NavStories

My name is J. Jackson, and I’m lead singer and lyricist for a nationally touring Christian rock band called ApologetiX.  We’ve been around for over 19 years and have released 18 CDs and have played over 1300 concerts in all 50 states.

We specialize in biblical parodies of rock and pop songs from yesterday and today.  It’s kind of like Billy Graham meets “Weird Al Yankovic.”  In fact, I think we’re the only band that’s been featured on the radio shows of both Billy Graham and Howard Stern, not to mention The 700 Club and The Dr. Demento Show.  Our mission is to “reach the lost and teach the rest.”

Back in 1982, I was a freshman at Indiana University of Pennsylvania when a guy from the Navigators named Pete Udall came to visit.  Apparently, I was one of only two people on my floor (my best friend in college was the other one) who had been too polite to refuse a visit by the Navigators.

We allowed Pete to come visit a number of times, although half of the time, we avoided him.  We didn’t know who the Navigators were.  We grew up Catholic — for all we knew back then, the Navigators could have been a cult — and there was no way to research things on the Internet.   Plus, we were in college with lots of much more fun stuff to do.

One night Pete came to visit and my friend wasn’t there.  I remember talking with Pete and feeling like I had really made some sort of commitment to God that night.  I didn’t fully understand it nor did I think too much about it.

But the very next day something happened that presented me with a big fork in the road.  There was a very specific temptation, and it was one of the only things that could have happened that would have made me turn back.  And I had to make a choice whether I was going to give in to it or follow up on what had happened the day before with Pete.  And I chose to give in, and it set me back about six more years.

I pretty much never looked back on that night with Pete until years later.  But I’ve been a born-again Christian now for over 23 years, and I believe that night I talked (and probably prayed) with Pete was laying the groundwork for six years down the road when I would walk into an empty church and pour my heart out to God and surrender to Christ.  And from then on, there was no turning back.

If any of you know where Pete is now, please tell him I said thanks.  And thank you, Navigators!  You may never realize the impact you are having, even on people who may only seem semi-interested at the time.

~ J. Jackson

Navigator Connection:  Collegiate Ministry, 1982; Pete Udall

Posted by The Navigators @ 3:31 pm

I served in the U.S. Army 30 June, 1961 to 22 June 1964.  I spent 18 months of that time stationed at 8th U.S. Army Headquarters, Yongsan, Seoul, Koread.  During that time I met another soldier named Marion L. “Guy” Chiattello.  Guy got me started on the Navigator’s Topical Memory System.  ( Think it was 108 verses at that time.)  I worked on it in my spare time on a daily basis during my remaining time in Korea, then continued with it during my final ten month assignment at Fort Belvoir, VA.

When I was released from active duty, I returned home to Medford, Oregon, and began preparing to return to college.  However, just before college began, I “brushed up” on all the verses, and sat down (or stood up) and quoted them all to my dear mother at one time!

It was a great thing in my life. I think that one of the benefits was to build my assurance of salvation.  My church during the two last two years of high school, and which followed directly after my conversion experience, unfortunately taught the error that a person can lose their salvation.  The memory verses plus a later large dose of Martin Luther’s The Bondage of the Will, forever settled the question of the salvation that Christ had given me through the new birth, not of my own works, but by His mercy.

God’s work in my life during my Korean tour (which also included teaching Bible to Korean college students when Guy returned to the states) helped firm up my life work in education–first in the public schools, and then in Christian schools.

~ Leon

Navigator Connection:  Military Ministry

Posted by The Navigators @ 12:26 pm

I was stationed at Castle AFB, Atwater CA, and one of my dorm mates told me to not ever sit down in the chow hall with Larry Shearer, as he would hit me with all this religious stuff. That was the moment I decided to do just that and see what he had to say.

Needless to say, later on Nov 18, 1970, at 10:30 p.m. in the small room at the back of the chapel, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. Nothing has ever been the same. Praise God! I would love to find Larry and share with him all that God has done in my life since that day. It is now 41+ years  later; God is so faithful,  so  merciful!

~ Jerry

Navigator Connection:  Military Ministry,  Len Sanny / Vern Carson, 1970-1972

Posted by The Navigators @ 11:52 am

I was stationed at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, VA (1959-1963) and attended a little Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth, VA.  I asked the Pastor (Dr. Stuart Merriam) for help and guidance. He said I should try to memorize scripture and I would find God’s will for me. He gave me a Topical Memory System packet and said that I should contact The Navigators.

To make a long story short (kind of trite), I later met a fellow sailor and we began to pray together and met in VA Beach with other Navigators, and even went on a retreat in Alexandria, VA.

I have been ever blessed by these meetings, and through scripture memorizing, and a real epiphany while in prayer (I John 5: 11,12); I realized that I really was saved by His Grace and Mercy. Amen!

I would so much like to thank those that led and mentored me during this time — it took a few years, but now I even preach during the summer at a little church in the woods in Maine and have a beautiful Christian wife and life. Again, Praise God for The Navigators.

~ Carl

Navigator Connection:  Military Ministry,  1960 – 1962

Posted by The Navigators @ 3:42 pm

Hello. My name is Bill Haskell and I was with the Navigator ministry while I was in the Navy. That was from 1971 to 1973. I was assigned to the USS Enterprise. During those days it was known as CVA(N) 65. Jerry Comer was heading up the ministry on board at that time. I came to know the Navigators because of a guy by the name of Mike Dixon. Mike and I met one evening on board while standing in line for dinner. He asked me a revolutionary question. He asked me if I had ever taken Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. I was raised in the Episcopal Church and had never heard anything like that before. So I told him I hadn’t.

