Yvonne's Testimony

In 1977 Yvonne worked two jobs. Her day job was as a Social Welfare Examiner for  New York State Social Services; nights she waited on tables at the Canandaigua Yacht Club. One Friday night in mid September the Yacht Club closed early and she stopped to visit a friend.

When Yvonne knocked at her friend's door Joel Trimble opened the door. The tanned, curly haired young man looked stunned to see Yvonne standing there and uttered a slow, "Hi." She thought, “"He'’s cute but dumb”!

After an awkward silence, Joel asked Yvonne to come in. For sixteen days Joel and Yvonne saw each other every day and every evening. It was love at first sight.  Yvonne was anxious to hear about Christ and had been searching for Him; but Joel was hesitant to witness to her because he had scared away other girls with his passion for Jesus!

Yvonne patiently waited until the sixteenth night when Joel felt convicted that this relationship was too good to be true. Instead of sharing the redeeming love and grace of Christ's sacrificial death Joel condemned Yvonne for her sin. "“The Devil sent you to keep me from my ministry in Haiti."” Yvonne knew from her twelve years of Catholic school that Jesus Christ died for her sins. She thought, "As soon as he stops I am going to tell him that." But Joel kept on and on listing her sins while she repeated in her mind, "Jesus died for my sins." Suddenly she did not hear Joel; she was standing on Calvary.

In the Calvary vision Yvonne saw Jesus hanging on the cross covered in blood. His head was hanging down on his chest. His face was battered and bloodied. He lifted up His head and with his eyes said, "“I did this for you.”" Faced by her Redeemer Yvonne said, "“Yes, Lord!"” Joel then stopped talking and she answered him, "“Jesus died for my sins!"

Joel said he needed to pray about this. The next day when they met, Joel first asked Yvonne, “"Have you ever thought of being a missionary?"” Yvonne confessed she had dreamt of being a missionary since childhood. Then Joel asked Yvonne to marry him. Today Joel and Yvonne Trimble have four children and nine grandchildren and perhaps the most successful soul winning mission work in Haiti.