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Blessed Obedience
By Joey Amezquita
I was born in Villa Palmeras (Shanghai), Santurce, a barrio in Puerto Rico, the second of four children. Like many housing projects, it is mired with social problems associated with chronic, multigenerational poverty.
Breaking Free from Poverty
Wanting a better life for his family, my dad joined the U.S. Army. (As citizens of the United States, Puerto Ricans have participated in every major U.S. military engagement since 1899.) This afforded us a much safer, middle-class lifestyle than we would have had if we had stayed in Villa Palmeras, but we moved a lot. My dad’s first orders were to Maryland. From there we would move to Fort Lewis in Washington state; then to Long Island, New York; then Fort Dix, New Jersey; and then to the Strassburg Kaserne base in Idar-Oberstein, a city in southwest Germany.
I loved Germany. Even though I was only nine years old when we moved there in December of 1984, I remember how breathtakingly beautiful it was. Instead of living in the barracks, we lived in a gorgeous, four-story house. We would play outside in the snow and run throughout the house’s secret passages that former occupants had used to hide Jews.
After twelve years of service to his country, my dad decided to leave the military in 1987 and relocate our family to Florida. Leaving Germany was tough. I was eleven years old and had to leave behind a strong core group of friends.
We would play outside in the snow and run throughout the house’s secret passages that former occupants had used to hide Jews.
I started working in law enforcement at the ripe old age of 19! Even though I was somewhat of a “class clown” growing up and a ringleader for good or mischief among my siblings and friends, my dream had always been to become a police officer to help the community. At that time my dad was working in probation and parole, and he and my high school sweetheart, Christina, encouraged me to pursue my dream.
I was employed August 15, 1995, as a corrections officer by the Polk Correctional Institution, a state prison for men located in Polk City, Florida. The inmates assigned to Polk Correctional Institution were male and had been sentenced for a period of anywhere from one year and a day up to a lifetime. The inmates at the work camp where I worked had less than five years left on their sentences before they would be allowed to go home.
Since I resided in Brandon, Florida, an hour away from the Polk Correctional Institution, I decided to transfer to the Orient Road Jail with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, and on November 3, 1997, I began my new assignment working the night shift at the Orient Road Jail. In January of 2000, I transferred to Morgan Street Jail and continued working on the night shift. Morgan Street housed federal inmates and approximately 50 county jail inmates.
Breaking Free from Sin
In June of 2001 my life changed forever. Although my dad was a loving father, he did not have a relationship with Jesus and had not modeled a godly lifestyle for me. I had been raised knowing there was a God, but I was missing a relationship with Him. I had a fear of dying and of the unknown.
Christina invited me to special services at a church called Tabernacle of the Faith of Tampa (Tabernaculo La Fe de Tampa). Two weeks earlier, her co-worker, Kathy, had invited Christina to the church and unbeknownst to me, Christina had given her life to Jesus Christ. She now had eternal life.
I agreed to attend the service and found myself setting foot into Tabernaculo La Fe. As I sat down in the pew and listened to Pastor Tejara preach, I felt as if he were looking right at me. When Pastor Tejara said that I was a sinner and hell bound, that if I were to die that day, I would be separated from God forever and spend the rest of eternity tormented in hell, I was so scared. I did not want to go to hell forever.
At that moment, Pastor Tejara asked anyone in the audience who wanted to give their heart and life to Jesus to raise their hands. I was nervous but also felt a peace I had never experienced before come over me. I raised my hand, repented of my sins, and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart as Lord and Savior. Christina and I were the first people in our families to give our hearts to the Lord. I bought my first Bible and started reading God’s Word and attending Bible study with Christina.
When I would get an assignment, I would pray on the way, asking the Lord to send His angels down and to help me be slow to speak and slow to anger and to give me supernatural peace.
Christina and I had been together since April of 1994, and the Holy Spirit began to deal with us about getting married. My good friend and co-worker Ed, who was a Christian, encouraged us to go to the courthouse and get married out of obedience to God’s Word. We made the decision not to wait any longer, and on February 22, 2002, Christina and I went downtown to the courthouse in Tampa and got married. This was the second most important decision in my life.
God honored and blessed our obedience to get married. When I started reading the Bible, the Word of God came alive and I felt such excitement, joy, peace, and fulfillment. I had never really loved to read before, but now I couldn’t wait to read God’s Word. I loved it so much. The Bible is the blueprint for life. Everything is in the Word of God: advice on finances, marriage, children, depression, sin, prophets, and godly living.
The more I read God’s Word, the more my faith increased. I no longer had a fear of the unknown and dying. I had an awesome supernatural peace and joy. I would pray before going into work. Often I would go into a cell with 30 inmates who had been convicted of murder and other violent crimes, and a peace would come over me.
Once one of the inmates, trying to intimidate me, asked, “If the door were to ‘accidentally’ close behind you and you were stuck in here with us, would you be scared?”
