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Issue link: http://magazine.kcm.org/i/363578
Pulling his truck to a stop on the side of the road, Bryan leaned his head against the window with a sigh. It was time to face the truth. He’d built his life like a house of cards and the whole thing was threatening to collapse. He wasn’t in jail. He was imprisoned inside a mountain of debt, obligated to over $1 million in loans. He was overextended in his business, and his marriage and family were strained. Putting his face in his hands, Bryan prayed, “God, please help me out of this mess!” Small Steps of Faith “The one good thing that came out of those difficult years following my divorce was that I was born again in July 1988,” Bryan recalls. “I wanted my marriage to work so much that I wore my wedding ring for a couple of years. I was driving a trash truck and living paycheck to paycheck. I thought the way to show my love to my ex-wife was to walk the extra mile, so I paid my child support in cash. I looked like a maniac to the judge and the interest on the money she said I hadn’t paid was compounding daily. She took me to court about 30 times and had me thrown in jail several times. But that first time was the worst. “The judge allowed me to be on work release while I was in jail. I lived and slept there, but was allowed to leave during the day to work. As a new believer, I was so upbeat—even while I was living in jail—that my boss thought I was losing my mind. That’s why he fired me. So I started mowing lawns to earn a living. “That same year, a friend suggested that I tune in to the 'Believer’s Voice of Victory' broadcast. I did, and it changed my life. I bought an old van for $70, and in August 1989, my friend and I drove it to Fort Worth to attend the Southwest Believers’ Convention. We parked the van on Houston Street and lived in it, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “I’d already been watching the daily broadcast, but going to the convention was a fast track for learning how to live by faith. While I was there, I made the decision to become a Partner. I committed to praying for Kenneth Copeland Ministries, giving to them, watching the broadcasts and attending conventions. While I was there, the Lord told me to go back home and ‘teach children faith.’” Home from the convention, Bryan volunteered to teach Sunday school at his church. For the next 10 years, he taught children, including his own, how to live by faith. He ministered in cell groups and started a men’s ministry and a prison ministry. During those years, he continued praying for KCM, giving to them, watching the broadcasts and attending conventions. Grace and favor rested on Bryan and on his business. He’d started his lawn-mowing business with five yards, then 20, and soon he was mowing 100 lawns a month. In the winter when there was no mowing, he delivered propane in the mountains. In time, he started his own landscaping business and prospered beyond his wildest dreams. A New Covenant July 31, 1999, Bryan married Cindy, a woman he met at church. By then, Bryan’s daughters were teenagers and Cindy had two preteen boys. After a few years their family grew, their business grew and their ministry obligations grew. Little by little, other things began to slip. He didn’t have time to watch the broadcast on a regular basis. They were too busy to attend conventions—one of the kids always had something going on. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, he let his partnership with KCM slide, including his giving. 12 : BVOV