Jeanna Combs, Part 1

[00:00:05] Welcome to Women Worth Knowing, the radio program and podcast hosted by Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones Gunn. Cheryl and I love talking to and talking about Christian women with fascinating stories, whether missionaries like our guests today in studio, musicians, reformers, authors, wives and mothers.

[00:00:25] It's because their examples are inspirational to us and we can just see the way God's worked in their lives. We love it. And I'm convinced too that every woman listening, every woman who knows Jesus Christ has and is part of a wonderful story. Because that's what God does.

[00:00:42] He writes stories. He's a story writer. He's the ultimate story writer. The author and finisher of our faith. Absolutely. I love that. So in studio today, I'm very excited because I have known our guest since she was a young girl.

[00:00:59] And in studio, I have Gina Combs, who has come all the way over from the island of Cyprus. And for those of you who don't know where that is, it's off of the coast, pretty much of Lebanon, right? Yes. Egypt, right across from Egypt. Oh, really?

[00:01:17] Where we're at, we're at the bottom of Cyprus. So Paphos and it's right across from Egypt. It's interesting. And we were there, but we were further up, further north. And I remember there was a sign right on the beach and it was saying, you know, Tel Aviv

[00:01:37] this far and Lebanon this far, England this far and showing you how far it was to these different places. I think it even had New York. You're like, what? And that was quite a long ways away from Cyprus. But it's so good to have you in studio.

[00:01:53] Gina, I want to start right away. I met you when you were a girl living in Vista. How old were you when I met you? I'm thinking I was probably around seven years old. Seven years old. That's amazing. That ages me, but this is good.

[00:02:09] So you were, were you born in San Diego County? So I was born in Hawaii. Oh my goodness. I lived there for a few years and then my mother got divorced.

[00:02:23] I had two brothers at that time and my third brother was on his way and moved back to California to be close to my grandmother. And my grandmother got saved. She was the first one in our family. Oh, Margaret. Started sharing with all her kids and my-

[00:02:47] And how many kids did your grandmother have? Because there were- She had seven. Because I remember, I mean at one point I think all of them had come to the church. Chris, your uncle, and Mary Jean. So half of them became Christians and started coming to church.

[00:03:06] And I remember hearing about Jesus from my grandmother and praying with her and asking Jesus to come into my heart at a young age. And that was- What a legacy. What a beautiful, beautiful legacy. So I met Gina when Brian and I moved in 1983 down to Vista.

[00:03:27] And he took over a little tiny church that met in an Elks Club. And it was not a nice facility. It was very just basic. It was more of- You could tell it had been an Elks Club that they had tried to convert to a church, but

[00:03:48] not super successfully. And when Brian took the church, most of the people left because he wasn't flamboyant enough, I want to say. Or you know, this is Brian- The changing of the guard always happens. That's right. And a lot of them, there were some issues.

[00:04:08] And so he was taking the church and a lot of new people came in and got saved. But of those who were already there, there were your mom and your aunt. And I remember you were the oldest with your three brothers. What's the age difference?

[00:04:28] We're all two years apart. Two years. Oh, your mom. Man, she had her hands full, especially because Gina's brothers were very active. And then Mary Jean, your aunt, she had three boys. And later she had- Is it Rebecca? She had Rebecca.

[00:04:44] And so I was the only designated Sunday school teacher. And so I got to know Gina pretty well because we had services on Sunday night and Wednesday night as well as Sunday morning. And Mary Jean and Jeanette, your mom and your aunt, never missed a service.

[00:05:06] They never missed. And Brian decided just to teach through the Bible. And they were so hungry to know the Bible and learn the Bible. And they were just there and they were like ready to hear the word. It was just for Brian, it was really uplifting.

[00:05:26] For me in Sunday school with eight children right away and then my own children. And then as the Lord was adding. You couldn't ask anyone else to teach Sunday school because they didn't know the Lord well enough. You know what I mean?

[00:05:45] They had to learn the word, they had to begin to be solidified in their faith because almost everybody in that church was a new believer. Like pioneering a whole new area and your family was there. That's right.

[00:06:01] We spent a lot of time because of six boys in the Sunday school class, a lot of time there was a little playground. We spent a lot of time in the playground, especially during the summer. So do you remember those times? So I do remember.

