ABOUT MIKE TRAHAN
Mike Trahan was born in North Bay, Ontario and raised with his 3 siblings in the nearby rural community of Corbeil.
In the spring of 1989, he was introduced to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by four coworkers who were faithful in sharing the Gospel with him. In December 1989, he realized the truth of John 3:16 for himself and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour.
Since that time he has been dedicated to sharing the Good News of salvation and the Lord Jesus Christ with others. He has been involved in Gospel outreach throughout Ontario, as well as 20 years of volunteering at the North Bay Jail.
He has been married to his wife, Marla, for over 21 years and is the proud father of Janessa and Culin. They attend Nipissing Junction Gospel Hall and are dedicated to raising their family and living with a Biblical worldview.
Mike is devoted to studying the Bible and, in his leisure time, enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, fishing (in summer and winter), and travelling.
TESTIMONY
I was born on July 13, 1968, the second oldest in a family of 4 children (3 boys and 1 girl), but it wasn’t until December 17, 1989, around 10:20 p.m. that I was born again by the Holy Spirit into the family of God.
For those who understand what it means to be "born again", I hope my story can be an encouragement as you see a little of what God has done in my life. For those who do not understand being "born again", please allow me to explain to you how this has changed my life and my destiny.
I was raised in a small rural community where everybody knew everybody else and looked out for each other. However, even from a young age while growing up, life felt scary and empty with no meaning or purpose. I was always wondering, “where am I going in life?" and “what is life all about?”. I was always searching and trying many different ways, including drugs, alcohol, women, and sports, to try to satisfy the emptiness and fill the longing I had within me. I felt that my conscience was loaded down with guilt and shame though I could not understand why.
In time, I would come to understand that this was because I was living a life of deep and great sin against a Holy God and my fellow man.
In April 1989, I started working for a welding company. Unknown to me, working there were four believers in Jesus Christ, including one with whom I would get a ride with to and from work on a daily basis. These were Godly men that lived for Christ and in time shared with me the good news about Jesus dying on the cross for my sin.
They invited me to Gospel meetings at Nipissing Junction Gospel Hall where I learnt more about the God who loves me and sent His Son to die on the cross for me. After attending several of these Gospel meetings over a period of months I began to understand the seriousness of my sin and realized I had to make a choice. One that would determine where I spent eternity. I could accept Christ's gift of salvation, be saved, and spend eternity in heaven with Him… or I could reject it and spend eternity in Hell and the lake of fire. The Holy Spirit was using these faithful Christians and the messages I was hearing attending these Gospel Meetings to speak God's Word to my heart and soul.
On Sunday, December 17, 1989, after attending a Gospel meeting I returned home to my apartment feeling discouraged. As I walked in the door, one of my roommates asked me how the Gospel meeting had been. I replied that it had been great but that I felt very frustrated and depressed. When they asked me why I felt that way, I answered that I wanted to get saved. They then asked, how did one get saved?
After so many months under the sound of the Gospel, I had full confidence in the Word of God and that God was able to save, so I decided that if I wasn't going to be able to get saved, maybe they would.
I began to quote John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world (meaning the world of lost sinners), that He gave (meaning a free gift) His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him (that is in Jesus Christ)...
Then suddenly the Holy Spirit said to me in my soul, "if Mike Trahan believeth (that is to put his trust in Jesus Christ)..., then what does the rest of the verse say?!"
"... should not perish, but have everlasting life."
It was in that moment of time that the Holy Spirit revealed to me the personal truth that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Saviour of my life. I called out to Jesus and thanked him for forever saving me from a lost eternity. All that heaviness I had felt my entire life, the burden of guilt and shame I had been carrying everywhere with me, was suddenly gone!
Life has never been the same since. It is not perfect, and it won’t be until I’m in heaven, but God has forgiven me of my sin and in that moment of salvation… of being born again… I was given new hope. A hope that will last for all that is remaining of this life and throughout all eternity. It has given my soul peace through the difficulties and challenges I have faced and will continue to face, however, God’s Word says: “for He hath said, l will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5), and since that moment I have felt His presence with me each step of the way.
