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