- Luda Balun – It’s been difficult for me to believe that my relatively new friend, Luda, is not an angel! I’m convinced that God put her in my life to provide a bridge from a very dark period of my life to see a new bright horizon! She has been relentless in her devotion to helping out those around her who are in need. I haven’t known Luda for very long, but we have somewhat of a kindred spirit and are becoming fast friends. She and her husband came here from Ukraine many years ago and started up their own cleaning business. We met through another mutual friend, and she has been such an inspiration to me. Whenever I have been in need whether financially, or for transportation she has been there to help out in ways that would make most other people’s jaw drop! She has also so unselfishly devoted her time and hard work toward helping me get my old house cleared and cleaned out; even going over there behind my back and virtually leaving me with nothing left to do! She has also been picking me up and bringing me to church on Sundays. Mere words simply cannot express my gratitude for all that Luda has already done for me.”Thank you, Luda for being the person that you are! I can really sense God’s love pouring out of you and I know He has a very special place in heaven reserved just for you! God bless you, my friend!”
- Jean Eason – I’m not even sure Jean and I have ever even met, but it was at some time this past September that Jean appeared as suggested friend on Facebook. I knew who she was because she is a relatively well-known former Jehovah’s Witness who has appeared on several counter-cult programs. In any event, due to the friend request we began dialogging and the topic of the upcoming Witnesses Now for Jesus convention held every October in New Ringgold, Pennsylvania came up. Although the timing wasn’t the best (seeing as I was in the middle of moving out of my foreclosing house!), she took it upon herself to lead an effort to provide the means for me to travel to the convention and took care of making all of the arrangements for me while I was there. It cost several hundreds of dollars (which, I know was shared amongst several others as well who have mostly remained anonymous to me!)I gave my testimony at this same convention back in 1993 (which I have included here as a separate page on my web log). It had been seven years since I had last attended. That was the year I brought my then girlfriend who would then become my fiance two days later. Those seven years were probably the worst of my life. This years’ convention proved to be especially pivotal in my spiritual journey. God finally removed the scales from my eyes and I found myself, for the first time in such a LOOOONG time, to just let go of an ugly, foul sack of guilt, shame, anger, bitterness, and even hatred that I had been ingesting chewing upon like a cow does its cud every day. In its place, I was able to embrace God’s grace and forgiveness and gave me the ability to forgive those who have wronged me. I realized those intense feelings of being “wronged” were not ever going to help me achieve my final goal, which is to have as close of a relationship with my son, Austin, as possible.
I was also able to reunite with some great old friends that I hadn’t seen in such a long time and also made some more eternal friends.
“Thank you, Jean and those whom you were able to rally together on my behalf. You have no idea how your generous gift to me not only blessed me, but it also revived my love and passion for the Church, the Bride of Christ, whom I had become disenchanted with for far too long!