005 - Finding My Own Way To Christ

In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks to Gina Dorsan about finding her own way to Christ independent of her family. It is a powerful story of personally finding Christ.

On today’s episode of Changing, we’re joined by Gina Dorsan, a former student and current employee at Brigham Young University, who also uses her master’s in Public Health to teach classes at Utah Valley University. She told us her journey in finding her way to Christ, even if it meant going against family expectations.

• Gina had grown up in a religious background. Growing up in her Haitian family meant she was expected to attend Catholic church each week, and she did so to obey her parents.

• While she went to these services, she felt no relationship with Christ. She didn’t read the Bible and only recited memorized prayers. This continued throughout her youth into high school.

What Changed?

• The summer between her high school and college career, she met missionaries who introduced her to Jesus and his ministry. They helped her realize she needed to do more in her life to develop the relationship with Christ she was looking for.

• After meeting those missionaries, she began reading and studying scripture. She began praying. Most importantly, she began to develop the relationship with Christ she was searching for.

Gina’s challenges embracing the change

• Gina’s life revolved around three things growing up in her Haitian household: school, church, and family. 

• Because it was uncommon to “go your own way,” Gina’s most difficult challenge was confronting her family to explain the path she had chosen. In particular, her mother did not take it well. 

• Gina originally went to two churches to appease her family. However, it soon proved unsustainable. 

• While it was difficult for Gina to leave her family’s church, she ultimately asked herself, “what would Jesus do?” and her choice was clear.

What advice does Gina have for those seeking a relationship with Christ?

• Try to find something in common between your current life and where you want to end up. Use those similarities to develop a foundation that allows you to follow Christ. 

• Are you looking to get connected with Gina and hear more of her story? Find her on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

004 - From Street Life to Church Life

In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks to Reggie Taylor about going from street life to church life. 

-Reggie Taylor’s parents had brought him up knowing Jesus Christ, visiting different denominations, and singing along in church. 

-Reggie grew up in the Bahamas and came to America when he was younger where he was exposed to a variety of churches.  

-When Reggie was just 4 or 5 his older brother, Romeo was baptized in the Church of Latter-Day Saints as a teenager and the rest of the family followed suit. 

 -Romeo would go on to serve a mission in Chicago, a program whereby someone at the age of 18 can serve two years in the mission field as a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

-Romeo and his mother were integral in getting Reggie to church but being so young, Reggie didn’t understand the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As a result, the family visited many different churches and the visits were sporadic. 

-At 13 or 14, Reggie’s mom saw an ad on TV for a Bible so she ordered one. One day, missionaries knocked on their door and they were delivering her the Bible she ordered from the TV!  The family learned they were doing their mission work in South Florida and offered to teach them more while they were there. Reggie wanted to learn more and from there, he got baptized on July 4, 1999.

-During this time, Donald and Reggie met and would form a brotherhood that continues to this day. Unfortunately, after Reggie’s baptism, he still didn’t understand Jesus Christ and was only going to church to hang out with his friends. Reggie had no testimony and his faith wasn’t strong so he eventually started going to church intermittently until he fell away completely.  

-As his friends got older and some of their group went off to missions or school, Reggie became a product of his environment around the age of 16. It was from this neighborhood that Reggie found new friends and in these worldly influences, he was led away from the church. 

-Reggie’s neighborhood was rough and he thanks the Lord he didn’t end up dead or in jail like so many of his friends. It was normal for Reggie to see people dealing drugs, murders, and people being shot at. After having seen all that, and surviving, Reggie truly believes the Lord has a plan for his life. 

-Even after all that Reggie had seen, however, it wasn’t his circumstances that woke him up to the possibilities of Jesus Christ, it was an ex-girlfriend who cheated on him. It would be the worst pain he’d felt in his young life, even after everything he’d witnessed. He felt hopeless that he would ever feel better. It was in that despair that he finally got on his knees to pray for the Lord to take the pain away. 

-In the next month, the Lord started leading Reggie back to church and by this time, Donald was coming off the mission field and they were able to reconnect. Little did Donald know, he was re-entering Reggie’s life at a very critical time. 

