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He Who Began a Good Work
By Jaccie Kenyon
Isn’t the love of Jesus amazing? I didn’t always feel that way. I was raised attending an Open Bible church in Ohio. I loved Jesus and the Word and my community. But in my sophomore year of high school something happened that rocked my world.
Our church suffered a split and my family ended up leaving. I was lost. As a teen who had been surrounded by a great youth group full of friends who supported and loved one another, I suddenly found myself in a new church with no friends and no support. Oh, my family was still there, but as a teen I needed my group, the ones that read together, prayed together, hung out, and did life together. I no longer “belonged.” Since I had not been given a choice in the decision to leave the church, I felt my feelings didn’t matter to my family. I started drifting.
I still went to church but I gave up on my faith. I had been molested by a family friend’s son when I was around five years of age, so I already struggled with the feeling that my life didn’t matter. I started drinking excessively because it numbed the pain. I began smoking because I thought it was the “in” thing to do. Even though I played the part of a good church girl on Sunday, I began hanging out with a new group of all the wrong people. I was a fake! I was drowning in insecurity, and rebellion soon took its place. I just kept rebelling and running. I am certainly not proud of all the messes I was making in my life.
Can I stop for a minute and speak to you who are parents? The decision to switch churches, a decision that rocked my world when I was a teen, did not include me. I do not blame my family. However, I ask that if you are contemplating a move with children or teens, please discuss it with them and let them have their say. It can keep them headed in a healthier direction. It gives them a voice in a situation over which they have no control. This comes from one who as a teen experienced this situation firsthand, one who later became a youth pastor for ten years. Back to the story. 😊
After high school graduation I joined the Army National Guard and seemed to sink deeper into a way of life that was broken and misguided. I was able to hide my former life with this group of people and had several on and off again relationships. However, I was gaining a sense of worth, leadership skills, and another place to belong.
A couple years later I met and married an agnostic man. The marriage was verbally abusive, and it continued to send me on the path of feeling worthless. After a year and a half, the marriage ended in divorce.
One day I received a call from Debbie Slater, the pastor’s wife at the church our family formerly attended, asking me to babysit. She and her husband, Dan, soon loved me back to attending the church I treasured. They gently and lovingly walked beside me, even in my messed-up life.
About this time I was offered a full-time position in the Recruiting and Retention Command. Part of a great supportive team, I loved my job. I soon met a handsome recruiter with sprinkled grey hair. After only three months we decided to get married.
Herb was a kind yet arrogant atheist. Our pastime activities were drinking and smoking. I know what you’re thinking: “Where were your brains?” As I was getting fitted for my dress blue uniform (my wedding dress), I remember thinking, “Jesus, what am I doing here? I know this was never Your plan for my life.” At this time, my heart started to soften.
I cried out to Him and asked Him to stop the marriage (girls, this is the part you don’t want to follow!), but nothing stopped the wedding. I was jumping the gun but God was in the process of working a miracle. When discussing my faith, Herb told me, “You are special because you are weak and need something to believe in.” I bought those words as his way of being supportive.
Herb’s heart was hard to the things of God. He came from a broken home with much dysfunction. His mom suffered mental illness, and his dad worked all the time. Interestingly enough, one of the things that spoke to Herb as an atheist was the love of my family. The love around our home was nothing he had ever experienced. All my family were followers of Jesus. In fact, my dad filled the needed role of a spiritual father for Herb as his dad had passed.
I prayed daily for Herb as I was rekindling my life in Christ. I prayed with a fervor knowing that God is indeed faithful, that He can and will answer prayer. I prayed that Herb would come to know and to understand that Jesus does exist and that He loved him.
At our wedding when my sister sang “The Lord’s Prayer,” my husband, Herb, out of respect for me knelt at the altar with me. I told you he was kind. After our wedding Herb faithfully attended church with me each Sunday. He sat in that pew with resolve, saying that he loved me and was doing this for me. Two months later on the way home, Herb said, “I am beginning to doubt what I believe,” and asked to read one of my Bibles.
