TESTIMONY
But when I leave I want to go out Like Elijah
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
And when I look back on the stars
It'll be like a candlelight in Central Park
And it won't break my heart to say goodbye

Rich Mullins
"Elijah"
NATHAN
I believe that God is at work in and around us even before we become
Christians, just ordaining circumstances to draw us to Him at the right
place and time.   For me He used many people to speak to me about
the need to be a believer and turn my life  over to the Lord Jesus.
He used my folks, my pastor, church members, other Christians, and
even people I never saw before that asked me if I were a Christian.
Most of all He used His word  and the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart
and say that I needed to be saved.  At the age of 27, I  committed my
life to Christ and began an incredible journey with Him that has
never ended and  will culminate by spending eternity with Him.  If you
can’t tell I am very sure of my salvation but it  has nothing to do with
me or what I’ve done but what Jesus did for me on the cross of
Calvary.  It was there that He shed His own blood for the forgiveness
of my sins and for everyone who would  believe.

Some verses to look at are:

1)        Romans 3:23……we have all sinned

2)        Romans 6:23……the price of our sin is death (hell), God
offers us a gift of eternal life through
Jesus Christ

3)        Romans 5:8……..Christ died to forgive our sins even
while we opposed Him

4)        Romans 10: 9-10..If we confess with our mouth Jesus as
Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from  
the dead we shall be saved

5)        Romans 10: 13…..Whosoever calls on the name of the
Lord shall be saved

*there are many other verses that say the same thing.

If my testimony ended right here it would be a glorious thing.  I want
you to know before you go any farther that the first thing everyone
needs is their sins forgiven through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Outside
of that happening to you other things pale in comparison.  When you
receive salvation through Jesus other things start to make sense.  

Shortly after being saved the Lord began to speak to my heart about
being a preacher of His Word.  He allowed me to do this through the
local church as a pastor.  I have been blessed through the years to
be the pastor of several churches.  Scipio Baptist, Richville Baptist,
interim at Calvary Baptist, Wilburton and Panola Baptist, then
Fittstown Baptist, Penn West Baptist Holdenville, and we were
allowed to start the CrossWay Church.

Through the years of pastoring and preaching God spoke to my
heart many times about mission  work.  While the idea of being some
sort of missionary intrigued me I never could figure out how  to do it.
Like Melody said in her testimony, money always seemed to be a
problem.  Eventually  God opened every door to come to the mission
field where we currently serve and put in our  heart a deep desire to
be here.  

One of the things that strikes deeply in my heart here on the mission
field is the response that we’re seeing to the gospel message.  As I
write these paragraphs,  we just finished an incredible week of
evangelism. (04-15-06)  This last week, having preached in five
places in Mexico our team saw a little over 1000 salvations!  Wow,
what a thing to be involved with.  I remember the first time I preached
in Nicaragua on a Saturday morning,  and saw a little over 1000
saved in that service.  About 2 months ago myself, and five other
staff were in San Salvador and saw a little over 1000 people saved in
two meetings.  What is so huge about that is that when we went
there we didn’t even know anyone.  Two nights later we were
thanking God for the great harvest.

Let me make an invitation to you to go on a mission trip.  If you don’t
know how or where to go, (God may have not shown you where)
consider going with us.  I don’t know fully why God has let us be a
part of this harvest but He has.  And if he continues to let us we will
continue to go.   It seems to me that Christians have two or three
options in regards to missions: Go, Send, or a Combination.  Having
said that, there are lots of ways for you to apply these options.  I am
not asking you to help me but ask God what part He wants you to
play in reconciling the world to Himself through His son Jesus Christ.
I believe what we do for Him will be greatly rewarded one day.

