Tulsa Testimonies
Earlier this week, The Southern Spirit published a story highlighting the ministry and mission of The Salvation Army in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here are three testimonies from those who have been touched by that ministry.
Justin Nance
My marriage fell apart after twenty years. I was totally devastated. My heart was broken to pieces. At that time, I was building a trucking company so I could leave a legacy for my daughters. It left me mentally unstable. I was never into hard drugs, but I just couldn’t get it together. It hurts me that I can’t be part of my daughters’ lives, to be there for my girls. I believe that God is going to restore things somehow.
Then the Lord led me to the ARC. The Lord has made it clear to me since I have been here that I have a calling. I have been focused on the Lord, on His Word day and night. I spend time in the chapel, and He’s speaking to me through His people.
God sends people to me. I try to encourage the other guys and tell them to bring everything to the Lord and leave it in His hands. We need to develop a routine where you spend time with God.
I spend time at the Citadel. I’m there every Sunday and am active with whatever I can do. I feel strongly that God wants me to be a soldier and an officer. I believe God is going to redeem all this that has gone wrong. I believe God wants me to be a warrior in His Army, The Salvation Army. First, that means being a good follower but also doing what I can to develop my leadership. That involves recruiting others.
Jesus Christ is my life. He is everything. He will show up tremendously in a person’s life and turn it around. I am a witness to that. I’m excited about being a soldier, about this path that the Lord has set out for me. I want to help the Army do what it can, to do its mission. I don’t want what Justin wants. I don’t want to do what Justin wants to do. I want what God wants from me.
Christina Throckmorton
My ex-husband came through the ARC in 2017. That’s when I started to learn about The Salvation Army. I was a stay-at-home mom before the divorce, so when that happened, I didn’t know what to do. Someone told me the ARC was looking for an administrative assistant. I was able to get the job and became more involved with the ARC. I saw all they were doing for the men. The light went on, and I could see that God was there and that He could heal them.
I remarried a couple of years ago to another man who went through the ARC. We started attending church about a year ago. Captains Erik and Michelle helped to bridge the gap between the ARC and the corps. Captain Michelle took me to women’s camp and then to family camp. That helped me to really grow.
I was attracted by the joy that came across from the people in the ARC and then later when I came to the corps. I saw it at the camps I attended as well. I saw it from the officers. Even when they were going through a hard time, they still showed joy.
In time, I became a soldier, and I feel God has called me to be an officer, but my husband isn’t ready for that. So, for now I’m content with working at the ARC and attending the corps. I can teach Sunday school, go out and feed the homeless, and just minister wherever I am as much as I can.
I like the way the corps people come over to the ARC and serve at the banquets. They help get our men involved in the corps activities. They invite the men to men’s camp and all the things they have to offer.
God has done so much in my life. I made a lot of mistakes, including fighting my own temptation to abuse a substance. He is opening doors for me to repair relationships with my family. He has said, “This is the time,” and opened the door.
Scooter Lewis
I have struggled with substance abuse most of my life. I owned a fairly large company but also worked for some other large companies. I found out it didn’t bring me happiness, and I became hopeless. Things happened between my family and me, and I went into a deep depression. A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to try methamphetamines. Shortly after, I was dependent on them to cover up my wounds. After two years, my money was depleted; I became homeless and hopeless. I’d go into rehab, do well for a while, but fall apart because I knew nothing about faith.
I hit a roadblock. It was a vicious cycle for years. I couldn’t stop using. I was homeless with nowhere to turn and no friends. I tried to take my life with fentanyl. I woke up eight hours later, and the law was there with some warrants for my arrest. I went to jail for six months. I had some violent felonies that should have taken me to prison for five years.
I had a Bible in my cell the whole time, but I never thought about picking it up. I was reading a John Grisham book and came across the words, “You have to start praying.” I didn’t think much of it until later in the book I read, “You have not started praying. You have to start praying now.” So, I just asked God, “You apparently have something for me. You’re speaking to me.” Then I went to trial, and they said, “We got you into The Salvation Army.” I didn’t know anything about The Salvation Army except the homeless shelter. They told me it was the ARC, and the people there were talking about the Bible and prayer and that you needed to change.
They took me to a retreat at Camp Hoblitzelle with some of the other guys, and in one of the meetings something happened to me. I just started crying out to the Lord. The other guys said it went on for a long time. I was begging Him to change my life. He hit me with the Holy Spirit. I remember that.
I started to devote myself to God, started to really pray to Him. Isaiah, who’s now my best friend, told me to start reading the Gospel of Mark. I didn’t do it. I told God, “I don’t like to read. There’s no way I can comprehend it.” So, I started with five minutes. But I kept telling God I didn’t want to do it. Then one night I looked at my clock and I had been reading for over an hour! I was really drawn to the Word after that.
I started witnessing to people. Then I started doing devotions. I had times when I was a little confused with what God was doing and got a little mad at Him, but He kept moving me forward. I became a soldier, and I know that God is calling me to be an officer. I’m surprised and happy that He is speaking through me to other people.
Now God has opened the door for me to move into employment with The Salvation Army and out of the ARC. It is amazing because I needed to do that, and I didn’t know how I could. But God answered my prayers.
The involvement in both the ARC and the corps has been life changing with the guys from the ARC. I have come from the deepest, darkest valley a man could come from – absolutely hopeless. But there is a way out and it’s through the Word of God and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.