I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior on a Saturday afternoon, June 20 1987 in the backyard of Pastor Leroy Benefield in Graceville FL. I was a 1st Lt in the Air Force as a fighter pilot running around with my hair on fire going in the wrong direction at the speed of sound. Turns out there had been a number of Academy classmates that had been praying for me for years. I was the oldest of 6 children. We grew up moving nearly every year and living on Military Bases. We were raised Seventh Day Adventist going to church every Sabbath. Being our Dad was not into church and once we become teens…we stopped going. I had always felt an emptiness and tried filling it with worldly things. As God really started working in my life in the 1985-1987, time frame…more and more Christians were being placed in front of me. While at Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB, it seemed like the entire dorm I was in had open door Bible Studies going on all the time. The night before Pastor Benefield led me to the Lord, I could not sleep and was filled with anxiety & stress. I know God was calling but felt I had to “CLEAN” myself up first otherwise I as coming out of my weakness…EXACTLY! It was after midnight when for some reason I was suddenly opened my door, burst out of my room all pale & sweating and about ran into another young 1st Lt classmate of mine. He was shocked, stepped back and asked was I okay…I told him no, and asked him what his relationship was with Jesus Christ. A big smile came over Bart’s face as he told me to wait one moment for him to go back to his room. He came back with his HUGE Thompson Chain Reference Bible and proceeded to share the Gospel with me and answer my questions. I still was not ready to fully accept Christ as my Savior. But the next day when I found myself in the backyard of Pastor Benefield…the light came on…the darkness left…the emptiness filled, and I could see clearly! I was still running around with my hair on fire, but at least now it was for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! My life has never been the same since. Our family has been active member of Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church here in Tampa/Lutz since 1999. I am currently in 2 men’s groups plus a BSF Bible Study. We have been part of a number of Adult Sunday School classes and had volunteered for years in both the Pre-School & Children’s Ministry. I also was part of our Tape/CD Ministry. My wife & I along with 4 other families initiated and built out our Adoption/Foster Care support group and Church Ministry called “FACES” it stood for For A Child’s Eternal Salvation and also the many FACES of Adoption/Foster Care of all the people whose lives were touched or involved with the process & system. Our group brought in regular seminars, events, classes, Heart Gallery etc for Adoption, Foster Care, Guardian a Litem, that eventually led to the understanding of the need for a Human Trafficking Ministry also.