Robert Decker

Santee , CA
e-mail: DECKERRJ@HOTMAIL.COM

MY THREE MESSENGERS

This is very long so please bear with me!!!

Hello everyone my name is Robert Decker. If you don't know me I run the out side concession stand at church on Sunday. My wife and I always sit in the front under Pastor Leo's nose during 2nd service. I'm writing this letter to you as a testimonial to the greatest miracle in my life. That was when I excepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savor.

Before I tell my story please allow me to set the stage of where I was in my life with religion prior to this testimony. I was considered a Holiday and emergency catholic. I went to church on Holidays and only talked to God when I was in trouble and scared (in need of an emergency). When my children Amber and Morgan became old enough to start school we decided to enter a more steady roll in the local church (ST. Michael's) We wanted to make sure that our girls got a good religious up bringing. Seven years later I found my self going through a divorce and leaving the church.

Around August 1995 I was sent to recruiting school by the Marine Corps in Kansas city, KS. After completing the school my new assignment would be Okinawa Japan for five years. This was a job I had been fighting for, for over five years. It was to be a retirement package for my family and me. This movement meant that my wife could quit her job (something she wanted so she could stay home with the kids). Leaving the states with zero debt. We would be able to save over $50,000 in the next five years. We could start building our dream home at retirement.

While at recruiting school I called home to San Diego to express my excitement and let my wife know we where on our way to Japan. I was met with the beginning of the worst thing a husband and father could go through (divorce). My wife wanted a separation and informed me she and the kids where not going to Japan. It doesn't stop their! Three days later I received a phone call from my little brother that our big brother was hospitalized, his lungs had collapsed and he was dieing. So I departed my Kansas City school and rendezvoused with my mother my sister and her daughter at the hospital in San Francisco. After a couple of days we decided to pull brother Richard off all life support. With the situation being to much to bare, Mom ended up being hospitalizing for a couple days. Brother Richard had died after a long 15 year battle with HIV and AIDS.

I finally was able to go home to now face my next battle. To no avail my separation turned into a divorce and my life had literally collapsed around me. I now was a visitor to my own home to see my two beautiful girls. One minute you think your on top and have it all. It only takes a swipe of a hand and it can be gone in an instant. One night while sitting in my 10 x 20 foot room on base wondering and crying to God asking questions like. What did I do wrong? God why can't you fix this and give me back my family? I had created the small opening in my heart that gave him what he wanted to hear. PLEASE GOD HELP ME!!! So he put his plan into action.

MESSENGER # 1

While drowning in my self pity one day. I was in a store on base looking at VCR's, trying to replace some of the things I left behind during my separation. A young lady approached me. Her name was (Rebecca) the next thing I knew, we are in the corner of the store talking about my divorce. Here I am, pouring my heart out to some lady I just met and knew nothing about. Rebecca asked if I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Caught off guard and embarrassed of course I said YES. Rebecca's message that day to me was to seek the Lord, pray for my salvation, ask for forgiveness and start going to church. The Lord will then heal me of all my problems. She then asked me if we both could pray about it, then invited me to her church at Point Loma. Well I told her I mite come by sometime. That same week I decided to go to the evening prayer service. As it turn out it was (Calvary Chapel) Point Loma. Rebecca never showed up! One week later I ran into Rebecca again in the same store, after I quickly chewed her out for ditching me in my hour of need, she apologized and invited me again. Well, we prayed that day in the store again and parted. I will never forget that day Rebecca was a different person. She was motivated, happy, cheerful and could not say enough about how much the lord had truly restored her life in the last two weeks. You see; I was so caught up in my self pity party that first day we met I forgot about her many problems she mentioned.

She was in the middle of a divorce, kicked out of her house and forced to survive with no job skills at all. Her x husband took all her money and her car and left town. She had mentioned to me all she had was her little prayer warrior. Who was her son that lived in another state. He would call her every night and they would pray on the phone for an hour. I thought just maybe there was a little bit to this Jesus thing!!

MESSENGER # 2.

After I had been separated and living in the Marine barracks for a few months. A friend invited me to "Mullvanys" a Santee country and western dance hall for Sunday family night. After I had been there for 45 minutes my friends they got in a fight and left me. As I looked around I saw this beautiful lady looking at me from within a crowd of people. So I ask her to dance with me. After a couple slow dances we began to talk. The next thing I know I'm talking about my divorce. She had made me feel very comfortable. She talked about how she had been divorced and lead me to believe things would get better. Then she asked me the big question Robert she said, do you know Jesus? I'm a born again Christian and ever since I gave my life to Jesus. Things have been wonderful and great in my life. Compared to what? I asked' she told me about her past, Wow, there was a great big difference. Her name is Leslie. She new I was hurting so her next step was to invited me to church. (Boy here we go again). That night I could not say yes or no especially after what happened with Rebecca. Well; later that week I decided to go and guess what, she never showed up. There I was in this huge church listening to this loud pastor and everyone singing and praising the Lord. It was Horizon in Clairmont. Another (Calvary Chapel). Well about two weeks later I was at another Country Dance Hall called Incahootz. There she was again, Leslie, So after I chewed her out for not showing up, she apologized and said family had come into town and that I never gave her a clear answer that I would go. We talked for a while and parted. This time I got her phone number. (smile)

Messenger # 3.

January 4, 1996 I moved to El Toro, CA my new command. While all alone one night in early March in my new apartment someone knocked on my door. To my amazement when I answered the door there stood a woman in a green uniform all alone. She quickly identified her self as Marshall Dillon (smile) from the county clerks office. She informed me she was delivering my divorce papers. I noticed she was all alone and packed no gun. With a frown on my face and now depressed, not looking forward to this moment at all. This meant closure (the end). I said OK and invited her in. To my amazement she walked into my apartment and closed the door behind her. (PAUSE) TO ALL LADIES READING THIS. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WALK INTO A MANS APT WHO YOU JUST MET? Not Knowing if I was the bad guy for the good guy. (RESUME) The next thing I know I am telling her all about my poor situation and about my wife divorcing me. Well the next thing she said was Robert! you need the Lord Jesus in your life!! I stopped cold and look at her and said, Please don't tell me your from Calvary Chapel. She screamed and said how did you know? I'm from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (Chuck Smith is the Pastor) We must of talked for another hour. At this point I was very RESEPTIVE and was fighting the jesus bumbs running down arms.

That night it was very clear to me JESUS was after me. After Marshall Dillon left I was so overwhelmed I fell to the floor give my life to Jesus Christ. Its still not clear why he sent three women and all from Calvary Chapels. I can only Speculate.

PS. I married messenger # 2
You know the rest of the story.

Thanks to the tremendous support and love from the beginning by my wife over the past four years I have continued to grow and love the Lord. I truly believe their was a divine intervention.
"DON'T YOU
Thank you Leslie

People say there are no modern day miracles???
I just smile!