Carolyn's Story

God has blessed me greatly in my life. I was born into a family that loved the Lord. My parents and grandparents taught me about God. I was saved at VBS when I was eight years old. The Polk County associational missionary talked to us. He had several continuous lengths of ribbon (the colors of the wordless book) that he used to illustrate the blackness of sin and the redeeming blood of Jesus. I knelt by a chair. Daddy found me and asked, “Carolyn, are you lost?” “Yes!” I said. That day I received heart knowledge and not just head knowledge of our Savior.

Shortly after I was saved, Daddy was called to preach. As he served in churches, God used wonderful Christians to keep laying that foundation of faith in my life.

VBS and Camp Cherokee were also an important part of growing my faith. At that time, we didn’t do “mission trips”, but my parents’ lives and home were all about missions. Around my mother’s table sat well-known evangelists, missionaries, and anyone Daddy brought home in need of a good meal. I watched my parents take disadvantaged children to the barber, shopping and to Lake Winnipesaukah as a treat. We were taught to do unto others.

God blessed me by letting me marry a fine Christian man who also was raised in a Godly home. Thankful for Russ Duggan who said:”As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We have a daughter, son in law, (Jennifer and Jonathan ) and a son, Andy. Both our kids were saved at home.

First Baptist Church Athens has been many wonderful things to us. A balm, a wonderful place to worship, and a place we have made new Christian friends. One of the most important things this church has done for us is to put us to work! I thank God for the opportunity to work with children and am in awe of the number of people in the church who give their time to nurture children in the Lord. First Baptist Athens is a wonderful place to grow your family spiritually. Come and see!