-As these two men were reconnecting, Reggie’s ex-girlfriend came to him to ask him to help her with an abortion.  Reggie didn’t believe in abortion but still thought about helping her, even though her motivation was so that the man she cheated with wouldn’t leave. Knowing that his heart and mind were being compromised, Reggie called Donald for counsel.  After they talked, Reggie knew what he needed to do and denied her any part in facilitating the abortion.  Unfortunately, Reggie’s ex would go through with it anyway and guilt consumed him.  

-As Reggie mourned his ex’s actions, his childhood friends from church surrounded him and he was able to lean on them during such a difficult time.  He felt Lucifer trying to distract him from staying at church but Reggie was determined to change his life and give it to God.  He would experience the atonement of Jesus Christ, even when he didn’t feel like he deserved it. 

-Since coming back to church, Heavenly Father has blessed Reggie tremendously. He has not only changed spiritually but temporally as well.  Through the light the Lord has put inside of him he can now see that young black kid coming from nothing can see the world and not be scared of the world. Reggie now feels he can accomplish things in the world as he surrounds himself with positive people. 

-Reggie reminds us that you tend to become the people you hang around so be sure they are people that reflect what you want to become. Reggie chooses to be with people who are in the Gospel, love Jesus, and want to bring good into the world. It has saved his life. 

MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

003 - Miraculous Physical and Spiritual Healing

In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks to Jonathan and Audra Pankrez’s experience with miraculous physical and spiritual healing. 

-Jonathan and Audra have seven children between them and were together 15 years before they got married.  As blessed as their life is now, their individual lives started very differently. 

 -Jonathan grew up in a place he nicknamed The Badlands in North Philadelphia. By 7 his father was no longer in the picture and by 12 he was working to purchase clothes.  In 9th grade, he was finally expelled and at 17 was emancipated from his parents and went to Texas with a lot of rage to get clean from drug addiction. He was also suffering from a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

-Audra had a difficult childhood as well, with her parents divorced and her mother a severe alcoholic.  

-After Jonathan and Audra got married and despite arguments loud enough to have the police called, they are still together. Why did Audra stick around? Jonathan could be just as sweet as he was sour.  Unfortunately, not knowing which version of Jonathan she would get was hard to live with and the couple would find themselves separated in the house and sometimes, in different homes, just to get a break from Jonathan’s rage. Even the neighborhood kids knew about Jonathan’s temper, especially when it came to their lawn and their car. It was a reflection of his OCD. Jonathan and Audra are happy to report that now, these days are long behind them and a distant memory.

-What changed? Kenneth, their fifth son, got very sick around middle school. The doctors wanted his colon removed but Jonathan knew this wasn’t the answer.  As it turned out, an endocrinologist accidentally discovered that Kenneth had a very slow-growing cancer in the stalk of the pituitary gland and pineal gland in the brain, a bifocal brain cancer. The course of treatment for their son would cause many arguments and they didn’t know if they would last as a couple. At this point, they were in a common-law marriage because they’d been together so long but not in the eyes of God.  

-While Kenneth was sick Audra and Jonathan met their first missionaries. One of their other kids was trying to fix an inner tube on their bike when the missionaries came up and offered to help. They told the missionaries they could visit anytime but had zero interest in conversion. 

-When Kenneth was well enough to go to high school, he’d barely had any friends because he’d been in the hospital.  When the missionaries said he could go with them, Kenneth was very excited to be part of the young men’s group. 

-When Jonathan and Audra finally started thinking about going to church Kenny was in and out of ICU and his prognosis was bleak. There was even talk of in-home hospice care because despite national conferences being held about Kenny’s prognosis they were at a loss. 

-At one point when Audra was in the waiting room, she was told that the family had visitors and twenty-five men from Kenny’s Young Men’s group were at the hospital. The missionaries came to do a blessing, anointed Kenny with oil, and the young men came to pray. National conferences were held about Kenny’s prognosis and they were at a loss. 

-On Valentine’s Day Kenny was scheduled to get baptized and his birthday was shortly after, coinciding with a CT scan for the cancer growth in his brain. He was supposed to hear his results on a Monday but the doctors called Kenny the Friday before on his actual birthday, not wanting him to have to wait on the results.  They couldn’t find cancer or a tumor anywhere on the MRI. 

-This healing in Kenny started to also transform something in Jonathon.  Regardless of the rage he had previously known, his love for his kids was always there. When he was baptized Jonathan wanted to drown whatever he had previously been.

