“I seldom went to church during grade school. When I was sixteen years old, my friend took me to a Jesus rally. I felt this pulling and tugging on my heart. I surrendered and went forward. I had a radical experience with the Holy Spirit. Electricity was going up and down my body and I was speaking in tongues. I had never heard anything about speaking in tongues before! I was so on fire with the Spirit. I sat my whole family down and shared with them about Jesus and my experience. My mom would not allow me to attend these Jesus rallies anymore. I did attend a little church that exposed me to charismatic youth meetings, so I was experiencing the Spirit all the time. I got married to a Christian College graduate. He ended up being a closet homosexual. I had no idea for fifteen years of our marriage. It was another fifteen years of walking beside him, because he said he wanted to be free. After thirty years, our marriage ended. He chose to walk away from it. I don't think homosexuality was the only issue. I think it was deeper than that. His family was in some sort of witchcraft. The other crisis that went along simultaneously was our daughter had been sexually abused by someone when she was about eleven. It was devastating to her life. I would beg the Lord that I didn't want to be a part of this hideous battle within my home, but that I wanted to be a part of the eternal story. I would always pray Psalm 18: 1-3, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.”In 2011, I founded the Homestead Ministry. The Homestead Ministry provides housing, hope, and holistic healing to adult female sex trafficking survivors. The Lord was quick to shift me into this ministry. I have been doing it for 12 years now. So many people think following Jesus is boring, but He is wild and crazy. Following Him is exciting and terrifying. This is my 50th year of serving the Lord. This is my year of jubilee! My name is Deb and I surrender.”
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