The growth that took place in his life over the next months was unreal. He just devoured the Word of God. We would sit up till 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning sharing and discussing what he was reading. Pastor Dan and Debbie drove to our apartment to meet with us late one night as Herb was needing more answers. Then on March 20, just three months after our marriage, Herb walked up the aisle at my home church, Faith Chapel Open Bible Church in Youngstown, Ohio, and gave his life to Christ!
About a year later, we were called into ministry. He continued to study, took Bible college correspondence courses, and obtained his credential with Open Bible in 1992. He retired from the Army in 1993, at which time we entered full time ministry as pastors. In 1998 we became lead pastors of Church of the Open Bible in Iowa Falls, Iowa.
I began taking INSTE courses and soon graduated. I was credentialed in 2007 and became our church’s youth pastor. Loving on the youth was amazing. I can see where my twelve years in the military gave me leadership skills I would not have otherwise had. In 2012 my husband retired, yet I was feeling the call to do more. I turned in my resume to be considered as our church’s senior pastor and was voted as just that in February of 2012. That is where I am today, loving a wonderful congregation that my husband shepherded for 14 years before me. And he is now my support!
I discovered that my maternal great grandmother came to Jesus during the Azusa Street Revival in California and attended Amy Semple McPherson’s church. She was the one that prayed for my mom, as she had not been raised in a Christian home. My dad’s family was also rich in Christian heritage; they were Foursquare. What a blessing to see how God’s hand had been on our family for years!
When I look back over my life, I can see God’s hand in it all – in the mistakes, the trials, the heartbreaks, the joys, and the victories. I cling to this verse: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6, NLT). He still has much work to do in me, in all of us. But He will be faithful to complete it!
Click to listen to Jaccie’s Better Roads interview with President Randall Bach.
About the Author
Jaccie Kenyon is a Jesus-loving wife and mother honored to pastor a wonderful church, Church of the Open Bible in Iowa Falls, Iowa. She enjoys coffee, critters, and conversation. What fuels her most is watching the truth of the Word come alive in the eyes of those who are growing in their walk with Jesus.
Feature image and author photo by Chris Cavan
Living and serving in a foreign land involves adjusting to new cultures, languages, and realities. Over my thirty years as a missionary, I’ve faced these challenges in multiple countries and languages. Yet, none of my experiences could have prepared me for the realities of war—its impact on life, ministry, and faith.
I had lived in Ukraine full time for thirteen years when the initial invasion occurred in 2014. The conflict was terrifying but distant from me; over time, I learned to navigate the stress of the threat of violence and the uncertainty that seemed to linger everywhere. But everything changed on February 23, 2022, with the full-scale invasion. Ukraine entered a dark chapter with an unknowable future, and so did I.
… everything changed on February 23, 2022, with the full-scale invasion. Ukraine entered a dark chapter with an unknowable future, and so did I
I spent the first few months of war in the United States. While physically “safe,” my heart remained with Ukraine. I wanted to be with the INSTE community, neighbors, and other loved ones who had become my family, not just because of my love and concern for them but because there is power in presence; there is a powerful ministry of simply being with others in their suffering. Just as God promises in Psalm 91:15 (NIV), “I will be with him in trouble,” I felt compelled to personify that presence for Ukrainians.
Returning to Ukraine in October 2022 meant facing new unsettling realities. Air raid sirens, missile strikes, and weaponized drones are part of daily life. Psalm 91:5 promises, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,” yet living this truth is challenging. In 2024, attack drones or missiles filled Ukrainian skies every single day and night. Fear is a natural response to danger, yet courage is trusting God despite fear. For me, each step forward, even with a lump in my throat, is an act of faith.
Psalm 91’s promise that God is “with us in trouble” anchors me, helping reconcile the tension between “not fearing” and “doing things afraid.” Fear doesn’t disqualify us from obedience; it’s often the very place where we find God’s will and experience His presence in profound ways.