[00:06:15] We went to church. Church was like our family as well. And especially as the church began to grow, people were just very involved in our lives and played a very big part in us growing up.

[00:06:33] With my mom being a single parent, we were in much need of father figures and just people to direct us and help us. It was very helpful. We loved going to church. I remember my Sunday school teacher, Lottie. Oh, Lottie Brophy, that's right.

[00:06:57] Used to give a stick of gum if you got the Bible question right. And the kids would do anything to get that stick of gum. I just remember praying with her every Sunday and asking Jesus into my heart again and again and again. Just to make sure.

[00:07:13] I used to do that because I felt sorry for the Sunday school teacher, like when she'd give the altar call. No one else raised their hand? So I had always raised my hand. And so I had all these Bibles that you give new believers.

[00:07:23] And my mom said, I really need to talk to your Sunday school teachers that you are saved and we don't need any more of these new believer Bibles. But I did that because I was like, oh, but Lottie was so precious. Oh, Lottie and Walter Brophy.

[00:07:39] You know, I remember she also headed up the women's prayer meeting too. So they were one of the couples that stayed and became, I mean, they're just precious. What was so great is Jeannie, you said, I love going to church. We don't hear that very often, do we?

[00:07:55] No, not in these days. And so that was all the way through elementary school, high school. Did you stay in Vista? Well, Vista, they just, they did a lot to look after their children. And high school, junior high. Who was your junior high pastor? How about high school?

[00:08:14] We'll go there. Rob Salvato. Rob Salvato, which is great because he's the pastor, I was wondering, of Calvary Chapel Vista now. That's who we turned it over and he's done a stellar job. He was like my dad growing up. He did.

[00:08:30] He took me under his wing and pointed me in the right direction. I still remember one thing he would say to me all the time, and it was just keep loving Jesus.

[00:08:45] And that's gone with me throughout life because those difficult times when I just don't know what to do, I fall back on that. And it just brings the simplicity back. I love that. So Gina, I want to skip to high school.

[00:09:04] You're walking with the Lord and you went to public school. Yes. So how was that as a Christian going to public school? It was hard. But, you know, I did ask Jesus to come into my life when I was young. I grew up in a Christian home.

[00:09:20] I was surrounded by a great church and a wonderful family that were walking with the Lord. But I didn't really have a personal relationship with Jesus until I was about 15. So, you know, I struggled a bit in junior high and high school trying to find my way.

[00:09:39] I remember the emptiness that I felt searching for God, not having that personal relationship with Him. But something happened when I was 15. I went to camp. I went to youth camp, and I surrendered my life to God, and my eyes were opened.

[00:10:02] All those things that I had been learning over the years came together. It became so clear. It was like a puzzle put, you know, finished. So was the camp at Twin Peaks or was it? Yes, it was at Twin Peaks. And yeah, it was a life.

[00:10:21] It was a transformation time. I came back home and I said, Mom, you wouldn't believe it, but I became a Christian. She's like, oh, I thought you were a Christian. Of course, parents always do. Christian parents assume. Something happened. I am different. I was different.

[00:10:38] I woke up the next day and I wanted to read my Bible. It was just real. There was something that happened that caused me to want to open the Bible and read it, and I understood it. It was personal, and I started talking to God.

[00:10:56] It was just real. And I thought, how many people are in church but haven't really experienced that personal relationship with the Lord? Because I had been going for so long and just really most of the time I thought that's what a Christian was.

[00:11:13] There were a few times where my youth pastor would be sharing about his relationship with God, and I knew I didn't have that. So anyways, 15, he started walking with God.

[00:11:28] When I was 12 and I went to summer camp was when I gave my life to the Lord, and I wanted to get baptized. And when I told my parents, same sort of reaction as your mom, but also they said, well, you're already baptized as a baby.

[00:11:43] I was like, well, that was your decision of what you hoped that God would form in me, that connection to Him, but this is me affirming yes. And so I can relate. And you know what they say, you know a person's alive when they have an appetite.

[00:12:02] And when you get that spiritual appetite, you know you're alive. It's true. He just draws us to Him. And I think that's the difference between really being saved and not saved. You can be in church and you can even be convicted.

[00:12:18] You could think there's something more, there's something that I just haven't grasped yet. But when the hunger for the word and the hunger for prayer and the hunger to learn more about Jesus comes, you're alive. You just keep loving Jesus. You're alive.

