The Olsons

A year ago, we came back to Change of Life Pentecostal Tabernacle. The first time we came to the church was a little over two years ago. The want to stay was not a mutual decision between the two of us. So ultimately, we decided not to go back. It was a hard year because although we didn’t stay at the church, what we heard in this church, stayed with us. It was all Bible. Pastor Hoffman is a true man of God that doesn’t give you his opinion or his interpretation. He teaches you the Word of God and how God’s Word interprets itself with itself. My husband (Ryan) knew what he had found from the first time he stepped into Change of Life. He found a REAL church. One with a Pastor who didn’t care about hurting your feelings if it meant saving your soul. My wife (Melanie) was reluctant to hear it the first time she came. She struggled with the idea that a lot of the things she thought about being a Christian, were wrong. And now she was hearing it straight from the Bible…but she didn’t want to admit that that was the case. A year went on. Our marriage struggled. Maybe not to the outside world, but behind closed doors. We felt disconnected from each other and from God. In the midst of it all, Pastor Hoffman would visit me (Ryan) and continue to encourage me with scripture and godly wisdom. Never giving up on a man that clearly was hungering and thirsting for the true Word of God and what it truly meant to serve the Lord. We struggled with a miscarriage in that year which led to us falling back into old habits to fill the void. What we didn’t realize until one night when my husband (Ryan) sat me (Melanie) down one night and we had a very vulnerable conversation about our emotions, our fears, our mental states…my husband told me (Melanie) what I knew was true. I (Ryan) told my wife (Melanie) that we were dying spiritually. We had no relationship with the Lord. We grew further from Him over the last year. We knew the only thing that could fill that void was God. We decided that night that we both wanted to come back to Change of Life. My husband (Ryan) planned on calling Pastor Hoffman to ask if we could meet with him. But before he could, God had other plans. My husband (Ryan) normally worked until 2 pm at his stores. However, the one day he oddly had a long day and was there until later in the evening, Pastor Hoffman and his wife happened to be in the store. Pastor and his wife never shopped later in the day. Pastor just told Sister Hoffman that he wanted to go to the store for something. So, in God’s timing, my husband (Ryan) was able to speak to Pastor Hoffman in person and tell him we wanted to both come back to the church. My wife (Melanie) had planned to ask Pastor a bunch of questions. Before meeting with him, we actually sat down together and listened to one of his sermons called “What’s Your Price?”. My wife (Melanie) paused the sermon halfway in and looked and me (Ryan) and said “It’s all right here! Everything he preaches is right here in the Word of God!” Needless to say, when we went to meet with him, she (Melanie) didn’t have any questions. She just wanted to apologize for misjudging him. That night she (Melanie) asked Pastor Hoffman “how soon can I be baptized?” Our testimony continues where we are both baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38 KJV), our marriage has been stronger than ever, we FINALLY know what it means to put God first and how to serve Him, He has blessed our jobs, our health, our finances, the list goes on and on. We have our Pastor and our church to thank. They never gave up on us. They kept us on their prayer list for the entire year we were gone. Every moment in this church is like finding hidden riches of secret places (Isaiah 45:3 KJV). We have not only learned so much Bible, but have applied it to our lives and signs have followed just as His Word said it would (Mark 16:17 KJV). His Word works every time. We have seen it for ourselves. We have seen it for our brothers and sisters in this church. God is enough. He is more than worthy to be praised. We would have never learned of Him if we didn’t learn His Word. EXACTLY how it is written. We are so blessed to call Pastor Hoffman our Pastor and to be a part of his flock. We can’t express in words how much we love our church and our church family. If you are like us…and you KNOW there has to be more to this…trust that feeling and come visit us at Change of Life Pentecostal Tabernacle in Plantersville, TX. God has so much more in store for you. As the Bible says… “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be…” (1 John 3:2 KJV)