My main ministry has always been equipping leaders through INSTE Global Bible College, but my focus has shifted during the war. In this season the Lord has allowed me to minister to humanitarian needs of Ukrainians with the help of Open Bible sponsors and a wide network of friends and ministry partners. For independent teen orphans, we’ve provided power banks and lamps for long nights without electricity.
Other times, we’ve purchased medicine for sick neighbors and helped seniors pay for medical procedures. For those along the frontlines, we’ve sent financial aid, clothing, and prayers. We have also translated, printed, and distributed thousands of booklets that teach how to deal with PTSD.
While others deliver large-scale humanitarian aid, my role is one of smaller, personal acts of kindness. In the market, I look for “Holy Spirit nudges” and find struggling grandmothers to bless with money for food, blessing them and reminding them that God sees their need. Each of these actions, though small, serves as a tangible reminder of God’s love and light in dark times.
The human cost of war is staggering. Food insecurity, disrupted education systems, and loss of electricity are all daily problems. Families have been displaced and torn apart, some with children attending school in other countries, others with family members on the frontlines, missing in action, prisoners of war, or buried in a grave. Communities have been shattered and the trajectory of so many lives forever altered. Over the years we have had thousands of INSTE students throughout Ukraine; many of their lives have been dramatically changed by this war.
I witness incredible resilience in the defenders who are outnumbered and outgunned on the front lines, the mothers holding families together, and the children navigating unimaginable loss
Despite this, I witness incredible resilience in the defenders who are outnumbered and outgunned on the front lines, the mothers holding families together, and the children navigating unimaginable loss, including a normal childhood. Their resilience reflects the truth that God has not abandoned them. In their stories, I see glimmers of hope – reminders that even in the darkest times, Light shines. Their resilience inspires me.
It has been difficult to deal with the capture of my godson, Max, a nineteen-year-old soldier, by enemy forces. The pain of not knowing his fate is immense. We pray for his soul. Every Ukrainian has their “Max,” someone whose unknown future brings unbearable heartache.
As I reflect on these years of war, I’m reminded of how deeply it has reshaped my life, my understanding of compassion, and my faith. War has tested me in ways I never expected, but it has also deepened my faith.
Psalm 91 continues to be a comfort: not a promise of an easy way, but of God’s presence. It is in His refuge that I find strength to minister and to believe for His promises. And it is there, even in wartime, that I have found God’s refuge.
About the Author
Tammy Swailes
Tammy Swailes is passionate about cross-cultural Christian education, so working with INSTE Bible College to disciple and equip leaders throughout Europe and beyond is a great fit! Tammy has lived in Europe since 1999 – first in Hungary and now Ukraine. Before that, she was in Japan, as well as Spokane, Washington. She now serves as INSTE regional director in Europe, assisting INSTE programs in five languages. Tammy has her undergraduate degrees in both Missions and Christian Education, and a MA in Intercultural Studies. Photography, good coffee, multi-cultural experiences, and the family’s Yorkie are some of Tammy’s favorite things.
The diaspora of the Tai Dam refugees in 1975 to Des Moines, Iowa, fueled a first generation of Tai Dam Americans adapting to new ways of life, blending language, culture, and embracing the numerous opportunities in the US. I was part of that first generation. Three years after my parents’ settlement in Iowa, I was born and became the first in my family to acquire an American education and step into a church. We were blessed to have Christian sponsors who helped us transition from our homeland to America.
Every Sunday, our sponsors would take me, my sister, and several of my cousins to church service at the First Church of the Open Bible. Naomi Young was one of the many people who was significant in my life; she gave me my first Bible. Through the faithfulness of Naomi and others at the church, seeds of faith were planted as I was told about a man named Jesus who died on the cross for me. I was curious, but I did not understand and did not accept Him into my life at that time. Attending church was short-lived, coming to a halt when I was eight years old. The seed that was planted in me could not grow because it was never nourished with Truth at home. My parents and grandmother believed and practiced animism and ancestral worship, which is the veneration and honoring of the dead. Confusion infiltrated my mind, and my desire to attend church ceased. While I abandoned everything that was taught to me in Sunday school, I always kept my Bible in a special place underneath my pillow because something in my heart could not throw it away.
