My Testimony
Andrei Sapsai
I was born 15 September 1962 and shortly thereafter baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church. I was raised attending Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer. I attended Sunday worship fairly regularly, as was expected, through my teenage years. To be perfectly clear the only thing I did was attend worship. After leaving for college I fell away from even attending worship. I married and aside from having the ceremony in a church there was nothing Godly about it. The marriage ended in divorce and I went through a period of intense debauchery. I joined the Navy out of college and God saw fit to send me to Monterey, Ca where I would meet an angel in the form of my current wife, Lynda.
The first meeting between my wife and I could have only occurred through Divine intervention. At Lynda's request I started regular attendance with her at Catholic services. There was a lot of familiarity in the liturgy, and I was able to spend time with Lynda but I would still say that I only attended worship. Our marriage in September of 1992 was accompanied with a military move. Lynda had attended a Lutheran church for a summer between high school and college. They had a very active youth group and she thought that she would like our future children raised in the Lutheran church. The first Lutheran church we started to attend was in Charleston , South Carolina . Pastor Deal opened up with a real fire and brimstone sermon on Lynda's first attendance and she was sold immediately that this would be our new church. She wrote me a letter telling me all about it while I was on deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.
The next angel God placed in my life came in the form of our daughter Leyna. Leyna's birth while a blessing brought with it a set of issues that needed to be resolved. The burden was left to my wife to resolve these issues. I look back with deep regret at the lack of my help for my wife. The days leading up to and after Leyna' s birth have been the most trying times of my life. I was under extreme pressure at work as I was the Engineer Officer of a Perry Class frigate and had a major (possible career ending) inspection within a couple of weeks of Leyna' s birth. This paled in comparison with the issues we learned of in regards to Leyna. Lynda was able to stabilize Leyna's situation and I was successful on all of my inspections that summer. God did this solely through his Grace, not as a result of my belief in Him.
A military move to San Diego brought us to College Lutheran Church where Pastor David Larson answered my many questions about faith, although I really had not been brought to the true meaning of faith in Jesus Christ. Lynda found that the best doctor for Leyna was in Boston , MA and asked me to put in for the Naval War College, Newport, RI. I told her that the Navy would not pay for two masters degrees but submitted the request anyway. To my surprise God placed me in the Naval War College, Newport, RI so that Leyna could see the special doctors she needed at Children's Hospital in Boston.
We attended St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Newport, RI which would become our church home for the next five years. Lynda's sister and brother-in-law gave me a NIV study Bible for my birthday. At first the Bible just sat there, I never read a Bible in earnest before. Then slowly I began reading it and having discussion with the Pastor. I received orders to be Executive Officer onboard USS OBRIEN (DD 975) in Yokosuka , JA where I spent 20 months as a geographical bachelor because Leyna did not medically screen to go overseas. I brought my Bible with me and continued to read it. On my return from Japan , the Holy Spirit continued to work on my heart. I had yet to recognize this consciously. We attended worship regularly on Sunday's and attended all functions related to the church. I volunteered in some manner for all aspects of worship service as well as Assistant Minister. The first time I was Assistant Minister I felt a great deal of Joy, although the joy was misplaced in me.
My career was essentially ended when I was not selected for Command at Sea. The unwritten rule was I would not continue in progression in rank. I was very bitter and essentially imprisoned myself in a cage of anger. I would make one last attempt to progress in the Navy and become part of the Acquisition Professional Community ( APC ). In order to become an APC member the selection process would require as a number one criteria Command at Sea! Without going into detail a miracle truly happened when my name made the list the very first time. With my selection to the APC meant yet another move, this time to the DC area. With all the options available I chose Charles County and the proximity to Lutheran Church of Our Savior was not coincidental.
With just a single service at Lutheran Church of Our Savior we knew that we had found a new church home. Here the true word of God was being taught and preached. It was after the Pastor and his wife came over for a home visit that I read the book of Habakkuk at the Pastor's urging. I still did not recognize God's will in my life and still carried anger over my non selection as CO and not understanding Leyna's medical issues. After several months of receiving instruction on the word of God I actually felt the Holy Spirit working in my heart. A sermon on reconciliation brought incredible relief from the pain and anger of failing to select as CO. Some time later, I signed up for a Via de Cristo men's weekend but was unable to attend the spring event. Whatever the reason I was not yet ready and later attended the fall weekend. Between Bible study, worship, pastoral counseling and the Via de Cristo weekend, I came to the full realization being Christian is not about attending worship or volunteering for church positions or attending pot lucks or other functions. The angel I mentioned in the very beginning allowed me to truly understand and study what "Love" really means. I did not love my wife according to 1 COR 13. After recognizing what true love is, my marriage has been glorified by God. My life abounds in Love, God's Love. Life is about having faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I needed to die, remove earthly rules, and then be born again to live for Jesus Christ.
- I confess that I am a sinner.
- I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and that he went to the cross and died for my sins. He shed his blood to wash me clean.
- I am nothing outside of the saving grace of God.
- To God goes all the Honor, Glory, Praise and Thanks!
Today I live my life according to Matthew 4:19 - "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
Peace be with you, Andrei Sapsai Jr.
