Zach's Testimony

Growing Up in Church

I was raised in church. My grandpa, Mike Derry, was a pastor, and my whole family was involved in different ministries at Hurricane First Baptist Church.

My brother and I were at youth group every chance we got. We spent multiple weeks each summer at church camp—first as campers, then as counselors. 

From an early age, my dad was always signing us up for odd jobs to help neighbors and people in the church. My parents taught us to work hard and to help anyone any way we could.

In youth group, I had even more opportunities to put their encouragements into practice. Throughout the year, we helped with service projects locally and every summer we went on a week-long mission trip somewhere around the country.

We worked on a variety of trade-related projects for others and helped with some form of kids’ ministry almost every year.

‘Well, I Think I Want to be a Missionary...

Every time we came back from these trips, I’d think about how cool it’d be to get to do that more often.

While I know God equips and prepares anyone for what He calls them to do, I wasn't sure how to go about it, but in my mind I thought. ‘Well, I think I want to be a missionary.

I had no idea of the what or how of it all. I just wanted to help others. 

Then my parents suggested learning trades, as a way to help in missions. Since I had changed a faucet with my parents once (I was the only one small enough to fit under the sink); I decided to check out plumbing.

I enrolled in trade school and eventually heard about a Christian led company named Lee Company in Nashville that did mission trips throughout the year.

This seemed like the perfect fit for me.

As I learned plumbing, waited, and prayed about the direction of my future, I learned another great lesson from a mentor of mine, Tony Nutter.

Tony taught our youth group how to be a missionary in our schools and, as we got older, in our workplaces daily.

He would take us on one week trips focused on helping people with whatever they needed. He taught us that our ministry didn’t have to end when we got back.

We are all called to be bold and to be actively seeking how to serve the Lord always. 

Be Bold While Seeking Answers

Soon I found myself reading my Bible at school and on the bus ride everyday over to the trade school. This opened up so many conversations about my faith with classmates I would never have dreamed of.

Through high school, I felt God was more and more pointing me to go to Nashville. I had never been there and didn’t know anyone or anything about the place.

Honestly, this was kind of frustrating because I love West Virginia and had no plans of going outside of it for more than just a short-term trip here and there. 

Then one day I came across a passage of Habakkuk that was very pertinent to my situation.

“I will take my stand at my watch-post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” – Habakkuk 2:1

Habakkuk didn’t know why God was doing what he was doing in his life, but he knew that the Lord was and always is good, so even though he had questions, he continued serving at his watch-post while listening for answers.

Meaning again: I will actively be listening to what You have to say to me and have for me in life. It was very clear that Tennessee was where I was supposed to go.

God is Faithful in Nashville

In Nashville, I had the opportunity to minister to coworkers, customers, and serve on a mission trip with the company. All the while I continued going to my church's camp and counseling in the summers. 

I saw the company mission trips as a core part of my ministry, but when Covid happened, our company couldn’t plan any more trips. I started feeling like I couldn't accomplish what I had been called to do. 

Around the same time, I met my now best friend, Jake Lampton. He is a youth pastor and was looking for someone to lead his high school guy's small group.

So, I started serving the guys - and loving every minute of it!

I’m not talking about showing up once or twice a week and seeing them for a few hours– no, I'm talking about going to all their volleyball games, band concerts, and taking them to dinner to check in about life.

This time was amazingly valuable to me as I learned from friends like Jake, Abby, Nathan, and others how to be intentional with people I reach out to.

Going Where the Lord Leads

As I was reading the book of James, these words stood out:

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'”  – James 4: 13-15

This has been the story of my life so far. Going wherever the Lord leads.

On to Budapest

God has been faithful every step of the way; training and equipping me through camps, mission trips, Bible studies, learning trades, and leading youth groups.

Along the way, God placed Emily in my path. As we have prayed and asked God what He desires of us as a couple, God has put it on our hearts to go to Budapest, Hungary!

It’s not what I expected, but looking back I can see how each of those experiences were preparing me for this next step. God has been working all things out according to what He has called me to. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28"  

God is good and will use you wherever you’re at if you’re seeking Him and ready to serve however He calls. I thought I’d grow up to be a plumber in West Virginia. Instead, I have gone in many different directions that hardly involve that at all. 

To see what we will be doing in Budapest, Click here: English Language Ministries

To read Emily's testimony, Click here: Emily