About Us
Chris Baran
I was born in the Philippine Islands and lived with my mom there until I was twelve years old. In September 2007, I moved to the United States to live with my dad for the first time. During the first few months of moving to the States I suffered some culture shock. I could not speak nor understand English that well. I was struggling to learn it. While I was working hard to learn the American culture, my dad and step mom were trying to find the best way to tell me about the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that He freely offers to anyone that would come to Him.
They called a Filipino Baptist church and arranged for a couple of their men to come to our house which was at Virginia Beach, VA at the time to tell me in my native language the blessed gospel of Jesus Christ. It was October 23, 1997 when they came to our house and I remember it just like it was yesterday. One of the men played with my step sister and talked with my step mom while the other man sat down on the couch with me and explained to me the gospel. That night I made a decision to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. My life after salvation drastically changed. I started to find meaning in going to church. Jesus became real to me. God gave me a desire to see others get saved especially my own mother.
Soon after my salvation experience my dad got a new job that required him to move to western New York. After visiting several churches, my parents decided to join the Faith Bible Baptist Church which they are still members to this day. This is where I began to grow in the Lord. I was baptized in March 15, 1998, which was our church’s 14th year anniversary. I developed a friendship with my youth pastor and I began to go visiting with him on a regular basis. He was the one the taught me a lot about personal evangelism. We saw many receive Christ as Savior after talking with them. It was very exciting.
In July 1998, my youth group went to a teen summer camp hosted by Mt. Salem Revival Grounds in West Virginia.One night during the invitation, I came forward and surrendered my life to the call of God to preach. When I came home I began to get heavily involved in my church. With the Spirit’s help I joined the choir and became an usher and an assistant Sunday school teacher. I went on mission’s trips. I also preached in our Junior Church, nursing homes, and occasionally in our church services. God used me to see several people receive Christ as Savior including my mom and aunt in the Philippines during a mission’s trip there.
After graduating from high school, I decided to attend the Capitol City Baptist Bible College a ministry of Capitol City Baptist Church in Austin, TX where Hank Thompson is the Pastor. This is where I meet Bro. Travis Lewis who is a missionary out of CCBC to Cebu, Philippines. When I first came to the college he was just getting ready to go to the field. He found out that I was a Filipino and asked me if perhaps someday Lord willing I could help him in Cebu. I said I would pray about it. With God’s help I finished four years of Bible College this past May 2008. After finishing, I decided to come back to my home church and help out in any way that I can while I waited for God’s direction in my life. I was not sure where God wanted me to go.
This past August 2008, ten people from our church including me were privileged to go on a mission’s trip to the Philippines. While we were there, God gave me the opportunity to visit Bro. Travis Lewis’ work in Cebu. He flew me in for a weekend and while I was there I went visiting with him and preached at his church all day Sunday. I had a wonderful time. Before I went on the mission’s trip, I was seeking God’s direction and I remember asking Him that if Bro. Travis asks me to help him that I would consider that as an open door for me to come back as missionary to the Philippines. Long story short God did exactly as I asked Him. The night before I left Cebu, Bro. Travis came to me and asked if I would come back to help him. I said I would pray about it but in my heart I already knew the answer. When we got back to the States, I expressed my desire to my pastor. He was excited for me because he knew that I was seeking direction and he was praying that God would show it to me. Our prayers were answered. I am currently teaching the adult Sunday school class in our church and helping in the youth ministry and anything else that is asked of me to do. God is so good.
Elizabeth Baran
I was raised in a Christian home and my father was the pastor of our church. I had heard the gospel many times throughout my young life and when I was six I made a profession of faith. As I got older I began to doubt my salvation. I couldn’t remember if I had made that profession just to make my parents happy or if I truly understood that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. I knew the difference was heaven or hell but I was too afraid to seek help. I was a pastor’s daughter and I cared too much about what others would think. This didn’t change until I was in the fourth grade. My mom was the teacher of my class at the Christian school and one morning she began to teach the salvation story I had heard so many times before. God had been convicting me for years that I needed to make Him my personal Savior. I sat there at my desk knowing I couldn’t play this game anymore. I took my mom aside after class and she led me to the Lord in that very room. Praise the Lord He saved me despite my years of pride.
As I grew physically and spiritually I surrendered my life to Him, not knowing what He wanted for me but willing to do whatever He willed. The Lord began to burden my heart toward missions and I began to pray. I sought my father’s advice and he was supportive but expressed concerns about me taking on this task alone. In the mean time I continued to do what I knew was God’s will for me and remained heavily involved with my church. When I graduated from high school I decided to stay home and take correspondence classes from Common Ground Baptist Seminar and Institute. I knew my church needed me and I believed it to be God’s will for me at the time. Because I took college courses at home I was able to take a missions trip to Ukraine. This drastically changed my life and the Lord again burdened my heart for the mission field. I came home excited but still I knew the Lord wanted me to stay in my church. One of the ministries my church was involved in was summer camp. That is where I met Chris. I’m so glad I obeyed God and stayed home or we might not be married today.
I’m so excited about following God’s call to Cebu. It’s something I know He has been preparing me for since I was young. The survey trip Chris and I took this past February showed me many things but what I really learned is that I can’t do this on my own. I’m glad my Lord is not only the One Who is sending us but that He is also the One Who is going with us. With His help I will be the help meet that Chris needs me to be. I’m excited about what God is going to do through my husband and me as a unit.
