While on his first mission trip to Colombia in 2005, Drew knew God had called him to be a missionary. He immediately responded to His call and enrolled at RHEMA Bible Training Center where he met my wife Hanna. Hanna took a second year focus in childrens ministry while Drew took a second year focus in missions.
They both graduated in 2007 and returned to Drew's home town to serve as Youth Directors at Grace Fellowship in Shillington, PA. In 2008 Drew was licensed as a minister through the Worship Center in Lancaster, PA.
Since his first trip in 2005, Drew and Hanna have been on over 10 mission trips, where thousands have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and been healed by the power of God! God continues to open doors to the evangelistic ministry of Drew Thomas. He has been to Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Singapore, Sierra Leone and Mozambique preaching and teaching the word of God.
Email: dmthomas35_comcast.net
Address: 1105 Tuckerton Road
Reading, Pa 19605
I always grew up in a Christian home. I have gone to the same church since I was born! My parents always raised me to go to church every Sunday and to follow the things of God.
I will tell details of my past not to glory in those things, but to truly give glory to God for the way He has so drastically changed me!
When I was a teenager I started to hang out with the wrong crowd. When I was in 7th grade I was confronted with drugs for the first time. When I was in 8th grade I started smoking cigarettes. When I was in 9th grade I started smoking marijuana and drinking; just like all my friends. While in 9th grade I began selling drugs. I got the bright idea for this when I was expelled from high school for carrying a knife on a field trip. I had to go to a school for troubled students. While there with other troubled students I decided that I could not only get high for free, but never have to work for money.
Throughout my high school years I continued my drug use and moved on to harder drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, mushrooms, acid and pain killers. I drank with my friends every weekend for about 3 years; 10th-12th grade. I smoked marijuana every single day; before school, in school, and after school. I had a fake I.D. where I started going to bars at age 17. I sometimes would drink so much, I would wake up and have no clue where I was the night before or how I had gotten where I was.
As my drug use continued so did my drive for money and power. I began getting deeper and deeper into drug trafficking. By the time I was a senior I was the biggest dealer in my school. I was selling pounds of marijuana at a time and money couldnt come easier for me.
I continued in my pride with a life of violence and fighting. I was held at gunpoint when I was 18 in an attempt to steal the drugs I had in my car. I was always in trouble with the law for underage drinking, assault, vandalism and truancy.
When I was 18 I was at the height of my rebellion. After graduation I went for a week long vacation with all my friends, called senior week. During this week my drug and alcohol use was at an all time high. After this week, I didnt stop. From June until August I continued everyday partying and drinking.
I want to also make a point that my parents were totally against all of this. They tried and tried to discipline me, but I would sneak out of the house when they grounded me. I would get in fights with my dad. I would not listen to them or anyone, no matter what they said to me. I lived for me and me alone. I do know that my parents continued to pray and believe God for my salvation. They made me go to church as much as possible. Although I would come in with a hangover, I would still be there under the word being preached. I praise God for my parents who continued to love and believe God for me, even though I continued to get worse and worse.
During these years of rebellion I still believed in God. I believed that Jesus was Gods son. I even prayed before I would go to sleep. But I had no relationship with Christ, no saving faith to transform my life. I would say some prayers just thanking God for certain things because I knew that God was good, although I refused to surrender to Him. In June of 2002 when I would say these prayers, God kept speaking these words to me. Stop selling drugs. Every night when I would pray, stop selling drugs. I however loved my life at that time. I was young and having fun I thought. I always thought that later on my life I would give God a chance, but for now I was just going to party and sell drugs. I didnt know anything about God speaking to people or ever heard anything so personal, so I tried to convince myself that I was ok. I heard another voice arise and say, you will never get caught, the police will never be able to find anything on you. But night after night God would say, stop selling drugs. I was so convicted by it that I stopped saying my little prayers at night. For two months I didnt say any prayers, because I didnt want to change my life.In august of 2002 I was driving around with a case of beer in my car, half pound of marijuana and a friend who had 15 bags of cocaine. Ironically I can remember the song I was listening to as we were driving to the next party. The chorus of the song said, "Leave me alone, let me just live my life. Leave me alone, leave me alone. Let me just live my life. Thats the sound of the police." I was pulled over and arrested for possession of a half pound of marijuana.
I had to go to prison for a week until I was bailed out until my court date. While in jail I was in quarantine for the first 3 days. All I could do was think about the words that God spoke to me as I prayed. God has warned me to stop! I wouldn't listen. I found a bible on the book shelf and read the New Testament 3 or 4 times. It was the only thing that could give me peace! And it was such a sweat peace! I knew in my heart that all I had been doing for years and years was wrong. I confessed all my sin to God. For the first time I asked that Jesus would come take over my life. I told God that if He would change me and help me get out of the mess I was in, I would serve Him the rest of my life! At that moment I was born again and God gave me such a passion and desire for Him!
It took some time to change some of my many addictions and habits, but I as I got into His Word, I became more and more like Christ! I praise God for what He has done in me and how He has changed me!
"I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth--Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:1-3