The seed that was planted in me could not grow because it was never nourished with Truth at home.
When I was twenty-two years old, my cousin took me to a Buddhist temple to have my fortune read. There, sitting in front of me, were three monks. One monk opened his notebook, wrote in it, then read to me my childhood, present life, and future life story up to the time I would turn thirty years old. He then shut his notebook and told me, “I am done.” When I asked him, “Why?” he told me only, “I cannot read you anymore.” That same week I went to a card reader and had my fortune read. Again, he read my childhood, present life, and up to the age I would be thirty, then stopped. I told him, “You are the second person that could not read me past thirty; tell me – do I die?” He quickly gathered his cards, saying only, “I cannot tell you.”
Throughout my adult life in my twenties, I was in an unhealthy, abusive relationship, which led to an alcohol addiction. When I was twenty-six, I became pregnant and had my daughter, Kaylee, on January 31, 2005. God was already working in my life, and I did not know it; He was molding me and reminding me of who He was through the darkest moments of my life. Around that time, I came upon a childhood friend who worked as a cashier at Hy-Vee; she would tell me, “Soukham, God is so good.” Though I resisted, the words she spoke over me resonated in my heart. Not long after, I found myself attending her funeral. Worship and praise were included in the Christian service. I was confused, but a part of me had the desire to know more about the God they said was so good and how through Him there would be no more pain and suffering. When I left the funeral, the Lord continued to reveal Himself to me through divine encounters. In July of 2008, I took a position at Nationwide Insurance where I reconnected with an old high school friend. She invited me to a Thanksgiving potluck at her church, and my walk with the Lord began soon after.
From the Tai Dam little girl who was born in America and met Jesus in an Iowan church, to the woman who is now taking the hope of Christ back to Southeast Asia, His hand has been in every chapter of my story.
I was thirty years old when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The verse that will remain with me forever is 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV).
Now I understand why the monk and card reader could not read my life past the age of thirty. At that age, I became a new creation because of Jesus Christ, and the enemy no longer had a hold on me! Jesus continued to bless me and my daughter. Amid my pain and struggles, God brought a man into my life, my husband Othone (Pong), who became a father to Kaylee. We got married on September 15, 2010. Together the Lord blessed us with two more children, Isaac and Silas. In 2017, the Lord called us to serve in Iowa at Kingdom Life Church (now Kingdom City Church).
In November 2021, the Lord instilled in Pong’s heart a dream to build a charitable foundation to address needs in the vulnerable communities of Southeast Asia. The foundation would have a Christ-centered vision: to make and equip future disciples, providing them with sustainable resources and empowering them to advance beyond their current situation. Through continuous prayer and the Lord’s guidance, the foundation was born in April 2023 and officially named Nations in Need (NIN). Recently in 2023 and 2024, the Lord took Pong, Kaylee, and three of our brothers, Ap, Peng, and Bay, on trips to Southeast Asia where they built relationships, served the communities, ministered to the people, and spread the good news about Jesus Christ. Today, NIN has branched into multiple communities in Southeast Asia. Through the work of a future center in Southeast Asia, we will expand NIN’s mission and go wherever the Lord leads.
Throughout my whole life God has carried me, even when I didn’t know it. From the Tai Dam little girl who was born in America and met Jesus in an Iowan church, to the woman who is now taking the hope of Christ back to Southeast Asia, His hand has been in every chapter of my story. Whether the next chapter is in America, Southeast Asia, or somewhere else, I will follow Christ, forever His new creation.
About the Author
Soukham Khanthavixay
Soukham Khanthavixay and her husband, Pong, are active members of Kingdom City Church in Des Moines, Iowa. They reside in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, with their three children and two dogs. Soukham is a registered nurse at a local county hospital and also works for Nations in Need (NIN), the ministry her husband founded. Her family and ministry team work together to expand the mission of NIN and spread the gospel. To learn more about Nations in Need, follow them on Facebook or Instagram: @nationsinneed.
