The Westbrook Family

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Jimmy's Testimony

I was saved at the age of three, so my testimony is not as dramatic as some. I've never been a drug dealer or a bank robber. My parents were faithful to church. . . so in all actuality I've been going to church since 9 months before I was even born. I can't remember there ever being a time when church wasn't part of my life. Before I could even talk I had Sunday school teachers who would present the message of salvation to me. I remember being taught the three "R's" of salvation. "Realize" that you are a sinner, "Repent" or turn away from your sin, "Receive" Christ as your Savior. I don't remember much about being three years old but I do remember understanding that I needed Jesus to come into my life and save me . . .and He did.

I had never experienced life without church; I had never experienced life without the truth. The truth of one God, the truth of Jesus Christ crucified to pay for my sins, the truth of His resurrection and victory over death. These truths were just part of every day life for me. So, you can imagine my shock as a child when I realized that there were people all over the world who had never heard these truths . . . even once. I heard stories of children starving, lives destroyed, and souls trapped in darkness because they didn't have the light of truth. My heart was broken when I realized that there were children around the world who did not have the same opportunities that I did.
Why was I so special? Why did God allow me to enter this world into a place where I was sure to hear about Him and His love? Why am I not the child starving in some third world country or bowing down to some strange god? Why was I not sitting in darkness waiting to hear about God's love?
And yet there was another group of people who emerged out of these stories. People who grabbed my attention even more than the millions without light. They were men and women who had decided to do something about the darkness. They were called missionaries.

One such story that grabbed my attention was the story of five missionaries who tried to reach a stone-age tribe deep in the jungles of Ecuador. In fact the tribe was so deep in the jungles that they had to use an airplane to reach them. This fascinated me! God used their story in my life to spark an interest for missionary aviation.
I didn't need any more convincing; I knew what God wanted me to do. He wanted me to be a missionary. He wanted me to be one of those people who did something about the darkness.

It is said that one night, the famous author, Robert Louis Stevenson, was looking out of his window. In the street below there was a man lifting the covers off of the old street lamps. One by one he was lighting the lamps that would light the street that night. The door opened behind Stevenson and his governess entered the room and asked what he was doing? Robert Louis Stevenson replied, "I'm watching a man cut holes in the dark." That is what a missionary does. Whatever part of the world God sends him to he begins to cut holes in the darkness.

When we talk about the millions of lost in the world often our mind conjures up this picture of a sea of faceless people. Their clothes may differ and their skin color may vary but their faces are missing. But today I'm going to ask you to step into that sea of faceless people and become one of them. Imagine that you are lost without the light of the gospel. Imagine that you are the pagan in a foreign land without the truth. Now, are you glad that God has entrusted his message of salvation to Christians like you. Or are you wishing that he had given it to someone a little more responsible. . .a little more trustworthy. . .maybe someone with a little more vision.

I often ask myself the question why has God given me so many opportunities? Perhaps the reason he has given you so much is because he knew you would do something with those opportunities. And now the question. . .are you? What are you doing with the abundance that God has given you?

Marie's Testimony

At the age of 7 my Sunday school teacher encouraged my class to pass out tracts. So on a family vacation. . .I did! I gave a tract to one of my cousins. While explaining the tract to him, I realized my own need for a Savior. Later that night, I went to my Dad and told him that I was worried about not going to heaven. There in the bedroom of the vacation house I received Christ as my Savior.
The next year I went to Trinity Youth Camp and heard about missionaries. They explained that there were people all over the world that needed to hear the gospel. Although at the time I didnt understand completely about world missions, I went forward and surrendered to be a missionary.
Throughout my teen years the Lord continued to burden my heart for missions. After high school graduation I attended Trinity Baptist College and earned a degree in Elementary Education.

Education

Trinity

Marie and I are both graduates of Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Florida. Marie has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology.

Since, then we have continued our education and in 2007 we graduated from the Trinity Baptist College Graduate Program. Marie completed a Masters Degree in Education and mine is a Masters of Ministry.

Trinity Baptist College

Our Missions Philosophy

As missionaries, our job is to go into a region and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result of that preaching men and women of that region will be saved. Those men and women will become a church, under the leadership of the missionary. During this time the church will grow and God will provide a man of that region who can be trained as a pastor. After that man is trained in the doctrines and teachings of the word of God he will be made pastor of the church. The believers of the church should give in a sacrificial manner so that they can support the pastor and pay for the various needs of the ministry. Under the leadership of that national pastor the church should grow and be able to reach out into the community and even take on missionaries. Also, as a result of the outreach ministry of this church, God will provide men who can be trained as pastors and be sent into neighboring regions to start more indigenous churches.

Letters of Recommendation

Pastor Tom Messer

Pastor Bobby Roberson

Personal Information

Birthdays

Jimmy Westbrook - July 14, 1975

Marie Westbrook - September 25, 1976

Kara Westbrook - July 8, 2007
 
Jason Westbrook - April 22, 2011

Anniversary

July 19, 1997