Mike challenged me to come to the Navigator meetings. When I did go, I met a bunch guys who really cared about one another and about Christ. I really wanted that too. Several weeks later I made a decision not only to dedicate my life to the Lord, but a Lordship decision at the same time.

One of the funny things was that I had a best friend in school. I got to meet his uncle when he was in Portland, Oregon one time. I had to listen carefully when he spoke. My friend told me later that his uncle was a Marine during world war 2 and while attacking a island had had his voice box shot out.

Later while I was active with Navigators on the ship, Jerry Comer was telling me about the guy who had led him to the Lord. How the guy was in the Marines and while attacking an island during world war 2 had his voice box shot out. Later in life he felt led by the Lord to go back to Japan and tell them about Jesus Christ. The Navigators called this man “The Whispering Marine.” How ironic it seemed that I would meet the same man a few years before my best friend’s kitchen.

I will be starting school this fall for my masters/doctorate in theology/crisis counseling. I would love to know if either Jerry or Mike is still in contact with Navigators.

~ Bill

Nav Connection:  Jerry Comer

Years involved:  1971- 1973

Bill, We don’t have information about either Jerry or Mike, but the “whispering marine” is deceased Navigator staff Bob Boardman. Here is information about Bob: http://www.navigators.org/us/aboutus/items/stories/items/bob-boardman

Posted by The Navigators @ 12:46 pm

My name is Dennis. Back in the fall of 1970, I was a freshman at Winona State University.  I know that God had me choose this college to go to because it was the farthest I had been away from home and He had been preparing my heart and mind to search for God. Also He had brought over to this college a group of college men from Mankato State to begin a Nav ministry at WSU. (Found this out later)

The first couple of weeks were tough for me as I was asked to move out of the dorm room my parents had moved me into, and  across the street to Morey-Shepherd.  It was also tough because I was new–no friends, on my own, scared and all of that stuff. I recall going to the YMCA one afternoon to swim, and after showing my poor skill and coughing up water, the lifeguard was right there making sure I was OK.  Well, he showed interest in me and we talked. Turned out that he was going to WSU and said he’d probably see me around campus.  I so hoped that would happen–the first person I had really talked with so far.

Just the next week I saw him on the sidewalk at college and we talked, and he invited me up to a get-together of some guys on the 4th floor of the dorm I was now living in! I dropped by that night and met a group of guys who welcomed me; they were just fun, but with a notable difference.  They had that something!

Roger Johnson was the lifeguard. He was there and we talked and he took me aside and shared about Jesus. I had not heard of this before and did agree to get into a Bible study with him. That weekly study showed me who Jesus is and what I needed to do, and I accepted the gospel as truth and asked Jesus to be my Savior.

That began such a turnaround in my life and made my college years the most exciting! Mission trips, conferences, sharing the gospel, craziness, impromptu activities and on and on. Never before had I done so many different things, and those early morning prayer meetings with the gals and guys, and the Friday night meetings were fantastic.

What I learned in those years have stuck with me. I have also kept in contact with several of the men and women from those college years. Now at age 58,  I am still growing in my faith and my relationship with Jesus Christ has grown deeper and stronger. Some of the men I still keep in contact with from those years are Bruce Knutson,  Dennis Paul,  Pete Katzun,  Roger Johnson,  Mike Morgan and his wife Darlene.

The summer of 1972, I worked at Glen Eyrie in the kitchen baking the desserts for conferees.  I worked under Dick White that summer and got to see many of the Nav staff. That was a grand summer.

~ Dennis

Years involved:  1970-1975 Type of ministry:  college Navigator connections:  Bruce Kuntson, Dennis Paul, Pete Katzun, Roger Johnson,  Mike and Darlene Morgan

Posted by The Navigators @ 1:03 pm

My connection with the Navs is being a Navigators’ kid in the 1960s. My parents, Wally and Chloe, were missionaries to the servicemen in Germany. So many wonderful memories of both being at the Glen, during their preparation, and being overseas.

Through their ministry, there are some men and their families that are now a part of the Navigator family.

A few years after coming home from Germany, we lost my dad. We knew that the Lord said his work was finished. Next month, we celebrate 40 years of his homegoing.

~ Mary

Navigator Connection:  Seifert / too many others to name

Years involved:  1963-1967

Posted by The Navigators @ 3:49 pm

I knew at a early age I was called by GOD. I tried to run but we all know when there is a calling on your life GOD has a way of catching up with you. Since I gave my life over to him completely the devil has been fighting me through my love once very hard to the point I felt like giving up, but I’m not going to do that because he brought me too far to turn back now; there is more to my story but that’s all for right now may GOD forever bless, just hang in there pay day is coming after awhile.

~ Shirley

Posted by The Navigators @ 4:31 pm

I met Joe Lee Holt and Pam in Landstuhl Germany in 1966 and they introduced me to the Topical Memory System (TMS) and my life was changed dramatically and my love for the word is still growing after 44 years!

~ Aubrey

Navigator Connection:  Military Ministry,  1966-67, Pam and Joe Lee Holt

Posted by The Navigators @ 4:20 pm

I am pastoring a church in Kandy, Sri Lanka for past 5 years. I did not have a proper discipleship program until 2009. One day I accidentally found a  copy of the Navigators book 1. I was so excited and started to teach it to the church. Through one of my friends I found the foundation book and all that series of books. As soon as I started to teach this I found our church becoming healthy and stronger.  Not only that it made some new Bible teachers! It helps people to align their lives with the word. So I am so thankful to God for Navigators. I am so blessed with NAVIGATORS and I can recommend this anointed series of teaching to anybody who really wants to have a healthy church and make disciples!!!

Chaminda Weragama, Senior Pastor

Miracle House Church

77, Anniewatte Road

Kandy

Sri Lanka

Posted by The Navigators @ 4:07 pm