OUTLINE FOR PRESENTATION

I. TESTIMONY
II. HOW I CAME TO DO A MISSION
III. HOW I CHOSE PELICAN MINISTRIES
IV. DISCUSS YOUTH GROUP
V. DISCUSS MEETING LILY
VI. WORKING WITH THE KIDS
VII. EXPERIENCES WITH THE KIDS
VIII. MANICURE DAY AND GOODY BAGS
IX. HOMELESS SHELTER EXPERIENCE
X. CHURCH EXPERIENCE

THE SEVEN MINUTE TESTIMONY

So everyone here pretty much knows who I am but may not know my story. While in Florida they gave us a mini course in missionary training. The training that they gave us was called the 7 minute testimony. The 7 minute testimony consists of several things. So I am going to come over them and this could just be a little exercise for us to do to keep you involved this evening. So here it is:

1. Testimony can’t go over 7 minutes.
2. Introduce yourself; give your name, age, and where you are from.
3. Give a little background in to your family life, if your parents are still together and if you grew up in the church.
4. Tell your story
5. Testimony should end on how you got where you are today.

After the testimony, then it is time for the affirmation. An affirmation or when someone affirms you they are giving you their opinion. When giving the opinion it is something that the other person can relate to or something that they applaud about you or realize that there is something that you may have in common with this person. The affirmation can last 3 minutes.

So I am going to attempt to give my testimony and I may get emotional if I do I am nervous so I will do my best to get through it. Before I can though I need someone with a watch or cell phone that has a timer. (Get someone from the audience to sit on the front pew and tell them when I start talking to start timing and when it starts counting down and I have 3 minutes left give me a warning and then tell me to stop when time is up)

TESTIMONY

Here it goes. My name is Misty Lyons; I am 33 years old and from here in Kentucky. I grew up with both parents in the home and they are still married til this day and I also lived with a little sister. I started out in church about the age of 9 or 10 with my grandparents. I started going to church went to church all the time. Then when I was about 13, I started coming here to Eastside Baptist Church and started being part of the youth group. At the age of 14, it was in November 1994. It was Bro. Bobby Forshee last Sunday preaching here and I came to the alter and prayed with the preacher and asked Jesus in my heart and was baptized later that day. On up in the high school I was still big in the church and the youth group. Then after I graduated high school, I started dating more seriously and socializing more and I started backsliding in church. At that age I started thinking more of trying to have a boyfriend then going to church.

Then at 19, I decided I was going to go to Western and get a degree. The first year I stayed in the dorm and hated it. I had to switch roommates a couple of times. I had one that partied all the time and come in all hours of the night and bring boys in her room while I was trying to do school and work. So I decided the second year, I was just going to commute and work full time and live at home. During this time, I met my now ex-husband, we were working at a factory and he was about ten years older than me. Well me and him get involved, it all lovely, and within 6 months we were married. I thought I had married the one and decided to go ahead and graduate with an Associate’s Degree so that I can be a wife and a stepmom.

Within six months of the marriage, my husband, Kenny is his name, just turned a complete 180. He was like Jekyll and Hyde. He ended up just being a mean drunk. He drank all the time, then he would lie, miss work, and cheat. It was never ending cycle and after 2 ½ years I decided I can’t work on a relationship alone it takes two people, so I threw in the towel and got divorced.

So after the divorce, I was