From the moment I sat down in the pew to the moment I walked to the altar that day God was speaking to me through every song , through every prayer , even the Sunday School lesson . From 9 a . m . God spoke to me . Before the pastor even opened altar call I was in front of the church . I surrendered my life . My way wasn ’ t working . I was tired . I was so tired . Tired of just being tired . I was baptized on the same day in Jesus name . The weight stayed in the water . I was so light . I was so alive . Four days later they put me in a room with an old lady and I tarried for the Holy Ghost . I called on Jesus and He answered my heart and my soul and took over . Since that day I have not smoked . I have not drank anything stronger than a glass of wine . I was healed immediately . I became a new creature . Since then it ’ s been a bunch of decisions that I had to make . I had to decide whether I want my way or His way . His way has led to my earning my master ’ s degree at Loyola University in Chicago .
All By Faith
I am a graduate student at Loyola studying social justice and community development . I am one class away from graduation . This summer I will be going to Kenya for my internship , working with women who are HIV positive . I have been awesomely blessed to come to Chicago and receive a top-notch education . It ’ s mind boggling how blessed I ’ ve been when I think about where I come from to where I am now . It ’ s no coincidence . It ’ s no question that I am where I am because God has placed me here . In South Carolina , I was a program manager for a federally funded after-school program and the funding ran out . I was left with the decision of what to do next . In the after-school program , I saw the connection between poor housing , poor health care and poor education . I wanted to pursue a career where I could make a difference in that area . I made a decision to start applying for social justice graduate programs . There
Photo courtesy of Connie Johnson Connie Johnson will travel to Kenya this summer to work with women at Living Positive Kenya .
were only two in the country — one in Chicago and one in Arizona . The idea of moving to Chicago was crazy to me . I actually backed out of applying to Loyola several times but the idea would not leave me alone . I finally said , “ I ’ m going to fill out the application so they can deny me .” The exact day my position ended , June 30 , 2011 , I received an acceptance letter from Loyola . By September 4th , I had arrived in Chicago . This May I will receive my master ’ s degree . On May 20th I will be leaving for Ngong , Kenya , an area on the outskirts of Nairobi , for an eight-week internship with an organization called Living Positive Kenya . I will be doing case studies as well as learning about programming and developing for women living with HIV and AIDS that promote autonomy and independence .
It ’ s all by faith . I haven ’ t bought a ticket but it ’ s coming . He hasn ’ t brought me this far to not provide . I went to Kenya last summer with a group . Before we could get out of the cars , these women came pouring out of concrete buildings — singing , laughing , giving us huge hugs .
They minister to me . This is an experience about me learning from them . They live under conditions that are unimaginable but they still sing . They still dance . They still smile . In between the tears there is a joy that I have never seen . If these women with all of the poverty and what they have to go through just to get water , can have that kind of joy , I ’ ll never complain again .
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 Spring 2013 / The Well Magazine 23