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Edmund CP Wadeson
Testimony.
I moved to Portland, Oregon on August 15, 1998 as the result of looking at the map of the United States on my wall in Kansas City, Mo for most of the previous Spring. At the time I had realized I couldn’t stand the place I was living and working and, not having any deep connections to the Midwest, I determined to find a place with a beautiful natural environment to live and work. I chose Portland and drove West with my cat Murphy, my fly rods, camping gear, portfolio and hope for a better life on the West coast.
Not knowing anyone in Oregon didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for finding a better life, and a better place to live in Portland. After all, how could those calendars of the beautiful Oregon beaches, mountains, forests and rivers be wrong?
On Easter Sunday 1999 at the invitation of a colleague and marathon training partner Colleen, I walked into Community Bible Fellowship church in Portland and, for the first time, heard a man speak from the Word of God.
That day marks the first time in 44 years of life that God got my attention. I recall the time very well as I sat there in the balcony wondering, “Where are the candles? where are the statues? where is the priest and his vestments? where is the choir? where is the altar?”.
Having been raised since boyhood in the Roman Catholic religion my idea of church had everything to do with ritual and tradition, in going to church on Sundays, and Holy days of Obligation. Spiritually it was a completely dead experience for me with the result that for many years I had not actively engaged in church. Strangely, the pull of this early church experience was strong and I was quite uncomfortable as I sat and listened to that Easter service, sweating bullets in a Protestant church.
Here was something very different from what I had been taught. Here were words and meanings that spoke directly to my heart. The teachings from Jesus own words were huge and radical, yet simple, and with depth seemingly beyond depth. Equally important was the effect within my spirit as I started reading, meditating and pondering the Gospel messages and truths contained within the Word of God.
This growing Faith also came out in my guitar music. Almighty God laid out complete songs for me and I was privileged to lead worship with them in fellowship groups and at the home church we attended.
Songs like ‘Let me walk in your Words’, ‘Signs of Truth’, ‘There is a Road’, ‘Take this Heart’, ‘Endless Mercy’ and others, all reflect God’s grace and the touch of His hand upon me and my life. I am SO thankful to be able to share my faith with others this way.
Another effect on me coming directly from this new experience of Faith was that it really felt like something has changed within my chest. I could actually feel a tangible presence within the area of my heart. This presence lasted at least two weeks, during which I repeatedly peppered Colleen with questions about Faith, the Gospels, God, etc. She answered each one modestly and with deliberation and pause. I put this physical presence down to the Holy Spirit literally moving in and taking up residence within my heart, convicting me of my sin and asking for change.
One day something happened that rocked us both. We realized that the first bible verse we had separately committed to memory years and many, many miles apart was very the same verse!
‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your paths straight’ Proverbs 3:5-6
One day as Colleen and I were discussing my life and the long journey from my boyhood home in England, to emigration to New York at 14 years of age, to a 4 year stint in the US Army, to a 21 year period in Texas, to 18 unsatisfied months in Kansas City and finally to Portland Oregon in August 1998, Colleen said, “Look how gracious God has been to you to bring you all this way to live in this beautiful place, and to bring you to Himself”.
After going home and pondering that statement I wept for a long time as I realized the truth of that. That is exactly what was happening. I was able to be discipled by strong brothers who led me into a deeper understand of faith in Jesus Christ, and who pointed the way through their unselfish love and understanding, through their example and through their walking alongside me. Mike Abbate, Terry Hill, Roger Cornell & Rich Hagler, among others. Colleen and I continued training and ran the 1999 Portland marathon, although I injured myself in training and ran the last half only. I coached Colleen to the finish line where she almost qualified for the Boston marathon – not bad at all for a first timer! Almighty God is so merciful. In June 2001 Colleen and I were married. Terry and Karis Hill were our Best Man and Maid of Honor. Proverbs 3:5-6 is engraved inside our wedding rings as a reminder that God had chosen us for each other many years before we knew each other. He was faithful to us WAY before we knew Him.
We now live in Bend, Oregon with our son Merritt Theodore Davis, whose name means Worthy Beloved Gift of God, and our daughter Madeline Ann Karola, whose name means Strength-giving Graceful Song of Joy.
I have been blessed beyond measure with this family and with my close friends in Christ and we look forward to being used in the Kingdom for God’s purposes. A Scripture that speaks deeply to me is the following:
‘Even in darkness light shines for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man’ Psalm 112 v 4
I seek to be that man.
In Jesus name,
Edmund CP Wadeson
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