Waiting in Hope

Joshua Michaels

Waiting in Hope

Sometimes, being a missionary may mean simply being willing to listen to someone.  For John Armlovich, his story took a hopeful turn when someone was willing to listen to him and to dig into what he believed about God, life, and faith. 

John knew some basics of the Bible and Christianity from growing up in the Quaker church, but he quickly discovered that not everyone who claims the name of Christ always shows the love of Christ. 

John’s curiosity about faith and religion was always a part of him – after all, not every kid reads through the Torah, the Koran, and the Bible to see what they say.  But the harsh treatment he faced from those around him – at home, school, and church – did little to give him hope. 

When he joined the Coast Guard, his journey took him from Jamestown, OH to the Arctic Circle, and then on to Virginia, California, and Louisiana in turn.  But despite leaving behind a place that felt hopeless, hope still eluded John and in its place was only the shallowness of a life with nothing more satisfying than seeking after fun.

While the military provided him with skills, unusual experiences (rescues at sea during a hurricane, anyone?), and (by his own confession) a low tolerance for cold, John found that sin and evil were just as present there as everywhere else.  In fact, it proved all too easy to get caught up in illicit schemes and behavior.  Even when John confronted another crewman to protect someone else, he was ostracized by his shipmates, recreating a familiar pattern of being isolated.

While in New Orleans, John deepened his interest in paganism, which had started when a family member introduced him to it.  For some time, this provided the community and meaning that John was seeking.

After leaving the Coast Guard, John returned to Jamestown and took a job at Dollar General in Cedarville.  There he encountered Keegan D’Alfonso, a former member of the military now studying at Cedarville University.  That shared experience serving their country provided a background to get to know one another’s stories. In Keegan, John found someone willing to listen to him, as well as someone who knew what he believed.  True to form, John was willing to talk about what he believed, as well as learning what Keegan believed and why. Those shared conversations about faith and God and reality led John to begin to question if what he believed was true.  It also showed him that not all Christians were unwilling to listen to his questions.

Eventually, John realized that he could run all he wanted, but he couldn’t escape his need for God and submitted his life to Christ at New Community.  Looking back now, John will tell you that he can pick out when God was intervening in his life, seeking him, ultimately bringing him through a journey of twists and turns and dark places to the truth, to a place of hope.  Even in all the dark places John traveled, God had a plan for him. 

Currently, John attends the Branches house church and has been meeting regularly with other men to deepen his understanding of how to apply God’s Word in his daily life. Perhaps because of hope finding him after a dark journey, Romans 8:24-28 is one of John’s favorite passages.

So when you think of your identity as a missionary, consider that being a missionary may start with something simple and you may become a waypoint in someone’s journey toward hope.