Joe and Victoria Macumba

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   My name is Joe Macumba and I am the Deacon at Anchor of Hope In Christ Jesus.  I have been married to my wife, Victoria Macumba for 35 years and have children:  Linda, Anthony, Jose and Nick.  I have been with Anchor of Hope 9 years and have participated in Leadership positions.  My current appointed position is Deacon of AofH and Group Leader of Men of Faith Group.  I also participate in Wednesday Night Bible Study Reading and Prayer.  

   God showed me incredible grace by allowing me to have a loving Christian Grandma.  From a very young age I was exposed to scripture, church life and regularly heard the gospel from my Grandma who left no doubt in my mind that she treasured Christ and loved me. 

   About ten years ago, my wife Victoria and I were invited to attend church by our son, Anthony.  After Sunday Service we were greeted and invited back by Pastor Tom Garcia.  I came to have understanding that I had broken God's law and needed a Savior.  I decided to trust in Him and gave my life over to Him. My wife, Victoria and I were baptized a few years later.

   I began to really make that faith in Christ my own and truly understand at a deeper level my great need for a Savior.  I was a typical "Brother Joe" type at Anchor of Hope.  Obedient and proud of it.  I had an incredibly shallow grasp of God's grace, but God revealed in a new way his loving pursuit of my wandering heart through growth periods during my attendance at Anchor of Hope.  I also believe that during these periods of time, God was preparing me for ministry and developing my gift.

   I spent a couple years as a children's and youth choir leader for Anchor of Hope.  I had a wonderful opportunity to teach bible study.  As time went by I became a men's group leader, called 'Men of Faith'.  For two and a half years now, God has laid on my heart a calling to become a Deacon for Anchor of Hope to use the gifts He has given me for His glory in helping shepherd the church.

   What is my hope and prayer for Anchor of Hope in Christ Jesus?

My hope and prayer for AofH at a base level is this, that we as a church would bring glory to God through lives changed and souls saved by the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ.  I pray that God would deepen our understanding of His character and that we as a church would be centered on and motivated by the gospel in all we do.  My prayer is that his powerful gospel would propel us into authentic Christian Community with each other and out into our immediate Community and City to extend love and hope of Christ to all we encounter.

Testimony

I prayed and asked the lord to forgive me of my sins and placed my faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ.  There have been times I have struggled in my walk with Christ, but I have a variety of people who have invested in my life.  My Grandma continued to pray, teach and encourage spiritual growth and continued to do so, even to her last days.  I had the opportunity to watch my Grandma as she lived out her faith.  I watched Grandma faithfully follow God's lead and demonstrated the power of prayer.  Because of her prayers, I am where I ought to be serving the Lord God Almight!