Spiritually, my parents set a good example for us. We'd go out in service every saturday. I remember going to other halls with my dad to watch him give talks. Matt and I would race eachother to see who would get to the scripture first. We'd have speakers over who were very encouraging. I enjoyed reading the yearbooks and my original goal was to go to bethel. When I found out that single sisters weren't accepted, I decided to become a pioneer. The truth made so much sense to me. I wanted to live forever making the earth into a paradise. I dedicated my life to Jehovah and got baptized 1/13/1990.
Michelle was born when I was a senior in high school. It was a joy to get to see her grow from a little baby to a cute smart girl. After graduating in '94 I pioneered and worked at KFC. Pioneering was the most rewarding experience for I drew closer to the brothers and sisters in the hall and learned to express my faith better to others. Pioneer Service School also was a tremendous learning experience as I saw other young ones express their faith in a schoollike setting. I don't regret spending over 4 years serving Jehovah full time after high school. They were the most satisfying of my life.
Matt got married to a sister of a sister who was a friend of mine at pioneer school. It was a happy time for him but for me I was in a dead end relationship with a brother which I knew in my heart wasn't going anywhere. I realized that I needed a change. A new life away from my old one so I could grow on my own.
So on January 1 2000 I moved out with my friend Dawn Keller. We packed up our things and my dad drove with us down to Hendersonville, North Carolina where we moved into a furnished apartment owned by a brother. My goal was to help out a Spanish speaking congregation. For 6 months I was a southerner, going to a spanish hall. It was quite an adjustment for me. I did cleaning work, and canvassed for the 2000 census bureau. I love it down south and maybe one day Freddy and I will return down there to visit or something else.
Anyways, when Dawn moved out of our apartment I needed a new roommate. I was anxious to be closer to my parents and so when Dawn's friend Deb said she needed to move out it seemed the perfect opportunity for me to move north again. We found a cute apartment in Allentown and Deb's put up with me for almost 4 years. We've been through a lot. And I've grown to love her as a real sister! And now I'm starting a new journey as a wife of the man I love. There you have it, the abridged version of my life.
Whew! |
