The testimony of Long Duong

Hi, my name is Long Duong. Six years ago I was in a turmoil wondering where my life was headed. My wife had rededicated her life to God in 2001. She started going to church, and she had the Church praying for me. I had always believed in God, but had never asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I had been wondering for a while about the change in my wife’s life and why she seemed to be happier. One day I started asking my wife about some of the Bible verses, because I was curious. What was in ‘The Word’ that had changed my wife? I wanted what she had, and wondered how I was going to get that.
One day my wife and I were talking and I asked her what I had to do to be happy like her?  She said ask God. For about two weeks I kept wondering what I should do. On the third week I had to go out of town to do some work in southern Illinois. The trip took about 4 and half hours to get there. I always like to take the highway but this particular day I decided to take a different route. During the trip I was thinking about what my wife had said to me; “Ask God, He will give you the answer.” So I asked God “If you really are God would you give me a sign?”  It was a sign I asked for and a ‘sign’ I received. About five miles down the road as I approached an overpass I looked up at the abutment and there was my sign. It said TRUST JESUS painted on the abutment. I started wondering is that a sign from God?  No that can’t be. I just kept driving down the road. It must have been five minutes later when I approached another overpass and there it was again; a sign saying
TRUST JESUS for the second time. When I saw that sign I knew it was for me. I asked my friend in the truck with me “Did you see that sign painted on the abutment?” He replied “What sign? I didn’t see anything.”
The following Saturday my wife asked me if I would like to go church with her on Sunday and I said “If you can get your mother to go then I will go too.” Her mother said yes. My heart was already changing and that Sunday I started going to Church with my wife. A few weeks later I confessed Jesus as my Lord and Savior and
three months after that I was water baptized Things have not been the same since. The Holy Spirit has been working in me ever since, and he has set me free. Thank you Jesus!
In 2003 God anointed me to SERVE our church. I give all my praise to God.
Without God Iam no body but with God in my life everything is possible.

Ephesians 5:14-17 
14) Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” 15) See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Testimony of Karen Duong

            Though I was not raised in a religious family, I recall even as a child feeling like God had His hand on me. The youngest of four girls with a large age difference, I was more like an only child. My Mother went to work 2nd shift when I was six so I found myself spending a great deal of time alone. I did not however feel like I was alone. I’ve always sensed the presence of a spiritual guardian in my life.
Due to not having any Christian teaching while growing up, my prayer life was basically making deals with God. Like: “Lord please just let me pass this test today and I promise I’ll always study in the future!” Though I failed on many occasions at keeping my end of the bargain, He never let me down.
I joined the Catholic Church and got married at the tender age of seventeen. Two years later I had my first child; a lovely little girl we named Kerri Ann. After another two and a half years we were blessed with a son, James Michael. James was three months premature and was born with Hyaline Membrane Disease (or Respiratory Distress Syndrome). I was given no hope for his survival and he was rushed from Galesburg, IL by ambulance to St Francis high risk preemie unit in Peoria, IL. Once again, God had my back and 12 days later we brought our son home.
By 1978 our marriage was in shambles and I fervently prayed to the Lord for guidance. The very next day I got my answer and without going into details God let me know in no uncertain terms that my marriage was over. I went to a lawyer and two days later I was single. God had started pruning the vine. I wish I could say that was when I allowed God to take control of my life, but I would be lying. I was still a long way from wising up. Another failed marriage began in 1983 and ended a year and a half later. Working 70 plus hrs per week and raising two kids I felt like I was drowning, but we managed to get through it. (I think my guardian angel was working more hrs. than I was.)
Once Kerri and James were out of school and earning their own money I finally felt like I could breathe again. I had given up any romantic notions of happily ever after and had sworn off men. Of course that’s when I met husband #3, the man God chose for me even though I didn’t know it at the time.
My Christian walk was a long time in coming. Though I first said the sinner’s prayer in 1982 I didn’t join a church until July of 2001. I thought I had “arrived”, I was in good standing, bring on the rapture! It wasn’t until February of 2008 that I woke up from my fog and realized I had not been living up to my Christian responsibilities. My attitude has completely changed and I “get it” now. I have a job to do. It is my responsibility to help spread the good news and work toward the vision of our church. It is my current goal to approach every situation with love, compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude.
Jesus paid a heavy price for the mistakes I have made and I hope to spend the rest of my life showing my gratitude.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.