Cherie's Testimony

Hi! My name is Cherie Andrews. I am 31 and a wife and mom. I live in my hometown Orange Texas.  I grew up here, next door to my present home. I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church almost all my life.  I received Jesus as my savior at age of eight at Vacation Bible School. I was baptized there. Then I grew up in the youth department at this church and was on fire for God, my senior year. In between time,  I had allot of teens wandered a way off for awhile in a effort to be "cool".  When I went to college I hooked up with a christian club and we all became best friends and did everything together. I met this guy that was a christian but yet, he went out to dance hall and drank, in following in his footsteps was deceived into thinking if he can do it and be a christian so can I. I fell into sin and went wayward of the world along time. But after,  he used me and then dumped me. I still was partying harder than before. Drinking like a fish. I never did dope though. But alcohol was the thing of cool for me at the time. I was hanging out with this girl and she was dating someone, and they introduced me to the guy's twin brother. Well we met at the dance hall. and we started to date. Well one thing led to another and we became engaged. Met in January of 1986, and engaged in March of 86, then was married in May on my 20th birthday, MY parents were not to keen on idea but saw that we were serious, and said if  I came back home, had moved out for a week.  They would help us, and we couldn't be "together" until we were married. Well I didn't like those rules at the time but adhered to them as best as I could. Anyway, we married. Had a long road ahead financially. Lots of hardship financially along the way and bad feelings in the family toward him. We had a girl and I decided to go back to church to the Baptist church. But couldn't deal with taking my girl by myself. So I quit, after that we were on the verge of bankruptcy, and was scared to death. I was washing dishes one day when the Lord whispered to me, I am still here, I have not left you, come back to me and I will take care of you and your family. So I started back to baptist church again with a new fervency. I got pregnant with my son. I was baptized again as adult since I had reconciled with God. When I had my son, I was in the hospital 30 miles away from hospital where my husband 's grandpa was dying. So he was torn in between us and saying good bye to his grandpa. Our Son was born Thursday, September 17, Grandpa died Saturday September 19.  It was a sad night for us all. Anyhow, after that awhile later Gerald was saved, Hallelujah! He started going to Baptist church with me. We were watching TBN all the time and we were listening to his aunt tell us of Baptism of Holy Spirit. I became increasingly hungry for it. God prepared me, He had me watch TBN and all they were talking about one day on every program was the power of the Holy Spirit baptism.  So I started asking God for it, I called Gerald's aunt she answered some questions and invited me to a prayer meeting in her church (tiny full gospel) and I went the next day. The ladies prayed for me to receive the Holy Spirit,. I did right there. I saw it in a vision God showed me the day before where, how and the exact spot I would be . I told God if this is Real I want it too. Next thing I knew I was speaking in tongues. We started going to her church for the next two years and as we grew,  the church didn't so God led us elsewhere. My husband desired it also after seeing the change in me. He was baptized eight months after me,  at home after a church service.  He was baptized in water at the tiny church.  We both now serve God on the Internet counseling people online. And we go to another church which is Spirit -filled. We did go to another church in between. God has expanded our gifts of the Spirit and given us a ministry in our own home. Praise the Good Lord,  This was only a short version of all the happenings in my life with serving God. Thanks for reading and hope it gives hope to those who are seeking God and His son Jesus our Savior and Redeemer.  

God Bless you all,   

Cherie