The Impact of Discipleship: RJ’s Journey from a Lost Marine to a Launching Missionary By Hope (Trimble '20) Cate In the early 1950’s, Word of Life co-founder Harry Bollback navigated the Amazon River in a wooden canoe to bring God’s Word to the Xavante tribal people. I am always inspired by Harry’s story, and by the lasting impact of his faithful ministry. When I think of his heart for the gospel – the heart that compelled him to embark into unknown territory to share the hope of Jesus – I wonder if this kind of passion still exists somewhere in the church today.
When I talk with RJ Borja, however, I am reminded that the answer is a resounding “yes”!
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s I pick up the phone and start talking with RJ (Ray-Jeovannii Santiago Borja '14 & '15), it becomes
me, the ‘Christian life’ continued to look like doing anything I wanted.”
evident that his enthusiasm for life stems from his contagious love for God. He excitedly explains how he, his wife, Janessa (Schuring '11 & '12), and their three children are getting ready to serve as full-time missionaries in a Brazilian people group that currently has no access to the gospel. They have been studying linguistics, culture, and Bible translation techniques in preparation for life and ministry among indigenous villages. When I ask RJ how he came to know Christ, I discover he didn’t grow up with the joy of the Lord that is so evident in his life today. “I was raised in a family who claimed to be Christian, but it wasn’t lived out in the home. At the age of thirteen, my younger brother and I were invited to go to a Christian camp. That was the first time I ever heard about Jesus and how He died for our sins. I wanted that so badly. I trusted Christ in that moment, but I had no discipleship or follow up afterwards. For
Because of this lack of Christian mentoring, RJ continued to drift away from any knowledge of the God of the Bible. By the time he joined the marines as a teenager, RJ describes himself as completely lost. “I had no understanding of God’s Word, His love for me, or His desire for me to know Him.” He describes the day when he recognized the weight of his sinful lifestyle. “At the age of 21 is when I really recognized who the Lord was. It was my last year in the Marine Corps. As I was pursuing myself and my own desires, I fell flat on my face. I was broken because of my sin, and I was looking for someone to help me bear my burden.” Even after contacting his family and confiding in them about his sin, RJ still felt no relief. “I went to sleep because I was so exhausted from crying. When I woke up, I started reading God’s Word.”
I trusted Christ in that moment, but I had no discipleship to follow up afterwards. For me, the ‘Christian life’ continued to look like doing anything I wanted.
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