Blessings from God on each of you
OCTOBER 2009
Today as I was riding in the bed of the pickup (going to the Dump) I started thinking about my salvation
experience.  I was 25 years old when I asked Jesus to be my Savior.  My family would question this as they saw
me walk the aisle plus get baptised in the river.  Actually, what I did was get wet & truly did not turn my heart over
to Him.  I think of the years the Gospel was presented (others give this same testimony) - till one day THEY GOT
IT!  When I shared this with my Mom, I remember her questioning me & repeating that I had already "gotten
saved."  Then I realized that the only thing that mattered was THAT I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT I KNOW that I
now had Jesus Christ.  The best evidence of this - was my walk & my talk.  Truly I was a new creation through
Jesus Christ.  No more playing games.  Anyone can do that.  My question to you - DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU
KNOW THAT YOU KNOW you have Jesus Christ?  Let me ask you (this is what got me) - if you were to die
tonight would you go to heaven?  You can't go just because you were raised in a Christian family.  You can't
go just because you're a good person.  You can't go because of your riches or because everyone loves you. You
also can't be 99% sure.  A lot of folks have gone to hell because of 99%.  You can only go to heaven when you
ask Jesus to come into your heart, believe that he died on the cross for your sins, & ask for his forgiveness.  
That's it in a nutshell.  No other way!  I know I'm not the only one to experience this.  Believe me - you won't be the
same person.  You don't have to be a missionary like me - but you do have to have a new walk!   Don't wait
another minute - JUST DO IT!
MELODY
My testimony centers around Romans 8:28 which says:  "And we know that  all  things work together for
the good to them that love God, to them who are  called according to His purpose."  God has done
some mighty things in my life  - not because I deserved them but because He can do whatever He wants.  I am
always so amazed at His love for me because I've not been the best daughter  He  deserves.  Nathan & I met
after we had both completed our Bachelor's degrees.   I was a Home Economics teacher and he was soon to be
a Social Worker.  Neither one of us were saved though we had a life long relationship with the church.  Being
good members of a Baptist church we attended a revival being preached by a former Southern Baptist
Convention President.  I had always heard of the word "conviction" though it had never personally applied to
me.  This night CONVICTION walked all over me & I understood that I wasn't the perfect person I thought I was.  
The night that I realized that I didn't have a home in glory - I can't even remember leaving my pew to get to the
front.  I knew without a doubt that I needed HIM as my Lord & Savior.  Nathan will tell you about his salvation
experience, but a few months later he surrendered to the ministry.  I was going to be a preacher's wife, in fact
for the next 20 years I would be.
It went against every example I had of preacher's wives.  I was the daughter who wore purple toe nail polish,
laughed from her gut and enjoyed life to it's fullest.  My Grandmother Bowman always had talks with me about
talking quietly, not bringing attention to myself and behaving like a lady.  I think those are good qualities - I just
thought that being a lady could also include being happy all the time, talking to everyone, bringing in folks who
felt left out and having a good sense of humor.  When serving as a County 4-H Educator I was sent to Georgia
for a meeting.  A co-worker and I had someone sitting between us and she told her to go to sleep quick before I
made her my best friend.  What's wrong with that?

I went through a lot in the beginning trying to be the perfect preacher's wife.  My idea was that perhaps I should
walk around quoting scripture to all the ladies and that my clothes should be fully accessorized -after all I was
the Preacher's Wife AND a Home Economics teacher.  As every good preacher's wife should do - I was
capable of playing the piano - but only if they gave me a week's notice so I could practice and be perfect.  As
always God brought Matthew 25:25 to me:  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the
ground.  Like the man given the coin, he hid his money, and I, hid my piano playing, waiting for it to
grow.  I learned a valuable lesson when at our first church Doris, who could play the piano with two fingers was
more willing to serve God than I was.  God taught me then and there to use the talents He gave me to play all
the time and I did for the next 20 years.  I found out that if you make a mistake all you had to do was look at the
congregation and smile and all was forgiven.

Skipping to 20 years later (I could write a book on God and what he has done with the Durant family) - let me
share how I went from being a preachers wife to a missionary.  For several years our friends Bart & Sherrie
Effinger, had encouraged us to come to Way of the Cross to the Big Feed.  We always had a reason not to go -
but the number one was no money because of what was going on in our life.  Nathan's mom & dad offered the
money for him & our son Matt to come down for a week in the summer.  Now they say they might not have done
that if they had realized we wouldn't be going back.  Anyway, Nathan started acting "goofy, weird, stupid" (you
choose) & couldn't quit talking about his mission experience.  He made me promise to take some days off to
take the family to the next Big Feed.  I figured my way of helping finance this trip was to give up "my weekly nail
appointment."  That hurt!  Without knowing it God was starting the ball rolling with our eventual move to Texas
and Way of the Cross.  We made it to the Big Feed & I remember Sherrie telling me that maybe someday we
might be joining them.  I laughed.  Soon after, the job that I loved most in the world, working for Oklahoma State
University as a 4-H Educator was shut down.  Just a few weeks later I began teaching Home Economics at the
local high school.  I look back now & see that God was preparing us for the move.

I started devoting my time back to God through quiet & prayer time.  All I could think about was the mission field.
 The verse from Matthew 28:19-20 kept speaking to me:  Therefore go & make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.  After much prayer I finally approached Nathan about the possibility of becoming missionaries.  The look
on his face I couldn't describe.  He had been praying for me in this area but wanted God to speak to me instead
of himself.  We would have left that day if not for the fact that I had to finish the school year.  

