Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out
of thy law." Psalm 119:18 (KJV)
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Michael D. and Laura Kelly Deuteronomy 32:10 "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye." My Salvation, Testimony and Call: Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to give my testimony. I was born and raised in south Florida. My parents divorced when I was only three years old. My sisters and I remained with our mother until I was seven. We were placed in a children’s home for a couple of years and then into separate foster homes. Eventually I was reunited with them and it was in this foster home where I first heard the gospel. We went to church every time the doors were opened. My sisters rebelled and ran away from this home. I was enrolled in the Christian school and played the game with these foster parents. After several years these foster parents divorced. We stopped going to church and I had very little supervision. I skipped school and basically did what I wanted while living with my Foster father. He remarried and his second wife was saved and we started going to church. I rebelled and ran away from this home. I moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved in with my oldest sister and her boyfriend. I had what I thought I wanted, “freedom”. After finishing High School, I spent four years in the Coast Guard. Later, when I was discharged, I tried to become a policeman in NYC. I failed one of the tests became depressed and left New York. Then I moved in with my other sister in California. I went from job to job and was using cocaine and other things to try and satisfy my soul. I was fired from a job and went to visit my foster parents who were then living in North Augusta, S.C. I arrived there in December of 1988, and began to go to church with them. I played the game of Christian again, talking the talk and trying to fit in. I was desperately trying to turn from drugs, but couldn’t do it on my own. Under conviction about all of this, I went to my Sunday school teacher and he led me to a saving knowledge of Christ on New Years Day of 1989. Praise the Lord! I followed the Lord in baptism and joined that Victory Baptist Church as a new creature in Christ. As I saw I was delivered from sin’s bondage, I began to tell everyone I could, and soon began to preach and give my testimony. I was called to preach shortly thereafter and went to Bible College. During the second semester of college, I received a call from my father, Dennis Kelly. He was living in Miami, Florida at the time. My father was born in Newmarket County Cork Ireland and immigrated to the United States in 1949. There was a crisis in his life that where he needed help. My stepmother was very ill and in the hospital with a terminal illness. I went to see him and was appalled at the living conditions in his home. As I looked around I noticed his altar of idols of Jesus, Mary, and the saints; I was troubled by it all. We went to the hospital and my stepmother was in and out of a coma. All I could do was pray and I also prayed the Romans road out loud. I left my dad the next day and returned to college. My stepmother died a week later and THE LORD gave me sweet peace about it. My father left Florida and moved to California with my sister shortly after the funeral. I continued to be burdened for my Dad and through this God called me to go to Ireland in May of 1990. I doubted after my public announcement of this call. After praying about it all night, the next day I went to eat lunch in a local deli. As I bowed my head to pray for my food a man I never met before came to my table and asked to join me. He was missionary in Ireland on his way home to Columbia, S.C. . I rejoiced over God confirming His will for my life. I continued my studies in college and the Lord blessed me with my wife, Laura, in 1993. We married in November of 1993 and honeymooned in Ireland. I saw the land and the people including my family that still live there. The Lord burdened my heart and we returned from Ireland. I graduated in 1995 from Victory Baptist College. We traveled back to Ireland for a survey trip in the summer of 1995. We spent a month in Northern Ireland and a month in the Republic. While in Northern Ireland we were involved in sports evangelism. This was a very rewarding experience and effective method of evangelism. We went south into the Republic and I was able to witness and spend more time with my family. There is a Protestant church in my father’s home town that has been vacant since 1922. The Protestant people were threatened by a priest led mob the day Ireland gained it’s independence in 1922, and fled for their lives. I prayed and asked the Lord to send someone to this town to start a Bible Believing Baptist church. Six months later, after returning to the states, and preparing to start deputation, my Father contacted me from California and wanted to come and live with me. After praying and counsel from my pastor; I made a life changing decision to bring my Dad to South Carolina. I put all my plans to go back to the mission field on hold and decided to take care of my father. My father was saved in 1996. Praise the Lord! A Door opened to pastor in Utica, N.Y. in 1998. I prayed and sought counsel and left my father in Georgia. I went to pastor this inner-city BBF church of around 50. It was not a good fit for us. God was good to us in seeing many saved and several called to preach. One man just graduated and another is in Washington State working with migrants and jail ministry. Another man started a church in his home and God is blessing. During a mission conference in April 2000, I brought in a missionary going to Ireland. As he was speaking; God spoke to me about going back to Ireland. I told the Lord “I can’t go because I am pastoring“. A week later, I had to resign the church after removing a man from a leadership position. This caused much division in the church and I believed it was the right decision to make. After several months of waiting and praying; the Lord opened a door for me in Bradenton Florida. I took a job with my old employer and joined Bible Baptist Church. I began teaching Sunday school and learned to be content. After a few years, I was able to move my Father from Georgia. Soon after he arrived, our mission’s conference began. The Lord once again spoke to me about Ireland. I made this public and in June of 2002 I was approved by Baptist Missions to Forgotten People after candidate school. As I began to raise support, it seemed my father was a continual problem. He needed constant medical care and this seemed to be a huge obstacle for me to continue. I stopped trying to raise support and began seeking to pastor in Florida. After several opportunities, including candidating for pastor of my home church, God did not open any of these churches. The church called a new pastor: Dr. Mark Campbell and I counseled with him about all of this. As a result I am beginning again to raise support to be a church planter in Ireland. My father passed away on Sept. 12 th 2005 in Bradenton,Fl. I am now free to go to Ireland. I am thankful that he was saved and am looking forward to reaching more Irish for the Kingdom. As you pray and seek the Lord about The Great Commission, it is my prayer that we could present this ministry in your church. I have included references below. "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye." Deut. 32:10
PERSONAL INFORMATION: References: Gary Byram, Dr. R. Larry Brown, Paul Bannister, Terry McLaughlin, Sending Church: Mission Board: |
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