Spirit and Truth Church began as a dream amidst the stormy backdrop of January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges that the world faced, we found ourselves thriving, anchored by the belief that God’s plans always prevail. As we say on our website, we are passionate about helping people “find freedom in the fullness” of both the Spirit and the Word. This foundational vision has carried us through times of uncertainty and propelled us forward.
Yet, for all our successes, we reached a point where we felt like we were on an island—thriving, yes, but lacking the covering, coaching, counsel, and care that every church needs to flourish long term. In 2022, at the first MOVEMENT conference, God spoke directly to my heart, telling me that Spirit and Truth Church was meant to be part of the Open Bible Church family. This call was a turning point for our ministry. In 2023, I was credentialed through Open Bible Churches, and in February of this year (2024), we became officially affiliated with Open Bible Churches’ Mountain Plains region. Since then, the blessings have been immense.
For all our successes, we reached a point where we felt like we were on an island.
Being part of Open Bible has been transformative for us. We have received so much investment, training, and support. Open Bible has helped us shore up essential aspects of our ministry: leadership, organization, staffing, budget, facilities, and more. Our growth has been remarkable—we’ve doubled in size, growing from 60 to 120 regular attendees in the past year. This growth, I believe, is a testament to both the godly covering of Open Bible and the Spirit-led outreaches we engage in. Our church has a culture of lifestyle evangelism and hospitality where all our members are witnesses and welcomers. In addition, we have forged strategic partnerships with other ministries.
One of the most exciting partnerships we have is with Every Heart Tours, a ministry led by fiery, Jesus-loving college students from Michigan. These students come to stay with us for a week at a time, engaging in outdoor worship outreaches and “prophetic treasure hunts.” If you’re unfamiliar with this term, a prophetic treasure hunt is an evangelistic practice where participants ask the Holy Spirit to reveal specific details about people they will meet, and then they go into the community to find these “treasures.” It’s a beautiful, Spirit-led adventure allowing us to partner with God and minister to people in our city in a unique way. We’ve seen so many lives touched and transformed through these treasure hunts.
What started as a small church plant in Northern Colorado has since grown into a vibrant community reflecting the heart of God for His people.
One of the most powerful testimonies from these outreaches happened this summer (2024). We had a team of prophetic ministers giving specific words to people as we worshipped in Fort Collins Old Town square. We preached the gospel boldly, and by the end of the night eleven people made the decision to be baptized! We walked down to the Poudre River and witnessed the supernatural power of God as they went under the water and came up renewed. It was a moment that felt like the early church, where “the Lord added to their number daily” (Acts 2:47 NIV).
Of course, ministry isn’t always easy. We’ve faced rejection and opposition. But we hold firm to the truth of Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” The harvest is plentiful, and we’ve seen this reality unfold before our eyes. As we continue to partner with ministries, step out in faith, and preach the gospel, we trust that God will continue to bring more people into His kingdom.
Our journey with Open Bible has been a testimony to God’s faithfulness. What started as a small church plant in Northern Colorado has since grown into a vibrant community reflecting the heart of God for His people. We remain committed to spreading the good news and making sure outreach and evangelism are at the heart of our ministry. The harvest is ready, Open Bible fam – let’s go bring it in!
About the Author
Rob Bray
Rob Bray is a marketplace and ministry leader with over a decade of experience in both business and church contexts. He is the founder and lead pastor of Spirit + Truth Church, an Open Bible Church in the Mountain Plains Region. Rob has catalyzed successful companies, grown healthy ministries, and spoken at influential conferences, workshops, and events. Rob’s expertise and passion have made him a trusted advisor and coach for leaders and entrepreneurs seeking breakthroughs in multiple areas including life, marriage, and business. Rob and his wife Bethany live on their homestead in Fort Collins, CO, with their six children: Nehemiah, Nora, Noelle, Neely, Nayla, and Nicholas. In their spare time, they enjoy hiking, paddle boarding, and snowboarding.
