2005/2006 Master's Commission Students
Melynda Haynes, age 23 of Ephrata, PA knows that this is the place God has called her to be. “When I first felt God pushing me to come to Masters Commission, I told Him why I could not go. I made a list of four things. As I prayed about coming here, God began removing each reason from that list. My parents were going through a tough time financially and I didn’t have a job. We weren’t sure how we’d come up with the tuition money. God used friends and family members who believed in me to support me financially and He also gave me a job so I could earn a portion of the funds. I had promised my church I would help out with the junior high girls small group, but then God raised up another person to take my place. I did not have any medical coverage, but God provided a way for me to get great health insurance. It was just sign after sign that God was going to faithfully remove all the roadblocks. The piece that excited me most about coming here was being able to not only be a full time student, and travel, but also having the opportunity to do ministry at the same time. I’m excited to be able to do what God has called me to do: to minister to His people. I really want to get to know God on a more intimate level this year. I want to know more about myself and the calling that God has placed upon my life. I want to be stronger when I leave this program then I was when I first came here. Please pray for me that I will stay focused & not get distracted by things that could hinder my walk with God, my education here, or the ministry here at GZMC.
Lindsey Lacombe, age 18 of Fitchburg, MA feels very confident that this is the place God has called her to be. “He gave me confirmation after confirmation in regards to Masters Commission that He had this in His plan for me. Historically, my dad, who is a very spiritual man, is never quick to make major decisions without a lot of prayer. In this case, he came to a place of confidence that this was the right road for me to take, in just four days. Initially, one thing that really captured my interest was the opportunity to minister through dramas and human videos. To me, this is an act of worship, and I am quite enthused about anything related to the dramas and human videos. At the end of this year, I really hope that I have a deeper romance with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have a desire to know Him in such an intimate way, that people will know who I have been spending my time with, without me ever saying a single word. Please pray that I would be able to remain focused on God and God alone. I am very easily distracted. I often allow my thoughts to amble down a million different rabbit tracks when I am supposed to be praying or ministering.”
Kimi Clark, age 18 of Cape May, NJ was feeling a little lost, until God told her to stop by a GZMC table set up in her hometown. “For the past 6 months I have been trying to figure out where God was going to take me next. I applied to several colleges and got accepted. Even though I was accepted, my college plans were just not working out. I asked God to show me the Jeremiah 29:11 plans he had for me. So I finally just decided to go to a local community college in my home town because I still wasn’t sure and I had so much doubt about the places I was applying . Later, on a random weekend in July, I went to the “Closer Walk” youth convention held on the beach in Wildwood, NJ. There was a GZMC table set up. I walked right by it at first, but God said to me, “Turn around and walk over to that table.” I had no idea why He told me to do that, but I finally obeyed. As I stood at the table talking with Shane, God was telling me that I needed to be with GZMC and I had no doubts about it. Three weeks later, I was packing to leave for Master’s Commission. The piece that excited me the most about coming here is knowing that God is going to change my life and relationship with Him forever. I want to focus my life on God, only God, and nothing else. Doing that will be easier knowing that I’m around eight other people who want the same thing. Please pray that I stay focused on God, that He uses me in many ways, that every day is different and that I become closer with Him.”
Mike Luis, age 20 of Landenberg, PA put another dream on hold to follow God’s call on his life. “God closed the door on restaurant school and opened the door to MC. I wasn’t pleased at it at first, but I knew it’s not about me, it’s all about God and His will. As I was deciding to find an MC far away, God showed me a vision and how He was using me here at my home church, praying, worshiping, and totally being used by Him. That’s when I knew that GZMC was where God wanted me to be. I’ve really grown a love for ministering through human videos and reaching out to the youth and adults. I also enjoy the many outreaches like soup kitchens and homeless centers. Having a love for being around youth, I was excited to hear that GZMC would be doing a lot of inner city kid ministries as well. This year I’m going to put a lot of time and work into the academics, the ministries, and the outreaches and I hope that along the way, the Lord will reveal to me my path in this life. I am hoping that I will become more knowledgeable of His Word and feel more prepared when witnessing to people who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pray that I’m just not myself, the regular old “Mike Luis”. I want to be a completely different man of God, where everything I say, everything I do, comes from God. I really want to see God leading me in life through these next nine months and beyond. Thank you so much. God bless.”
