God used the time I spent living in the Bible belt - Okeechobee Florida to teach, train, mold and shape me into who I am today. I was born in Miami, FL in 1968 to an unmarried teenage mother. I was shortly thereafter adopted and raised in New York City area by my parents the Pasquales. I grew up in a "good home" with parents who were both professionals and workaholics but they loved me. I later got into trouble with gangs, crime, sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. My grandmothers both went to Catholic Church and knew God and I went to Catholic Church as a boy until I was Confirmed. I literally felt all hell break loose when I was 19-years-old and my 2 praying grandmothers went to be with the LORD.
Life became tough. I read and listened to self-help books voraciously and they helped with my mind and thoughts but not with overcoming my sins. I finally got drinking and smoking down to 3-days a week and I was making good money ... enough to buy a condo in Long Beach, NY at age 23. The only problem was I felt lonely and empty and had a really bad philosophy for life that was based on evolution theory (by the way none of us evolved from a big-bang into an ape then a human, that is all a lie). I wanted to go to back to church or too a couple of Protestant churches in the area for years but I stayed out partying too late or I made excuses when Sunday rolled around. I finally mustered up enough courage to complete college, which I briefly started when I first got out of high school.
So I moved to North Miami Beach, FL with a family member who was then a workaholic who also lived an alternative life style. Things became worse not better. Things became worse for me living with him not better. In community college I took a sociology class that covered adoption, abortion and human ethics of which I found out about the Florida Adoption Registry Reunion. I was excited and filled out the paperwork hoping to find my natural parents, but nothing initially turned up. Shortly after that I started seeking God in a very un-Christian way: I just called out "hey if you are real !#$^&8%#! Help me! He did. The LORD started putting ideas in my head I started to develop some common sense as a result. I felt led to go to college up at SUNY Binghamton in upstate NY. I only went there 1-semster but I met a beautiful young Christian woman from Livingston Manor, NY there who later became my wife.
I technically was not "saved" aka "born-again" yet; but I was seeking God and He was leading me. I started meeting believers or noticing churches and ministries everywhere. The next thing I knew was I felt led to go back to Miami to become an occupational therapist but I did not want to mess up my future wife's life so, I tried to forget about her. She ended up moving down to Miami and living with my brother and me. Shortly after she arrived I received a First- Class registered letter that stated a match in the FL Adoption Registry Reunion occurred.
I contacted them and found out that my natural parents had gotten married after they put me up for adoption and they had 3 girls who are my full blood sisters and who all lived in Coral Springs, FL about 30 miles away. Wow! I showed up at their home with my brother (whom I was raised with) and my future wife. I looked just like my parents and my sisters, but I was in denial for weeks. They were nice, happy people and they talked freely and openly about God even more than my grandmothers did. They later took me to a local Presbyterian Church that was nice and helped to answer some of my "God/Bible" questions. The next week my newly found family took us all to Calvary Chapel. It was a big converted warehouse just over the border from Fort Lauderdale. This church had all sorts of people from teens, gang member types, families, businessmen etc...in attendance. The worship team really jammed and praised the LORD with passion, and so did the 700 people or so that were present at that 1 of the 4 services offered at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Fl (Calvary Chapel Old Bridge NJ runs The Bridge radio station here 99.7 FM). Then Pastor Bob Coy came out and made me laugh and think deeply. I heard just a little bit of scientific proof on creation and a lot about this GOD/Man: JESUS. My faith came to life! I went forward even before the altar call and I was weeping, shaking and repentant.
God healed me from alcohol and smoking addiction that very day. Amen! Then the LORD took me through the 12- steps the first time without an official A A program. Furthermore I was totally led and greatly helped by God to learn what I needed to do to graduate college at FIU in Miami to become an occupational therapist. Unfortunately, I was a dry drunk with lots of issues such as anger that still had to be dealt with and that is where Dunklin Memorial Church in Okeechobee Florida came into my life. God led me to Okeechobee, Florida where I attended Church at Dunklin Memorial Camp and or was involved in ministry, Bible study, obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Biblical Studies, marriage and family classes and (AA type) Overcomers group for the next 7-years. I also reaped knowledge and training from other churches and denominations in the area and also served for about a year as a volunteer Baptist Youth Pastor.
At Dunklin I was healed emotionally, mentally and physically and I matured in the faith while being involved at or with the various churches in Okeechobee Florida. Currently as of 2006 I am married to the same beautiful Christian woman (who put up with a lot of my junk over the years) that I met 11-years ago and we have a great little boy who just started public school (pray for him). I have my own business as an occupational therapist. My wife is part of the worship team at the church we attend and I have a newspaper "letter to the editor" ministry and as per the LORD's direction back in 2005.
I started a Creation Science Evangelism Ministry (the purpose of Creation Science Bible Study, NY is to bring the GOSPEL TRUTH to the people of the area using the Holy Bible and scientific evidence for creation).
Thank you for reading my testimony. If you have any questions please e-mail or call.
Also please keep my family in your prayers. Love J.P.
(J.P.) John Pasquale
Address: 226 Old Route 17
Livingston Manor, NY 12758
Phone: (845) 439-5485
Fax: (845) 439-8061
Cell: (845) 665-1918
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