[00:12:32] So you're 15, you're walking with the Lord. Now it's going to start getting really fun. So you finish high school. Do you have any stories before high school? Well, before high school was finished, I was just going to youth group. We had a great youth program.

[00:12:51] Vista was, they really put a lot into the youth. And so everyone in Vista probably had at some point gone to our youth group. Yes. Because it was such a big event in Vista. So that was wonderful.

[00:13:13] And I was loving Jesus for the first time really and walking with him. I remember the announcement being made about an outreach to, I don't know if it was Romania at the time, but it turned into Yugoslavia. I think it might have been Hungary. Might have been Hungary.

[00:13:39] But I didn't take it seriously. Later, Pastor Rob came up to me, my youth pastor, and said, have you thought about going on this outreach trip? And I said, no. He said, well, I think you should pray about it. And that was the beginning.

[00:13:58] And I just said, okay, I'll pray. But I really had never even taken it seriously until I started praying. And then from there, it began. The Lord provided the money, set things up. I went on this outreach trip. My life was just turned upside down.

[00:14:21] I just, I didn't see it coming. I fell in love with the people. God was working in my life. People were, I mean, that was an amazing trip. Now, was that Hungary or was that Yugoslavia? It was Yugoslavia at the time. It wasn't Hungary.

[00:14:39] The door was, I mean, I don't think Brian really knew what he was doing. He didn't have a plan. Brian being my husband. He saw an opportunity, a door open, and we walked through it. And day by day, God just opened up opportunities for us.

[00:14:59] Then all these kids got saved. I mean, everybody, the whole youth group that actually was a part of this, that went. Everyone we shared with wanted to become a Christian. So all of a sudden, we have all these young people that had given their lives to the Lord.

[00:15:19] And we just were able to disciple them. I mean, this was two weeks long. So there wasn't a whole lot we could do, but enough to give us a love for what God was doing.

[00:15:34] And when you have an experience like that, because I had something akin to that when we went to England for six weeks before we moved there. And I started this Bible study.

[00:15:44] And I felt like I gave birth to these women, spiritual birth, because they received the Lord and they had this hunger. And I'm leaving them now. And I'm like, who will take care of my babies?

[00:15:58] And I know you had that feeling because these people are getting saved because Brian had that for hungry too. We've got to send somebody to establish them in the faith and to teach them the Bible, because it's the word of God that establishes somebody in the faith.

[00:16:16] It gives you that stability. It roots you. And so Brian's like, that's what rooted Brian when he got saved. So he wanted to get people over. So he started then asking for volunteers who will go over and help with the discipleship.

[00:16:30] So I was 17 on that trip, and I was still going to high school. I went back home. I stayed connected to some of the young girls that I had met. And how did you do that then? I mean, by what means? We wrote letters. I know, snail mail.

[00:16:47] That was the time, right? Yes, it's the good old fashioned way. That was the only way. Took two weeks to get there. But it was sweet. And then we had another opportunity to go back the next year. And this time, nobody asked me to even pray about it.

[00:17:03] I was already praying, and the Lord provided. And my mom's a single parent. That's right. She didn't have the money. But other people had money, and they helped. And I was able to go back. And this time, it was Yugoslavia, and it was also hungry.

[00:17:21] So a week in Yugoslavia, a week in Hungary. And the same thing happened. All these people were getting saved, all these young people and older people as well. And we were able to connect with those that had gotten saved the previous year, and it was sweet.

[00:17:40] But when we left Yugoslavia that time, I remember getting on the bus to leave, and my heart was just broken. I was having such a hard time leaving, and I couldn't stop crying. And I just thought, what is happening to me? Eighteen years old. Why is this hurts?

[00:18:03] This is hard. I didn't know this was going to happen. Why did I even choose to go? But the Lord was doing something. And it was interesting because when I flew over to Yugoslavia that time, I was on the plane.

[00:18:22] God put me right next to a man, Mike Harris. And he had been a missionary. And he asked me one question. He said, Gina, or he said, do you ever consider yourself to be a missionary? I said, no, never. Well, guess what?

[00:18:41] Two weeks later, I was like, Lord, I don't want to leave this place. And that same night, your husband Brian came to me and said, how would you like to live in Yugoslavia for a year and disciple these young people? I would love to send you.

