oth my parents come to mind when thinking back to who influenced my walk with Jesus. Taking intentional time to pray together as a family. Making sure time in the Word was prioritized. This impacts the way I think about difficult times in my own life.

I cannot overstate the impact my youth pastor Aaron Miller has had on my life. Pastor Aaron had clearly been changed by the gospel and made it his mission to instill it’s deep, life-transforming truths in us as his students. We knew how much he loved us, and his love for us gave us a deep desire to grow in our faith.

Mike Hobbs was my youth small group leader growing up, during which time he was diagnosed with cancer. As his body deteriorated over the years, he continued leading our group with supernatural energy. Rarely have I seen a man exude such a tsunami of peace and joy like Mike, regardless of whatever pain or discomfort he was experiencing, while simultaneously continuing to champion his love for Christ and trust in him with every breath. I hope I can one day greet Jesus with such a faithful testimony as Mike did.

At 10 I would sit on my roof and make a list of stations I could hear. One station carried Oliver B. Greene, a radio preacher. I heard the gospel from him. At 13 he came to preach a tent revival. My dad and I went. My dad received Christ there. I did not. He died in an accident 2 years later. Fast forward to age 28. Driving into a sharp curve I should have flipped to my death. God impressed upon me I would have went to hell. I accepted Christ right then as I remembered my “roof days”.

First, there was my cousin, Earl Ray Stinnett, who never gave up on me, and in my moment of crisis, picked me up and took me to TRBC. When I was saved in February 1975, there were friends in the Maintenace Dept., Butch Wood, Tony Johnson, Tommy Donald, who provided the encouragement, support, and fellowship that I needed in my spiritual infancy. Six months after trusting Christ, God called me into missions. During those months, Drs. Jerry Falwell, Sr., Jim Moon, and Ed Dobson, encouraged me. During my two years at TRBI, it was, of course, Dr. Harold Wilmington. Mrs. Myrtle McPhail challenged me into what was then New Tribes Mission, now Ethnos 360. Ministry wise, it would be Pastors Jorge Antelo, Saúl Peralta, Fidel Honor, Alfredo Eggers, and Rubén Quiroz. From FIM, Directors Steve Wilt and Paul Barreca, Dean, and Gary, Francisco. All with the exception of Paul, have visited us in Bolivia, providing encouragement and guidance in ministry.

My husband David: I have observed his integrity firsthand. He is honest, he ‘sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not’ (Psalm 15). He is forgiving and humble. He has so ‘learned Christ’ (Ephesians 4) that I marvel at how he does not seem to be bitter when bitterness seems ‘right’ from an earthly perspective. I particularly admire how he does not seek the spotlight and does not hunger for human applause. It is a fine line between letting your light shine for Christ and proud self-promotion. He walks that fine line with humility and discernment.

Whenever I stayed at my grandparents’ house, every evening my grandfather would sit at his kitchen table studying his Bible with his reading glasses. I know he wasn’t just reading words because it changed how he lived as well. When I was little, every week he swept my church’s parking lot free of any pebbles that may have escaped from the playground areas. After he passed away several years ago his Bible was still lying on the kitchen table and his broom was still in his shed marked with his name Sam on it.

My grandma lived very close to us. She would invite kids over to read Bible stories to all of us. In the summer she would present Bible stories on a flannelgraph board with colorful figures on the flannel backgrounds to illustrate the stories. The Bible stories from grandma had prepared and softened my heart to remember the sin debt Jesus paid, and I knew I was headed for hell. I accepted Christ into my heart that day. Thank you, grandma!

In October 1973 I walked up to a church at 11:50 a.m. I would have an about face except for a man named Carl Rogers. Carl would wear bright orange or chartreuse socks and a matching tie. He met me near the door like a long lost brother. “Hi, how are you, come on in, I’ve got just the place for you”. Three weeks later, I received Christ as my savior. Carl has always been an encouragement in my life and I have tried to encourage others in the same way to reach out and greet people.

