy. I came here for the first time on a Saturday night and suddenly I'm the old guy. I love listening to K-LOVE on the...
In 2010, I graduated from college. I got a job almost immediately but was really unhappy with it and where my life was going. I attended church off and on my entire life. One Sunday, I decided to go to Chestnut Ridge. I was lonely. I needed something, I needed...
HOPE...that is what kept me going when things looked bleak. In January 2015, I noticed my neck started to swell. I went to MedExpress and was referred to an ENT. In February, the ENT conducted a biopsy that came back diagnosing me with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. A...
New to town from Colorado, we started attending Chestnut Ridge Church in August 2014. Last year, we became small group leaders. In November, our group threw us a “sprinkle” or baby shower for Clara at our home. That evening, at 38-weeks, my water broke during Bible...
When I was a young girl, my parents often took me to the Catholic church I grew up in. I knew God, but I didn’t have a strong personal relationship with Him. I never really felt a spiritual presence…
When I was 18 and fresh out of high school, I joined the Army. I come from a family of servicemen, so it seemed like a next step to take in my life. I enlisted in 1999... I was a young woman who was excited to share the gospel in a way I hadn’t before—by being a light...
When I was a young girl, my parents often took me to the Catholic church I grew up in. I knew God, but I didn’t have a strong personal relationship with Him. I never really felt a spiritual presence... In middle school, I was happy when we started going to Chestnut...
Yadira: I was raised in a loving, Catholic home and received Jesus when I had my first communion. He was the center of my life until I got married. My husband became my everything, instead of Jesus, and my life became a roller coaster. After 10 hard years, we...
Sixteen years ago, on 9/11, I was serving on active duty in the Air Force at Dover Air Force Base. I remember it like it was yesterday. My fellow airmen and I watched the events unfold on television, as the planes hit the towers, the Pentagon, and crashed into that...
I grew up in Nigeria, and after college, I got my master’s in Sweden, and then my Ph.d. in statistics at WVU, where I’ll be a visiting assistant professor this fall. Growing up in Nigeria, my family was Muslim, but religion didn’t really play a role in our home. I...
When my husband and I received Christ as our Savior in 1987, we were in a difficult financial situation. Even though we weren't aware of it, the Holy Spirit led us to a church where tithing was preached. These are times when our eyes roll in our heads and we thought...
I was recommended The Ridge about two and half years ago by my tattoo artist, Patty. I was attending a church in Masontown where I was the young guy. I came here for the first time on a Saturday night and suddenly I'm the old guy. I love listening to K-LOVE on the...
In 2010, I graduated from college. I got a job almost immediately but was really unhappy with it and where my life was going. I attended church off and on my entire life. One Sunday, I decided to go to Chestnut Ridge. I was lonely. I needed something, I needed...
HOPE...that is what kept me going when things looked bleak. In January 2015, I noticed my neck started to swell. I went to MedExpress and was referred to an ENT. In February, the ENT conducted a biopsy that came back diagnosing me with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. A...
New to town from Colorado, we started attending Chestnut Ridge Church in August 2014. Last year, we became small group leaders. In November, our group threw us a “sprinkle” or baby shower for Clara at our home. That evening, at 38-weeks, my water broke during Bible...
Yadira: I was raised in a loving, Catholic home and received Jesus when I had my first communion. He was the center of my life until I got married. My husband became my everything, instead of Jesus, and my life became a roller coaster. After 10 hard years, we separated. That’s when I opened a Bible for the first time, and “the Lord turned my darkness to light” (Psalm 18:28).
Frank: Yes. Whatever she says. We’ve had an incredible peace and harmony…90.5% of the time.
_______________________
God brought us through many trials, but through it all, we grew stronger in our faith and love for one another and God. We are a living testimony of God’s faithfulness, infinite love and amazing grace. Last year we renewed our vows and celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary here at The Ridge—a place we’ve called home for 19 years—and we are thrilled to be enjoying the fruit of every sacrifice we have made along the way.
Frank & Yadira
When I was 18 and fresh out of high school, I joined the Army. I come from a family of servicemen, so it seemed like a next step to take in my life. I enlisted in 1999... I was a young woman who was excited to share the gospel in a way I hadn’t before—by being a light...
When I was a young girl, my parents often took me to the Catholic church I grew up in. I knew God, but I didn’t have a strong personal relationship with Him. I never really felt a spiritual presence... In middle school, I was happy when we started going to Chestnut...
Yadira: I was raised in a loving, Catholic home and received Jesus when I had my first communion. He was the center of my life until I got married. My husband became my everything, instead of Jesus, and my life became a roller coaster. After 10 hard years, we...
Sixteen years ago, on 9/11, I was serving on active duty in the Air Force at Dover Air Force Base. I remember it like it was yesterday. My fellow airmen and I watched the events unfold on television, as the planes hit the towers, the Pentagon, and crashed into that...
I grew up in Nigeria, and after college, I got my master’s in Sweden, and then my Ph.d. in statistics at WVU, where I’ll be a visiting assistant professor this fall. Growing up in Nigeria, my family was Muslim, but religion didn’t really play a role in our home. I...
When my husband and I received Christ as our Savior in 1987, we were in a difficult financial situation. Even though we weren't aware of it, the Holy Spirit led us to a church where tithing was preached. These are times when our eyes roll in our heads and we thought...
I was recommended The Ridge about two and half years ago by my tattoo artist, Patty. I was attending a church in Masontown where I was the young guy. I came here for the first time on a Saturday night and suddenly I'm the old guy. I love listening to K-LOVE on the...
In 2010, I graduated from college. I got a job almost immediately but was really unhappy with it and where my life was going. I attended church off and on my entire life. One Sunday, I decided to go to Chestnut Ridge. I was lonely. I needed something, I needed...
HOPE...that is what kept me going when things looked bleak. In January 2015, I noticed my neck started to swell. I went to MedExpress and was referred to an ENT. In February, the ENT conducted a biopsy that came back diagnosing me with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. A...
New to town from Colorado, we started attending Chestnut Ridge Church in August 2014. Last year, we became small group leaders. In November, our group threw us a “sprinkle” or baby shower for Clara at our home. That evening, at 38-weeks, my water broke during Bible...