Nikki's Testimony
I was born and raised in a small town in Nebraska. I grew up in a Christian home but my mom and dad divorced when I was 5 years old. I became saved when I was around 8 years old and although I was taught truth at home and at church, I really didn't understand what it meant to "know God or even walk with him". My life growing up was spent trying to figure out where I fit in. I knew the things I should and shouldn't do but I wasn't strong in the Lord and I eventually caved into my flesh. I found it harder and harder to say no to things I should have and my testimony for Christ was no longer seen. A year out of High School I became pregnant and my life was shaken. I had nowhere to turn but to God and this is right where he wanted me back in his arms. God used the pregnancy to turn me back to him and that is exactly what happened. I was able to face my sins for what they were and God blessed me with a beautiful baby girl. I married her dad 17 years ago and we have two beautiful daughters. Sierra is now 16 and Brooke is 14 and they have been such blessings from the Lord! In 2007 we sold our home and most of our belongings and enrolled in New Tribes Bible Institute in Wisconsin. We graduated in 2009 and finished the training in Missouri at the Missions Training Center in 2010. God has taken us on an amazingly tough but rewarding Journey! We are now missionaries living and serving in Papua New Guinea.
Travis'
I also was born and raised in the same small town in Nebraska as my wife, although we never crossed paths for 18 years. Being brought up in a religious home, my family was a part of the World Wide Church Of God. I cannot say this church was a Christ based, faith based church. I remember being taught many of the Old Testament stories, along with the Old Testament came a very legalistic stand, and works based type theology, and a false stand on Christ and allegorizing of the New Testament. Although I can say I learned some very good morals and values I was never introduced to Christ or what a relationship with Him was or looked like. Growing up in this type of religion only pushed me further away from God and religion. I can recall the first time I got drunk was at age 12 and started using Chewing tobacco at the age of 14. Because of the Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown being the "sabbath" I was never allowed to participate or mature in any sports. This only driving deeper in me the passion to escape from the grasp of Gods hand. I turned to drugs and alcohol and spent all my time watching the clock waiting for that day I would turn 18. That day finally came in May 93 and I was free of the religious grasp of the Church. At that time I had found some friends that were into the Rodeo scene. I followed suit and found myself strapped to the back of a bucking horse in Lagrange Wy. In June of 93 I went to the Rodeo Bible camp in Lagrange Wy. and I promise you I never seen the "Bible" part in this heading. I went there just to hang out with my friends and try to learn how to stay on the top side of these crazy horses and I found much more. One night we had a tall saddle bronc cowboy come into our tent and talked with us about Christ and laid out God's plan for our salvation through faith in His son Jesus Christ. I closed my eyes and said God this sounds to good to be true but I know I have been sinning and I know I need a savior. If you say believe I will believe. I fell asleep and never told my friends about my decision to trust Christ. In July of 93 I met this beautiful little lady and I was never the same. Nikki being a Christian I followed her anywhere she went including into a Church building. Nikki and I dated for 3 years and lived and acted like the world told us to, in sin. The summer of 96 we found out Nikki was pregnant and life changed. We had been engaged for 2 years and had plans to marry but not for 1 more year. On August 17, 1996 Travis and Nikki became one although I had no idea what that meant. We had gone through marriage counseling but I only did this so I could marry Nikki. For years we went through marriage fighting about Church and trying to find happiness in work, jobs, insurance, cars, and never finding that peace we were both wanting. Jumping ahead about 10 years the Lord finally decided it was time to get my attention. He sent me on a short term mission trip to New Orleans. During this trip He grabbed my mind, heart and my family and showed us that He desired us to be involved full time in what He was doing. This trip was in February of 2007 and I returned home and within 3 months the Lord had sold our home, finished up and closed down our business and had us accepted and on our way to New Tribes Bible Inst. in Waukesha WI. We spent the next 2 years studying and learning about God, His plan and our part in His work. God worked not only in our knowledge of His Holy Word but also in our marriage and my relationship with both of my daughters. Nikki and I both agree that these were to date the best 2 years of our marriage and lives. Up to this point we thought we were heading into disaster relief missions work but after 1 year at the New Tribes Bible Inst. we found our hearts and minds being directed in the work God is doing on the other side of the world. As we continue to follow and trust Gods leading we headed to New Tribes Mission Training in Missouri in Aug, 2009. Here we found God shaping and molding our minds and lives to His desired purpose. Church planting is what God wanted us to be a part of and not only church planting but cross cultural church planting in Papua New Guinea. It's amazing to look back and reflect on God at work. God allowed me to grow up in a false religion for 18 years and then within days of leaving this religion He saved me from the penalty of sin which is death that I did deserve. Days after that He joined me with my life long partner Nikki. After several years of living a life without Him, He allowed a sin that we committed to be one of the greatest blessing of my life. He gave me a wonderful, beautiful daughter. A couple years later He gave me a second beautiful daughter. He blessed me with a wife that knew Him and wanted to walk with Him. Then, He pulls me into His work and takes a messed up, inadequate carpenter and sends us through 4 years of training and then allows us to travel the world on His behalf. He took a lost soul out of lies and false teaching and then shows this soul my position in Christ and equips me to be a part of translating His word and planting churches in areas of this world that I never heard of before.
I want to praise God for how wonderful and powerful He really is. He not only pulled me out of this false religion but several years ago He allowed my parents and many other family members to have the veil removed and broke apart this vary large and wealthy religious group. My parents are now saved by the grace of God in and through Jesus Christ.
I for years have had lots of anger towards this religious organization and my parents. I would like to say to my parents thank you for being so committed to what they believed in. Crazy I know, but I understand they took a lot of heat for their commitment to their beliefs. I can now see Gods hand in play during the whole process and God knew what He was doing. God now has a tremendous testimony through the lives of my parents. I know my parents have the truth and I have seen their dedication to the Lord. I have been greatly blessed to have parents such as mine and praise God for the life He has given me.
In Christ
Travis Ray