I was a prison guard for quite some time. GOD used an inmate named Dave to turn me towards HIM. His salvation was about a year before. The change that happened in his life was profound. He gave me this tract called terrors of hell and that was the beginning of my life with JESUS. He left the prison a short time after that and I shed some tears that day. GOD used some great prison guards to keep me on the straight and narrow. 

A gentleman by the name of Roger Dixon, a missionary, has made one of the greatest influences on my life. God called me to facilitate revival. By doing tent revivals of which I really knew nothing about, Roger came beside me and helped me to accomplish it and to go deeper in the Word.
I will always love this man and his wife for all they have done and are doing to minister to God’s people. Roger and Jan Dixion, may God always bless and keep you.

When I moved to Brazil, I met my namesake, Elisabeth, at church. We quickly became partners in prayer as she taught me through example what it means to be an intercessor. Over the past 8 years, she has greatly influenced my walk with the Lord by modeling dependence on the Lord regarding all aspects of life- conversations, visits, health issues, involvement in missions, and dealing with unsaved family. Many people don’t understand her, she is ridiculed by her family and has health problems, but she is so in love with Jesus, the One who saved her and healed her emotionally from her past, that she never complains and simply depends on the Lord, faithfully serving Him as He calls and equips her.

Nathan & Nicole C. have demonstrated to me a passionate love for Jesus and ever increasing love for others. They have taught me the value of loving the Church as Christ’s Bride, always looking for His beauty represented in His people … AND celebrating it! They have modeled for me what it means to take the time to observe, call out, and encourage aspects of others that Jesus has (and is) transforming in others.

n 1976, I remember the big smile, the bowtie, the curly hair and the passion he showed for children. Pastor Tony led me to the Lord when I was 6. Now as an adult it is great to see that although the bowtie and hair are gone, he still greets me with a smile and a passion for Jesus Christ. He has been a godly example of love, righteous living, and endurance. “Thank you for giving to the LORD I am the life that was changed”.

Sarah Shanton has been such an influential disciple of God. She demonstrates what it means to live out scripture and seek after the hearts of the lost. Seeing her live her life for Christ inspired me to seek after God like never before. She invites people in with open arms and truly cares for the lives of those she meets.

A very loving humble woman rekindled my desire for the Lord when everything felt hopeless. I was lost, a new mom, just married. Everything I THOUGHT the Lord wanted me to do was far from reach. Everything was out of control, I was holding on to control and bitterness. She, by example, taught me to BE in the Lord and led me back to his feet where I desperately needed to be. She experienced so much suffering but brightly shone for Jesus in one of the greatest ways I have ever seen.

I thank the Lord for Jean D’Amico who led me to Christ 45 years ago. I was invited to a Bible study led by a “former” Catholic woman and was intrigued because as a young Catholic, something was missing in my understanding of Jesus. I heard the gospel for the first time and my eyes were opened! Jean taught and demonstrated the love of God and was always available to me. I then went on a mission calling churches, asking them what they believed and trying to make sure they were centered on the Bible. God led us to a church where Duane Gregory was pastor. Duane and Trish became our close friends and our daughter, Tara, was in the 3rd grade at the time, as was their son, Kent. It’s been a joy to look back and see how God was leading us and that our children would eventually marry and our friendship would continue all these years. I’m so thankful that Jean didn’t try to give me all the answers but demonstrated God’s love and grace while encouraging me to read the Bible and search out the truth, allowing God to direct my path.

Growing up in southern Maryland I didn’t have much fellowship outside of Sunday church. As a teenager, one day I was invited to a home Bible fellowship where I learned its leader lost an infant to congenital heart defects, tried again and the same thing happened, tried again with no change in outcome, and tried a last time with the same resulting loss. He and his wife were devastated, to say the least, but they found Christ thereafter, and somehow reversed their loss of love into an abundant love for people which changed many lives they encountered, including mine.