Meet the Speakers, Part 1

Here's a glimpse at the ladies who will be speaking this year. Since I came up with the idea of writing bios it's only fair that I go first. 

My name is

Mary-Elizabeth Bobo (yes, that’s really my last name), and I’m a member of Elizaville Christian Church near Lebanon, IN.

(This is me.)

Favorite things

·        ·         COFFEE
·         COFFEE
·         COFFEE
·         COFFEE
·         COFFEE
·         COFFEE

I     

(I probably like other things, but I can't remember them once I start thinking about coffee.)

My Ministries

I LOVE my church, and a lot of the ministries that we have going there.  I teach Sunday School & Junior church, sing (mediocrely - yes, I made up the word) in the choir, and head up our Women of Faith Group. I LOVE our WOF – we have some amazing ladies serving in our church, and I learn a lot from them.

Before coming to Elizaville I served in various other churches and ministries, including being an overseas missionary in Paris and Limoges, France.  (Where else could you get these fantastic pics? J)

With my amazing friend, Christina

I attended l’Insitut Biblique Baptiste de Paris (Paris Baptist Bible Institute) while serving overseas for three years, and graduated with my Bachelors in Missions from Indiana Baptist College, right here in Indiana. God has blessed me with a wide variety of cultures and experiences over the years, and I’m grateful for them all.

How I Became a Christian

I grew up in a Christian home. Both my dad and granddad were pastors. I was given the plan of salvation in the delivery room (Thanks, Dad!), so I thought I understood what that meant even at a very early age. One afternoon while playing with my brother, Johnny, and cousin, Matthew, the subject of heaven came up. This isn’t surprising as we all had been in church all of our lives. Matthew asked how to get heaven, and being a know-it-all at even my youngest of years, I began to spout off an incredibly incorrect list of things “to do” to earn salvation (i.e. go to church, read your Bible, etc.) My brother, only a year older than I, interrupted my heresy to explain that the ONLY way to be saved was to realize you’re a sinner and ask Jesus to save you.

Now a lot of children at very young ages say the sinner’s prayer. Because what kid wants to go to hell? And sometimes, there is no real conversion, because the poor child doesn’t really understand that they’re a sinner and need Jesus. That wasn’t the case with me. All that day, I kept thinking, IF I DIE, I’M NOT GOING TO HEAVEN. IF I DIE, I’M GOING TO HELL. I realized something important (that all know-it-alls need to grasp at some point), all the things I did which made me believe I was good enough for Heaven were NOT good enough. Jesus did not have my heart. It bothered me so much that I couldn’t sleep, and I woke my brother up, so he could explain salvation again. He prayed with me to accept Jesus as my Savior. That night a true sinner got truly saved, and I’ve never been the same.

My Favorite Verse