Just Do It! | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Just Do It! | Previous Challenge Entry
By Janice Wappel
02/06/13
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Born and raised in Indiana, the fourth child of six children, I had a wonderful carefree life with loving parents and my five siblings. I finished high school at age 17 and entered the air force during the Vietnam war. It was in the military that I learned to drink heavily and lived a wild unchecked life with few boundaries.

After getting out of the military, I attended a Billy Graham Crusade where I heard the gospel for the first time. I was deeply moved by The Holy Spirit and invited Jesus into my heart. Since I knew very little about Christianity or the gospel, I am thankful that a small group of prayer warriors took me under their wing and taught me how to serve God. My pastor at the time had a consistent Bible study with me for a number of years and helped to give me the foundation I needed. It was during this time, I began to memorize scripture and learned how to pray and trust God.

Over the years, I have had an unofficial ministry, I have never worked as a staff member of a church and have had no one backing me except my wife and a few people who believed in what I was doing. I have given the gospel to hundreds of homeless families and to those in need. I have given out clothing, food, furniture and even money for the past 40 years because the Bible says that is what we as Christians are to do and I serve a great God who supplies all our needs.

In 2011, I heard about a prison ministry and began volunteering my time to give the gospel to the inmates. I believe God guided me all through those years of working with the homeless by preparing me for this time. I currently preach 9 services a week at a local jail and it has become a passion of mine to help the men find eternal life and hope in Christ. I believe they can change from the inside out and go on to live a meaningful and productive life by leaving their past behind them and looking forward to a new life with a rewarding future with God at the helm.

I am grateful to God for all His patience and grace that He has shown me through the years and pray I can serve Him for many more years. I pray my story will be an encouragement to others to just get out and do God’s will and don’t worry about being on staff at a church or mission board before you give the gospel to the world. Don’t worry about having just the right education and degree before you make a difference for The Kingdom of God.

Notes: Written for my husband who does so many things behind the scenes. I wrote this as if he was telling the story. I wanted to tell about his journey through the years so people can hear what God has done and is doing in his life and the lives of others.

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