Ben Hunt

I recognized the need for a savior as a teenager at a Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames presentation in 1992. Unfortunately, I remained lukewarm in my faith until I met and married Mandy, my bride and best friend. We were practically still kids when we married in 1997 and moved to Valley Forge, PA, where I attended Bible college. Little did I know that my dream of being a missionary for the Lord would take us to places we never expected to go. We told the Lord that we would go anywhere and work with anyone, with two exceptions: no inner-city ministry and no youth ministry. Boy, does the Lord have a sense of humor!

 

After college, we moved to Fishtown, an inner-city neighborhood in Philadelphia. We worked with missionaries Rodney and Judy Tilley to plant an Albanian church and coffee shop while teaching English as a second language. I was employed by Catholic Social Services as a refugee resettlement case manager and was honored to get to know families from West Africa, Russia, Ukraine, and Vietnam. We made friends with some Moroccan families as well!

 

At the end of 2001, the Lord led us to work as a married couple at the New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranches. We lived on campus and worked with at-risk young ladies who ranged in age from 12 to 19. I learned so much about life's hurts and pains and about how resilient kids can be. We had a lot of laughter, challenges, and even some tears. Although God gave us three boys, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the challenges that teen girls face growing up in our society.

 

2009 brought us back to Ohio and family. I struggled to find work for months when, finally, the Lord opened up a door at Threshold Residential Services' workshop. There, I worked managing a detail shop with a crew of developmentally disabled adults. I had an awesome team of guys who really worked hard. Those guys (and a couple of ladies) taught me the value of accepting people where they are without judgment.

 

In 2014, I became an RN. I'll be honest, I did it to support my family, not because it was a lifelong dream. After school, I was offered a job at Sacred Arms Inc., a home healthcare company, by a classmate who became my boss and friend. That has been my vocation. Through it all, I have felt as though we were fulfilling God's will for our lives, even though we didn't participate in any traditional "ministry."

 

In 2023, we met Chris and Coria Brock of Life With Christ Ministries when, through family connections, they offered our oldest son a chance to go on a mission trip to Japan. My wife and I (including our boys) volunteered to help with a Saturday church service in Lisbon, Ohio. I am so thankful that the Lord put the Brocks in our lives and that they allow my entire family to participate in Life With Christ Ministries, including going to the Philippines on a mission trip! I personally enjoy assisting with all of the behind-the-scenes work with the ministry, learning sound tech, and being a worship team roadie! In 2024, the Lord began tugging at my heart to move into a more traditional ministerial role than ever before. As a confirmation of that call, the Brocks asked me to be an associate minister. I am humbled and honored to be able to represent Life With Christ Ministries and to participate with my brothers and sisters in the mission: "To bring the message that Christ is alive, that God is love, and that His Word is alive and true to the Body of Christ, as well as to speak the truth of the gospel to the lost."