Haines

Keith Jones

Personal Testimony

February 2009

I was privileged to be raised in an evangelical Christian home. My Dad was saved under the ministry of the Billy Sunday. My Mom came to faith in her late teens after searching for the truth for some time.

From my earliest days I was taught the Scriptures and songs of the faith. I remember one night at the age of four or five asking Christ to be my Savior.

I was also privileged to attend a Christian grade school which has to this day strong Biblical teaching and emphasis on Christian service as well as excellent academics. The truths learned there have stuck with me and given a firm foundation for life and ministry. One hymn in particular that I learned in 7^th grade is “Praise the Savior Ye Who Know Him”. Sound theology…great logic…and easy tune to learn…I recommend it!

Our home church emphasized Bible teaching, Christian service and missions. (Sort of sounds like the school, doesn’t it?) Sunday School and youth group formed a bond that still exists. The “youth” still get together when several of us are in town! During those years the youth enjoyed excellent leadership from two couples that were preparing for full time ministry at Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute.

Four special memories are related to the Glen Ellyn Bible Church:

Memorizing James 1:5 on my way to Sunday School. At that time it was part of a contest. Since then it has become an integral part of life. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t silently claim that verse.
Serving regularly with the youth group in nursing homes and rescue missions in Chicago. We didn’t especially enjoy it, especially the nursing homes! But we were molded by it. Seems like “In the Garden” was the national anthem of the nursing homes
Publicly dedicating my life for whatever the Lord wanted for me. It was February 9, 1959 at the close of a missions conference. I was one of several youth that went forward at that time. Then I thought the Lord had missionary aviation in my future.
Being baptized (yes, by immersion) around the age of 16.

Being raised in Wheaton, IL, Wheaton College had a great influence in my life. I remember attending the campus revival in 1949 as a child of six years old. We had students living in an apartment my folks had built in the basement of our home. My grandmother rented rooms to students. A high percentage of students at that time were fresh from World War II service and were seriously preparing for missionary work.

The college, our community, our church and I were all deeply impacted when the five guys were killed by the Aucus in Ecuador. That event and books such as “Through Gates of Splendor” and “Jungle Pilot” along with teaching and example from church, school and home made Christian service and especially missions the most logical path for a Christian.

One special memory was helping an aunt and uncle prepare to leave for Ecuador to serve with HCJB. Our job as kids was to pound all the shoes on the gravel driveway. Back then missionaries went for five year terms. Good shoes for a growing family were important. Making them “used” to pass through Customs was also important.

Where was there a combination of Bible, missions and aviation? Moody Bible Institute was the best choice. I believe without a doubt that it was God’s place for me. Why?

That’s where I met Jan on a blind date! Our gracious Lord knew that she had drive, skills and attitude toward things that I needed. We were both already headed toward overseas ministry when we met.
That’s where I was impacted by Ephesians 4:12 in a Christian Ed class taught by Gene Getz.
That’s where I learned Bible and theology in a way that would sustain us through years of ministry.
That’s where I faced my first “death” to a ministry vision when I washed out of flight training.

These formative years have been followed by:

Missions service with TEAM in Columbia and Venezuela. That work included film, literature and youth ministry, as well as teaching in three Bible institutes. That also included my second and third “death” to a ministry vision. You have no idea how hard it was to return to the USA.
Pastoral ministry in Ohio that we tried our best to avoid. Looking back, it provides great encouragement as we see God at work.
Return to another type of mission ministry through Christian Aid and then Equipping The Saints.

My passion is still Ephesians 4:12 and following verses. My need is still James 1:5. My goal is to finish well.

Maranatha,
Keith Jones

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