From that moment every door flew open to get us here.  We sold everything, everyone thought we were crazy,
except for Nathan's parents and those closest to us.  That God was willing to use two OKIES in their mid forties
to go out & preach the gospel is just beyond me.  He wants all of us - our heart, our tears, our sorrows, our
wackiness.  He didn't ask us to come "just as He is."  He wants me "just as I am."

How we came up with Like Elijah Ministry - Nathan & I had both decided that we didn't want to sit back & wait for
things to happen, God wise.  We wanted to be Like Elijah - working to the end - going out in a chariot of fire.  
WHAT A WAY TO GO!
HOW WE CAME TO THIS DECISION...
...it's an amazing adventure...so let me just tell you about it.

June of 2003 Nathan parents gave him the dollars to travel to
Harlingen, TX (with our son Matt) to join a mission team for
the week.  When he came back home all I can say is that he
was ON FIRE FOR THE LORD.  Now he's always been one to
share Jesus but he was almost giddy about it.  He made me
promise that I would go back at Christmas time, along with
our 4 kids.  I gave up my fake fingernails to even help pay my
way - what a generous offer from me.

Meanwhile, the job that I have loved & went to college for
(4-H Extension Educator) was being shut down because of
budget cuts from the legislature.  I was offered a similar
position but would have 2 counties (instead of 1) & would
travel 2 hours each way.  Though difficult I would do it as I
love Extension & had awards to prove it.  

We went as a family to the Big Feed & enjoyed the
experience.  I remember a friend saying that someday our
family would become missionaries...& I LAUGHED!  After we
arrived back home, that night I had a dream (& this is not
characteristic of me to interpret dreams) that when the
Holdenville H.S. Home Economics teaching position came
open I should ask for it.  I told Nathan about this (remember
it's Jan.) & we figured come the next school year, we'll see.  2
days later the position was in the paper & I knew it was mine.  
Furthermore, the school superintendent was on the same
mission trip as we were & I had already met him.  I went in for
an interview & got it.  I do love teaching my subject area but
I'm happier doing it in Extension rather than the school
system.  When things get tough is when we tend to draw
nearer to the Lord & through daily prayer & bible study I felt
the Lord giving me much food for thought.  

Around March I went to Nathan & told him..."you know, I just
keep feeling that the Lord wants us to become missionaries."
 Well......Nathan started smiling & praising the Lord because
he had been praying since June that the Lord would put it
upon my heart to do this.  Nathan knew I would go anywhere
he went (as a pastor's wife) but knew this would be such a
change in our lifestyle that he wanted it verified by the Lord.  
We turned in our job notices for the end of the school year,
sold everything, packed & moved to Beverly (actually
Harlingen).  Not long after the move I received a call from my
former Extension boss who said the legislature had put back
the money into the Extension budget.  I'm guessing the Lord
knew I would never had given up the job I loved & removed
it from me knowing that.

We've not looked back (well...I keep looking back for my
grandkids) & love how the Lord has changed WHO WE ARE
BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS!
agreed that was what she would want for her also.  I asked if she knew
where she was going & she said YES.  I then asked about that special
someone in her life & the answer was NO. This is my question to
everyone....we ALL have that decision to make.  NO ONE gets to
heaven....by being a good person, being raised in a Christian family, by
doing good deeds....

The bible tells us that "all have sinned & come short of the glory of
God" (Romans 3:23).

It also says "that God so loved the world that he gave his only son that
whosoever shall perish can have everlasting life through Jesus Christ
His Son" (John 3:16).

"For the wages of sin is death but the gift  of God is eternal life" (Rms.
6:23).  

The cross serves as a bridge to God.  We know that bridges are used to
cross from one place to another.  Jesus Christ is that bridge for us.  We
can only get to God through His Son.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me" (John 14:6).

24 years ago our 7 month old daughter passed away.  That next Easter
we started discussing that WHAT IF GOD had asked us to give up our
daughter to die on the cross for EVERYONE else's sins?  We were like
NO WAY would we do that & that's when we realized how much God
loves us.  Salvation is a FREE GIFT.  But if you do not ACCEPT this FREE
GIFT it does you no good.  It won't be forced on you.  Now you have 2
CHOICES-an eternal life in HEAVEN or an eternal life in HELL.  If you
haven't accepted this FREE GIFT you can right now - the words are NOT
magic - you have to believe in your heart that Jesus Christ was the Son
of God, that He died for your sins & raised 3 days later from the grave, &
ask Him to forgive you of your sins.  Just talk to Him.  It's like me talking
to you, it's that easy.  Once you've done that, find a church that believes
the bible is God's Holy Word.  Talk to the pastor & he'll share the rest
with you.  We're here if you need to talk.  I KNOW WITHOUT THE SHADOW
OF A DOUBT that if I was to die tonight - I'LL BE IN HEAVEN.  What about
you?