-At this point, however, a few more years would go by before they met more missionaries, even though they were friends of the church.  During a move, they were driving when they came across two missionaries filling their water bottles and Audra was eager to get them cold water and a snack instead. As they talked they felt compelled to ask the missionaries to follow up with a call once they got settled into their new town, which they did. They had grown out of their current church and were looking for more. 

-How has their life changed since becoming part of the church? They have learned to count everything as joy, even the hard times. They know that Jesus Christ healed their son and their hearts. 

-Jonathan recommends you find a proper teacher that has the proper knowledge and authority. 

-Audra says to follow the simple commands of the Bible and the teacher does not speak during the testing and it would help her to know that.  

-Knowing Jesus helps the Pankrez family walk happier because they know they aren’t walking alone. They know Jesus is true and real and in control.  And Jonathan’s OCD? That’s gotten better too. 

If you’d like to get in touch with Jonathan and Audra, you can email Pankrezfamily@gmail.com. 

MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

002 - Judaism to Christianity

In this episode, Donald Kelly speaks to Stake President, Andy Lustig, about converting from Judaism to Christianity. 

-The Stake President not only ministers to people but also oversees and administers with bishops the general dealings of the stake. President Lustig was one of 20 people interviewed and was prayerfully chosen to be given the position of Stake President. 

-President Lustig grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and went to a Jewish school. He was raised in a conservative Jewish home and like all Jewish men was bar mitvahed at age 13. 

-At 17, President Lustig became disillusioned when his synagogue was sold to another synagogue. His father didn’t go but he and his mother still met his sister, who was married. The feeling of uneasiness came, however, when he saw the synagogue was focused more on the business and earning money more than it was about ministering to the people. This is when he and his mother continued Jewish traditions but stopped going to synagogue. 

-President Lustig’s mother passed away when he was 33 so in 1990 he migrated to Florida. It was here that he would meet his wife and get married in the synagogue. Even then, it was about money when they were asked to pay to use the room even though they were members. The couple would continue to go for 3 years but never really felt the spirit. They would eventually leave and several years passed before they had a pivotal encounter. 

-One day, President Lustig was working in one of his client’s homes as a piano technician and the wife gave him a Book of Mormon. During that time, their daughter was in a special program in Utah where everyone was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Upon graduation, she was baptized, non-sectarian and the couple went to her baptism a few days before Christmas in 1999.

-While visiting the St. George temple, President Lustig gave their names when asked where the missionaries could visit. Two weeks later, the missionaries came to visit. Just before they came, however, they went back home with their daughter for Christmas and she wanted to go to a church. Not wanting her to have to go by herself, they went to the church that was just a couple of miles from their home. There the Bishop of the ward (congregation) greeted them at the door and it was his client whose wife had given them the Book of Mormon!

-By the time the missionaries came to visit in the second week of January, President Lustig was searching for spirituality but not finding it in the books he was reading. One especially compelling book, however, was The First 2000 Years by FBI Director of Salt Lake City, Cleon Skousen. During his visit with the missionaries, they had the answer to these 3 questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where do I go after I die? As they told him about the plan of salvation he remembered that as an 8-year-old he suffered a devastating loss when his grandfather died. He was inconsolable but was visited by a being who told him that he would be with his grandfather again and it would all be okay. With this memory, a bell went off in his head that what the missionaries told him was true. March 25th, he and his wife were baptized and on March 26th, they were confirmed. 

-President Ludwig shares that whether or not you believe in the Savior Christ before, if the spirit touches you and you kneel humbly and pray to know if what the missionaries are teaching is true, you will get an answer. Since becoming a member of the church he has witnessed thousands of miracles and heard countless testimony.

-President Ludwig acknowledges that the initial decision was hard but he is still a member of the House of Israel. He is a member of the church but has not given up his heritage. Once you know you’re not giving up your heritage, it’s much easier. 

-When asked about reconciling the knowledge of Jesus from his Jewish upbringing, President Ludwig recalls that he was taught that Jesus was a Jewish boy who became a carpenter and that was it. When he read the New Testament it was a revelation to him and in response, he knelt in prayer to receive the truth. 

-President Ludwig acknowledges change has taken place. He has gone from a person who was focused on himself, his career, and what it could do for him to being someone who is concerned for other people. It’s not that you put yourself on the back burner but it’s important to give freely of yourself to help other people. And in this way, we can emulate the Savior. 

