My name is Marcy Hammonds. I grew up going to church, and accepted Christ as my Savior at age 10. It was not until a year after the death of my mother, when I was 17, that I truly saw my desperate need for a personal relationship with the Lord. I met my best friend and future husband during this time. We dated all through college and married in July of 1992.
After marrying in July 1992, Craig and I began our lives as a couple, both on career paths we had begun shortly after college. Craig enjoyed a career in Oak Ridge, TN as an analytical chemist at a national security complex. I progressed on a path in social services. We lived in the Maryville, TN area, where we both had been born and raised. Five years later, Caleb, our first child, was born. Four years after that, Taylor came along. We were active in our home church, Broadway Baptist in Maryville, TN. Craig was a deacon and small-group Bible study leader, I was involved in women’s ministries, and both of us were in AWANA leadership, as well as other ministry areas of the church. Both boys were involved in student/youth activities in the church as well. We had a lovely home in Maryville, solid careers that were also enjoyable, and a wonderful church home where we served alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ. We felt our lives were very fulfilling.
During this time, I realized that God had been speaking to me, urging me to let go of my worldly security, and totally trust Him. He opened my eyes to the precious people of Papua New Guinea and to the thousands who have never heard the Gospel. I couldn’t help but think “if we didn’t go and help tell them, who would? Could God use regular old ordinary ME in some way?”
Then, in January of 2011, Craig embarked on a short-term trip to Papua New Guinea to assist tribal workers in some construction and airstrip projects. While in PNG, God showed Craig firsthand the work He was doing in building His church. He also allowed Craig to see that his teacher training could be of use in support of these and other tribal workers. At the same time in Maryville, I viewed a DVD chronicling the birth of this church in PNG where Craig was helping. God opened my heart to the possibility of being used to support this work. Before Craig returned home, I had contacted New Tribes Mission to find out if God could use us.
Now, 5 years later, our home is on a support base in Goroka, Papua New Guinea. Craig is teaching school, something he had never done before, though he had planned to do so twenty years earlier. I am working directly with students as a Search & Teach therapist, something I had not done in our “previous” life. We can truly see God’s hand at work, orchestrating these circumstances to give us this new opportunity, this “second chance” at life, and a life that is so much more fulfilling than anything we have experienced before!
As of July 1, 2016, we have transitioned from “associate” to “career” members with New Tribes Mission, and we look forward to what God has in store for us in the years to come. We are so privileged to be serving our Lord in Papua New Guinea. Letting go and fully trusting God has been the most freeing experience and we praise Him for giving us a second chance for this crazy new life.
Please pray for us, we are currently on our first home assignment in Tennessee. We will remain here until June of 2017, when we plan to return to PNG.
Please pray for us as we prepare to send Caleb off to college at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
Please pray that Taylor adjusts to a new school – he began 9th grade at a Christian school in our area in August.
©2016 Thrive.