I boldly replied, “No, I would not be scared because I have an angel assigned to me and God will protect me and not let any harm come to me.” I quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper” (NASB 1994). I told the inmate I didn’t have to physically fight him because God will fight all my battles. I let him know that I fear God not man, finished the cell search, and exited the cell.
Breaking Free of Barrenness
I started applying what I was learning from the Bible into my everyday life with my marriage as well as with my job. It was awesome. Years ago the doctors had told Christina she could not have children. Nonetheless, in 2003 my wife gave me great news: she was pregnant! We were overjoyed! I believe the Lord blessed us with this miracle by allowing her to have children because we were in right standing with God.
About this time, I was reading 2 Kings 22:1 and learned about this young eight-year-old king named Josiah. King Josiah, whose name means “the Lord will support you,” was one of the very few kings in the Old Testament that did what God asked him to do without hesitating. I love his story, so I wanted to name my son Josiah. However, my wife wanted Josiah to be his middle name, not his first name. Well, my mamma didn’t raise no fool, so we named our son Justin Josiah. (Happy wife, happy life!) In December of 2005 the Lord blessed us with a beautiful little girl we named Jayla. In February of 2009 the Lord blessed us with another beautiful girl we named Julia.
My wife used to worry about me, but I said, “Don’t worry; just pray,” and she did. She prayed for His protection over me. I prayed as well. When I would get an assignment, I would pray on the way, asking the Lord to send His angels down and to help me be slow to speak and slow to anger and to give me supernatural peace. I would come into a situation with the authority of God, and inmates could sense I was a Christian. One inmate from Cuba told me he knew I was going to be a pastor someday.
In 2003 the Morgan Street Jail closed, so I started working in the Falkenburg Road Jail Housing Unit 11. I am a “people person,” and the more I started reading the Bible the more I realized how easy it was to proclaim the Gospel (the Good News) to the inmates in the pods even though I had to be creative in my approach.
Breaking Free to Fruitfulness
Policy did not allow us to hold hands and pray with the inmates, but the inmates were allowed to have a Bible. I would have a few of them come up to my desk and open their Bibles to John 3:3-18, the passage about being born again and receiving eternal life. Then I would have the inmates turn to Ephesians 2:8, where it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – not by works, so that no one can boast” and also Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” I wanted them to experience the written Word of God. One time there were five inmates around my desk with their Bibles open. I then proceeded to do an altar call right there in the pod, and all five inmates gave their lives to Christ. Praise God! I encouraged them to continue to read the Word of God and to sign up for non-denominational church services.
My family came to faith in Christ as well. In 2002, Christina and I were blessed to lead her younger sister Zenia to the Lord, who transformed her from a shy, young girl into a young woman who unashamedly uses her amazing talents to lead worship. In 2005 I had the privilege of witnessing my dad give his life to Christ at a men’s Promise Keepers crusade. My mother was a little more hesitant, not sure if my dad’s conversion was sincere. But in 2007, as she battled stage four breast cancer, she accepted Christ as her Savior as well. In fact, she would experience dreams and visions from God. She had a dream about Hurricane Maria before it devastated the northeastern Caribbean in 2017. She asked the Lord to keep it from happening, but He told her it had to happen because His people had turned away from Him. My mother also led other family members to the Lord.
We are able to proclaim the Gospel to many defendants and have led several of them to repent of their sins and accept Christ into their hearts.
Today I am one of two bailiffs working in the courthouse in the misdemeanor division. My partner, Deputy Wright, is also a strong Christian, a woman of faith. Every morning before we start morning court, we pray God’s blood of protection over the courthouse and the staff. We make sure to set a godly atmosphere in the courtroom. We are able to proclaim the Gospel to many defendants and have led several of them to repent of their sins and accept Christ into their hearts. I am thankful to God that He used my 26 years of working in law enforcement/corrections to share the Gospel.
In September of 2019, Christina’s sister Zenia and her husband, Carlos, began attending a Bible study led by Calbert and Beverly Mark, pastors of Open Bible Prayer Chapel in Wesley Chapel. The study so powerfully energized Zenia’s faith and that of her husband that they told my wife and me we had to come check it out. The Marks took our faith to another level. Soon our whole family, including my mother-in-law, Carmen, and Christina’s other sister, Yaritza, were attending the study. Christina’s friend Kathy started coming as well! Now Christina and I are planning to make another change in our lives, as I work toward becoming a licensed minister with Open Bible.
Calbert and Beverly Mark are native Trinidadians. Sent out from Trinidad as missionaries more than 27 years ago, the Marks established twelve pioneer works in Venezuela and were instrumental in planting churches in Trinidad and Colombia. Calbert still serves as the field director for Open Bible Churches in Venezuela. I was amazed that God would send a Trinidadian couple serving as missionaries in Venezuela to Wesley Chapel, Florida, to pour into our family, but He did just that!
About the Author
Having worked in law enforcement for 26 years, Joey Amezquita is a bailiff for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department in Tampa, Florida. He is a committed member and Sunday School teacher at Open Bible Prayer Chapel in Wesley Chapel, Florida, pastored by Calbert Mark. Joey and his wife, Christina, have three children.
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.