Rob Cochran, age 20 came to GZMC from Bluffton, SC. “I’ve lived in Pittsburgh most of my life until my family moved here to New London. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Bluffton to pursue college & God’s call on my life. When I was 12, I felt God placing a call on my heart to become a youth minister and I have sought out the path that he would take me to that point since then. I believe that being a part of GZMC is the begging of that path. Knowing Mike, Drew, and Christine for the year I was here, prior to leaving for Bluffton, and knowing the way they run intense, Christ centered ministry told me that GZMC was going to be an exciting program that God was going to use to radically change my life. I really hope to get a clear definition of God’s plan and purpose for the next few years of my life. I know that He has a will and plan for me and I want Him to use these 9 months to reveal some of the details. Please pray for me that God’s perfect will be done in my life and that He will give me the strength to follow the path that He has set before me. I am excited to be here & I can’t wait to see what God’s gonna do.”
Ben Dieterly, age 19 of Providence, RI really feels called here, knowing how God arranged all the details. “In late November I received a mailer in my mail box concerning GZMC. I was interested but, I knew that I could never afford tuition at the salary I was making. Two months later, I received a raise along with a promotion, making it possible for me to save up enough money to come. I’m excited to be able to set aside this time for God and to be able to grow in Him like never before. I hope to gain some real life ministry experience here to that I’ll be able to use in future ministry. I feel that God is calling me to be a youth minister and that this is a stepping stone in that direction. Please pray that I would grow in God in every area of my life, and that God would stretch me to be the man of God that He would like me to become.”
Daniel Henderson, age 18 came to GZMC from Northpole, Alaska by way of Overland Park, Kansas. After finding our website, Daniel asked God for a clear, unmistakable provision. “I asked God to lead me to the place where I was supposed to go and then to secondly, provide the necessary financial means for my participation. The Lord did that here. I think I’m most excited about the abundance of ministry opportunities that I will be exposed to in the next nine months. I can’t wait to get involved and be able to share the Gospel of Christ with everyone that I work with. I want to focus on God and have an abundance of His presence in every area of my life. Please pray that I take full advantage of this great opportunity and that I truly seek God throughout this whole process of being at Masters and becoming more like Christ.”
Josh Mericle, age 19 of West Grove, PA believes that this is the next step in the process of training to become an administrator for a strong Youth Ministry. “I believe that God is going to use the next 9 months to strengthen my knowledge of what has to take place in the inner workings of a strong youth ministry. While I’m here, I know that God will use me to reach out the students and help them grow in their faith. I’m most exited about being able to learn about and do hands-on ministry, while simultaneously learning more about Him and deepening our relationship. I really hope to nail down God’s will for my life during the next nine months and learn to connect with Him on a deeper level. Please pray for me that He will give me the strength to do well in my academics, the discipline to grow closer to Him, and the clarity to discern his plan and purpose for my life.”
Danny Kauten, age 20 came to GZMC from Sycamore, IL.. Danny spent 9 months with Carolina Master’s Commission and is doing his second year with GZMC. “I really feel that God has called me to be a youth pastor. I enjoy working with teenagers. I had no-one there for me during my difficult teenage years, so I want to be there as a mentor/role model for other teens to look up to. I want to be able to pour out what I know, and have been through, to give them hope, comfort and understanding. I like to be very adventurous and explore, so I was excited to be coming to a land that I didn’t know. I was very excited about all the outreach GZMC does with youth. I feel that this is the aspect of ministry God wants me to focus on for now. At the end of these 9 months, I want to look back & see that God has brought me deeper in my relationship with Him. I hope to have discovered my gifts and learned to walk and minister in them. I want a deeper intellect of God and His word. And I desire a deeper passion for Him and a brokenness in my life that demands I put Him first. I expect to leave here with life long friends, and memories. Pray for me that God may empower me through his Word and Spirit to become more knowledgeable of the things of Christ, that God will break me apart physically, emotionally, & spiritually this year and finally, that my passion for Him continue to be strong.”
