Our Story

When I was twelve years old I put my faith in Jesus Christ alone to save me from my sins and take me to heaven when I die. At the age of four I made a profession of faith, but I only had head knowledge of my need for what Jesus did, not heart knowledge, and I struggled with doubt about my salvation all through my elementary years.

My dad took a pastorate in Kentucky in 2016, and during the summer of 2017 our church was taking a group to camp — it ended up being just my family that year. We loaded up in the church van for the three and a half hour trip to Indian Creek Baptist Camp in Indiana, and while we were traveling my dad put on a message for us to listen to. The preacher was preaching on Hell, and how those who are unsaved would be cast into the Lake of Fire forever and ever. I knew that if that van flipped over and I died, I would go to Hell.

We got settled in at camp, and there was an evening service that Monday night. Brother Stuart Mason preached on Proverbs 16:1 and “the preparations of the heart of man.” I do not remember the first or second point, but on the third point he started preaching on salvation, and I could feel the Holy Spirit working on my heart that I needed to be saved. At the invitation I looked at my dad, and he met me at the altar.

He told me, “Branson, you know what Jesus did for you.” I knew that I was a sinner and that the punishment for my sin was death and Hell. I knew that Jesus was the only way — that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. My dad told me I needed to accept Jesus as my personal Saviour for myself. So by the piano on the left side of the altar I knelt down and put my faith in Jesus Christ alone. Praise the Lord for saving me; my life has never been the same. A few weeks later I was baptized in a horse trough, to make a public profession of faith and be obedient to what the Lord commanded.

When I was four, I was told that I had gotten saved and needed to be baptized. I only remember the baptism, because I was terrified of the water. I did not remember actually accepting Christ as my Savior.

Four years later my older brother, the grade above me, got saved at school. I knew in that moment that I needed to be saved. I waited, because I was scared of what my parents would think — they thought I was already saved. By Thursday night I was struggling to sleep and having nightmares about going to hell or being left behind. The next day at school I knew I had to talk to my parents that night. At the end of the day I sat down with my dad and he led me through the plan of salvation. That night, October 28, 2011, I accepted Christ into my heart, and I was baptized with my brother two weeks later on November 2.

I have always had a burden for the mission field. Every time a missionary came in to present their ministry, I wanted to go to that field. As I got older I understood that I would one day follow the leadership of my husband, but I still had the desire to go if that was the Lord’s will for me. When I met my husband, his first question to me was whether I could be a missionary. I knew then that the Lord had put that desire in my heart so that I could one day serve alongside my husband in the field He would show us.

Jack was born in July 2025. He loves playing outside and playing basketball with his daddy. He is very curious about all things, especially his new baby sister.

Violet was born in July 2026. She’s our little princess. She loves to smile and watch her brother play.

I have always had a desire to be a missionary. As a kid I loved it when they came to church, and every time a missionary visited I wanted to go to that field. I was saved at twelve and called to preach at thirteen. In 2022, at a youth conference, Bro. Rick Martin from the Philippines gave a video testimony and my heart was stirred even more for the mission field. The first serious question I asked my wife before we started dating was whether she was willing to be a missionary — praise the Lord, she said yes.

I took an assistant position working for my dad, who pastors Calvary Baptist Church in Canton, Illinois. While I continued my education and worked at the church, we waited on the Lord to direct us to the field He would have us go to. He put a burden for Europe on our hearts and we began praying about France. We met with Bro. Abbot, a retired missionary to France, and afterward felt the door was shut and that France was not His will for us. As we kept seeking God’s will, we prayed about staying stateside in Illinois or the Northeast.

While we were praying, we got to speak with Bro. Matt Stahlman as he was preaching a mission clinic at our church, and in our conversations he mentioned Italy. We began to seek the Lord about it, and as we prayed He kept burdening our hearts for Italy. Then one day, studying for a message in the book of Hebrews, the Lord brought Hebrews 13:24 to my attention: “Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.” The Lord showed me that I needed to go be a witness and a missionary for Him there. A few weeks later I went on a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa, where the Lord strengthened, deepened, and confirmed the call to Italy.

We hope that at the end of our lives we may be found faithful. We pray that our children have a true love for the Lord and follow Him for their entire lives, and that we would faithfully and unashamedly preach the gospel of Christ.

We want to evangelize the lost, equip the believers, establish independent Bible-believing churches in Italy, and expand the gospel’s work there by training men and seeing more churches started.