About us.
Hi! My name is Rebecca Ellis and my husband is Jim. We just added little Emma to our family in May 2011 and I am now expecting our second child in August 2012. In 2009, we moved from our roots in the East to plant new seeds in the Midwest. We have been serving the Lord as laymen in the Midwest for two-and-a-half years at a steadily growing church plant.
My testimony.
My parents both raised their children to honor and serve the Lord. We faithfully attended church, received a Christian education from home, and fellowshiped often with other Christians regularly. One might say, I had a plush Christian upbringing. When I was about seven years old, we had evangelistic meetings at our church. I remember being troubled about some things the preacher said. So one evening after a service, I spoke to my mother about what it meant to be saved. It was at that time, I prayed to accept Christ as my Savior well-lets say for the first time. Up into my young teen years, I would often lie in bed doubting whether or not Christ had truly forgiven me of my sins and ask Him to save me again. It wasn't until I was around the age of fourteen that I began to indulge in Spiritual matters and start to really know Christ as my Savior and Friend. I also started reading books on the Amish and Mennonite beliefs. I decided to wear plain clothes and a head-covering because I felt it made me more godly. My parents wisely allowed me to discover truths for myself, but it was one conversation I had with my mother that changed the tide of my heart. I had said something very critical of another Christian because that person did not dress or act like I thought a genuine Christian should. My mother took me aside and after pointing out that she was grateful for how the Lord was growing me to be like Him, but the sourness of my tongue toward others showed where my heart really was. My heart was totally focused and depending on the outward display of my faith that I had spent little to no time looking at the disgusting nature of my own heart. I realized I had completely misunderstood God's grace. It was that day that I gave up the outward show and began to let God change my heart. One of the first things He asked for was my life, which I freely gave to Him for His divine plan.
Educational History.
In 1998, I graduated from high school from there I attended one year of Bible School. After that year, I attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC and obtained a bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences (the technical name for home economics). I also minored in psychology because I loved to help people and enjoyed learning how the mind works. Then I stayed on a couple more years and got a masters in elementary education. After graduating, I went on staff for a couple years until I met and married my Beloved.
My Romance.
This is my favorite story to tell. It is still amazing to me how the Lord works. I am in continual praise for His goodness to me in the absolutely amazing man He has given me to be with all my life. Although Jim and I attended Bob Jones University at the same time, the Lord never allowed our paths to cross. It wasn't until I was on staff that on one of his visits to friends in the area, he was strongly encouraged by a mutual acquaintance to ask me out. He did so grudgingly and I agreed grudgingly. Neither of us were prepared for each other at that time, but God was planting seeds in our hearts. It was a year before Jim made another trip to Greenville. We had not given a thought about each other in all that time. I was making plans to work on a kibbutz in Israel and was seeking the specific "go" from the Lord. My mother asked me at the beginning of the week what she could be in prayer for me about. As humorous as it sounds, I told her to pray that my future husband would ask me out on a date that very week. If not, I would take it as God clear direction to go to Israel and I would make the final preparations. She agreed to pray. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoon came and I was working when I heard my name called from the back of the room. There was Jim. He asked me to meet him the next day. I agreed and we had a wonderful visit. He had a desire to go to Puerto Rico to work on missionary aircraft for the West Indies. Ironically, I was going on a short trip there in a couple weeks with my parents to help a small Church Camp. After our visit, he asked to write. We corresponded for a month before he came to visit me and ask me to date. He was serious. The next couple months he visited several times--each time we both knew more and more that our relationship was of the Lord. After three months of dating, he asked me to marry him. Three months after that, we got married.
My baby.
Emma Grace was born May 10, 2011. She is a charmer and looks more like her Daddy every day. Being her mother is one of the greatest joys of my life.
