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I grew up in the home of a pastor and from a very early age was exposed to the message of hope and forgiveness offered through faith in Jesus Christ. When I was 5, I embraced Christ and began my Jesus journey! The only problem was that I saw Christianity as a religion instead of personal relationship with the Creator God through His Son Jesus. So I went on living my life as I wanted, conforming to the religious norms I thought were expected of me on the outside while drifting further and further from God on the inside. Finally, when I was a senior in high school I hit bottom. I had everything a kid that age is told he needs to be happy ... but I wasn't. I knew something was wrong, something was missing. When I did a life inventory, I figured it had something to do with the God-thing. So I went back and began to pray ... probably for the first time in a long time. And I said, "God, I don't even know if I believe in you or the Bible anymore. But if You are there and if you are real, I need you to show me." I remember that night because I cried myself to sleep holding my Bible and just praying that God would do something amazing.
Well, over the next few weeks and months I continued to pray and began to read my Bible and God began to speak to me. Not audibly but on the inside. And I began to find my confidence in His reality and His closeness to me rebrithed. Several months later, while sitting in a church service, I sensed God speaking to my spirit and calling me to abandon myself to His mission of redeeming and reclaiming people from every culture and community on the face of the earth. Since then, it has been an amazing ride! I've been to Africa, Europe, Asia, and Central America. I've taught in churches and seminaries and leadership conferences. I've done ministry in trailer parks, upscale neighborhoods and everywhere in between. The road has not always been easy but the sacrifices have been worth it. And in the end, I'm convinced that somehow God is using me with all of my weaknesses and struggles to change and alter the reality of people around me here in metro New York and around the world!
Landon Reesor, Lead Pastor, Encounter Church
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I became a follower of Jesus at a very young age. On a February Wednesday night in my family's home church, a well-known visiting evangelist named Angel Martinez delivered a simple sermon, using the twenty-third Psalm as his text. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…" Even though I don't remember everything he said, I do vividly remember understanding for the first time, even as a second grader, that I was a sinner and that I needed the Great Shepherd to come into my life, forgive me of my sins, and live in my heart. Fortunately, the evangelist offered people the opportunity to pray a simple prayer with him doing just that, and I prayed that little prayer with him.
Since that time, I have learned through the years more about all the implications of that decision, and I continue to learn and grow in my relationship with Him. There have been fits and starts, of course, but He's been there all along the way, in both the "green pastures and still waters" and the "valley of the shadow of death." Life is meaningful when you know that He loves you, that He has a purpose for your life, and that you can spend eternity with Him. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Todd Williams, Hedge Fund Risk Manager, Stamford, CT
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Before I embraced faith in Jesus Christ, I didn’t know what I believed. I didn't understand the real meaning of life. I may have looked like I was trying to do the right thing, but my heart was set on the wrong path. I was and wanted to be in control of everything (so I thought) but there was one catch - I was terrified. I was scared because I didn’t know what would happen to me if I died. I tried to reassure myself by thinking, "I believe in God and I am a good person!" but it just didn't bring me peace. I talked to a few spiritual friends at work in hopes of finding some answers but I never found what I was looking for. I became more and more afraid.
In early 2008, my husband, Manny, and I were talking to our cousins about our thirst for answers and they told us about Encounter Church. We were so intrigued by their story that we attended church with them the very next day. I was completely overtaken by the powerful connection and sense of “this is what we have been searching for”. We attended church for a couple of months - each Sunday I learned a little bit more – but I still wasn’t ready to admit that I wasn’t in control.
On Palm Sunday, Manny and I attended a Christian Church in White Plains and it was during that service that I completely surrendered and received Jesus Christ as my only hope of salvation by faith! I can’t explain how or why it happened at that moment, but what I felt was a huge “RELEASE” – my heart wasn’t so heavy and I wasn’t so scared.
God has brought me closer to him, I am so aware of his love and grace on my life. Now my life is better - I don't have that fear anymore, and I have a peace that only comes from Jesus Christ. He is the only one who could fill that void inside me. So, little by little, I started letting Jesus take control of my life and putting my trust solely in Him.
Danielle Lozano, White Plains, NY
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I was raised in my faith. My parents exposed me to it and taught me about Jesus since birth. I thank God everyday for placing me in my family. I appreciate them a great deal. In the past, being a Christian felt like a routine and something repetitive. I would go to church every Sunday and not get anything out of it. In the last few years and as I got older, moved to a new church, I started to understand and appreciate more about what being a Christian was about. I started studying, praying, and finding out on my own how I wanted to rely and depend on Jesus. I only hope someday that I can have the same effect on someone that some people have had on me for God. By relying on friends from church, asking for help when prayer was needed in my life and trusting in the guidance from people eager to assist in helping me find myself in my faith, I grew to appreciate and better understand everything God has done in my life. I want to live every moment of my life as an act of worship for Him. It’s not always going to be easy, Its something we all have to work at and I still have a lot to learn and a lot of life left to experience but I feel extreme comfort in His unfailing love and forgiveness. I know that with Jesus, all the troubles and trials I have yet to face won't be faced alone, and that feels great.
Erin Greenlee, College Student, Norwalk, CT
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I was born in Tokyo Japan and I had never been out of the country until I became 21. None of my family members were Christians. I hear that Japan is one of the most difficult countries for missionaries. Christians are only 1% of its population.I had never been to Christian churches until I was 21. When I was a college student, I had an opportunity to study at a small college in Arizona.On campus I met many Christian students who wanted to educate me about the Bible and God but didn’t bother to get to know me as a person. God also brought me another kind of Christians who wanted to spend time with me whether or not I went to church with them. They were very patient with me. They chose to be with me when I was going through difficulties. They also talked a lot about themselves…about their journey with God, how much God meant to them. I sensed genuine love and interest from them. Eventually I started thinking, “there should be some truth about what these people believe,” “they can’t live the way they live if they believe something completely wrong.” So, it was the start of my faith in God. I saw the reflection of God in their lives. It took me another couple of years before I was saved. God needed to take me back to Japan and eventually to Singapore for me to choose to follow God. It was a long process for me, but it started when I saw the truth about God in these people’s lives.I believe that anyone of us respond well to someone who has genuine love and interest in us. You can tell very quickly if someone is interested in knowing you or not. That’s why I like the way that the Encounter Church cares about our encounter with people in our day to day lives. I will continue to pray the Encounter Church so that it will continue to grow and provide a place for the people who need encounters with God.
Mack Aracki, Communications Executive, Harrison, NY
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