To get in touch with President Lustig, you can email andylustig@me.com.

MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

001 - Darkness to Light

In this episode, host Donald Kelly talks to Keith Diaferia about his transformation from Darkness to Light. 

-Keith was compelled to darkness through drugs, alcohol, and the nightlife. Even the people closest to him didn’t truly know who he was.  

-As he grew up in Chicago, he became affiliated with a gang, and this was a secret as well.  He had what he calls “the dark people” and his family.  

-Keith acknowledges he chose to ignore the guidance of his parents and siblings. He knew all too well what it meant to be “the black sheep” of the family.  While they thought he was just a “mixed-up kid,” Keith says he was becoming a monster through the relationships that seemed to be taking over his life.  

-When Keith was 14 he had the desire to be part of a dark lifestyle and yet he felt the presence of Christ in his life.  He just didn’t know what to do with it.

-Even as Keith was getting ready to do something unsavory he would feel the spirit of Christ trying to intervene but when he mentioned it, those around him would admonish him with, “Why are you trying to ruin the moment?”  

-By day, Keith had his “normal” life and would leave to transform from the evening till the early hours of the morning. During this time, he would often come back with a broken nose or a black eye.  He was a street fighter and fought to be the ultimate fighter. This then transitioned into Keith becoming a money collector that had been gained from drugs. He would live out this secret life between the ages of 14 and 20.

-Keith is covered in tattoos and through these coverings, he wanted to portray intimidation, convey his attitude, he demanded respect and it showed the darkness that was inside him. He acknowledges, however, that he earned respect through fear and not from kindness. Keith’s reputation grew as an enforcer.

 -Keith is now 62 and around the age of 40, he started to feel bad and was tired of waking up not knowing if an enemy would finally get him.  He’d been shot seven times, stabbed four times, beaten countless times, and almost died 3 times from anaphylactic reactions to medication.

-When he was 40, God touched Keith’s heart and he decided to leave the life, even if he wasn’t sure how.  He just knew he had to change. He walked away from wealth, relationships, access to what he wanted,  and material possessions to move toward the love that God had for him. 

 -Keith had endured a lot to get in and out of the darkness. It was called a beat-in and beat-out. To get in, he endured a beating for 3 minutes from the chin to the waist, without defending himself, by 80 members of the chapter. He would have to endure the same again if he was to leave. When it was all done, he had 3 broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated kidney, lacerated liver, internal bleeding, a broken hip when someone hit too low, and his sternum was cracked in half. He was in the hospital for four weeks. 

-Since then, Keith has been approached twice to come back to the life and his life has been threatened for not doing so. Both times, however, he let them know that he wasn’t turning his back on God, not after so much recovery.  They know he will never serve Satan again.  Because of the code the gang lives by, Keith has earned their respect with his loyalty to God.  Even with his life threatened, he remained loyal to his renewed faith and new life. 

-Keith was able to come back to church when two sisters approached him after Holy Spirit directed their steps back to him, even when they were scared to initially approach him. That would be the beginning of him becoming the man he is today. Keith is still working through decades of living in darkness but every day he is amazed about the love that God has shown him and his heart has been softened.  This hardened man can cry now and even friends from Chicago are seeing the difference. 

-Keith would say he wrote the book on evil so for the people who think they are unworthy of God, he would say this: God loves all his children. Everyone is worthy of this love, worthy of change, and worthy of the blessing God has for each of us. Have faith, discipline, and love to see true change.  That’s how Keith did it. 

 MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

000 - What is this show all about?

In this episode, host Donald Kelly, lets us know what Changing is all about. 

-Donald Kelly is a believer and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (Note:  This podcast is not an official podcast of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but you will hear from guests who also belong to the church.)

-In this podcast, you will hear guests whose lives have changed because of an encounter with Jesus. 

-This podcast gives you hope that you can change and the world can change. 

-Did you know that change is a process?  Change doesn’t typically happen overnight and you will hear from people who had the miracle of transformation.

-This podcast will help you think about the possibility of change. 

-If you are going through difficulties in work, family life, church life, social and economic problems … this is the podcast for you so you can get a message of hope. 

-Do you need a break from the evils of this world?  This is the podcast for you!

MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)