[00:18:58] And I said, I would love to go. And that was the beginning. It was easy. It was clear. I had people around me cheering me on, supporting me and helping me get there. And it wasn't my plan for my life. No. But it was God's plan.

[00:19:18] And he made it clear. Yep. So that was the beginning of just living overseas. My mom was very supportive. Church was supportive. And I lived with a Hungarian family. A couple young girls were in there. And I just spent time with young women, discipling them.

[00:19:39] The church in Subotica, we had Bible studies every morning, every night, every day of the week. So you can imagine. People just went to Bible study whenever they could. And their faith was growing. Also, there was a war going on at that time. That's right, Serbia.

[00:19:59] So it was an intense time. But people were really walking with God, being in his Word, growing. Their faith was real. But you're an 18-year-old girl who's discipling older girls and your peers at 18.

[00:20:22] It's so clear that when we're available to the Lord, then he gives us what we need. And that any time we would think, oh no, I need to get a Bible education, I need to go to whatever.

[00:20:35] When the Lord leads, if we're obedient and follow him, he does it all. And I think that's the most encouraging thing about you, just sharing that. You were just willing and available and had all that support. And then God can do anything.

[00:20:52] And God used me just as I was. But isn't it so exciting to be used by God? That was my Bible college experience. He didn't send me to Bible college, but he put me out on the mission field. I made mistakes. I learned. But it's both hands.

[00:21:09] And then God was using me at the same time in my weakness. And there's nothing like being used by God. It's addictive. It's the best addiction that you possibly can have. So what did an average day look like for you at that point? You're living with a family.

[00:21:28] Were you sharing a room with the girls? Yes. Oh, my goodness. Probably a two bedroom house, right? At the biggest. Do you remember Ildiko? Yes. Yeah. So she was my roommate. Yeah. We just we went to Bible study in the morning.

[00:21:41] We'd usually ride our bike probably half an hour into town and went to Bible study. We'd hang out during the day. Went back home. Went to Bible study in the evening. Bible study didn't start till eight o'clock at night. So life in Subotica was a little bit different.

[00:21:59] Hours were different. We got out of church after 10. Didn't get home till after 11. There was a lot of fellowship. I just hung out with the girls. So wherever the girls went, I would go with them. And that was we would pray together.

[00:22:18] We would look at the Bible together. We would just hang out together. And they spoke English or was your was your was it? Did they speak? They spoke English, which was an amazing thing. Yes. Because everybody in that area Subotica, they had to learn English in school.

[00:22:36] So it was evident that God had prepared. Crazy because it was a communist country before. And the outside areas, they didn't necessarily learn English. So it's just this area. And so we were able to communicate. They wanted to practice their English. We were happy and we were happy.

[00:22:57] So how long did you live with that family? So I lived with that family for about six months and then I moved out into my own place. Was your I was there in in Yugoslavia for a year.

[00:23:10] Now, your own place, were you did you have any roommates at that point? No, I had just was kind of like an abandoned house that was available for me. Oh, my goodness. How was that? Yeah, it was so scary at times. It's so scary.

[00:23:25] You know, first time out of the house living on my own. And you're what, 18 and a half? 18 and a half. And you have your bicycle. Coming home from church at 1130 at night. Yeah, I have some stories to tell. But another time.

[00:23:44] Well, maybe in our next session, because this is only part one, but maybe just one story. And then we'll get into because there's so much more when we get to part two.

[00:23:55] You're going to find out about how Gina met her husband, who she's married to and where the Lord took them from then on. It's so exciting. I remember coming over to Hungary doing one of the I think it was the second retreat at Chilibert's.

[00:24:16] And, you know, you were there and just some of the most amazing women. An interesting time, because the first time I spoke, nobody liked me. Second time I spoke, actually, after I spoke the first time, nobody they were unreceptive.

[00:24:30] And Gina and a couple of the other American girls came and said, we need to pray with you right now. And we prayed. And by second session, the atmosphere had warmed.

[00:24:40] But the women did not like being separated from the men or having a woman from America teach teaching them at that point. Plus, I think a lot of the younger women had kind of crushes on Brian. So it didn't work out.

[00:24:51] But we're going to be back with part two, because Gina's life is very exciting, as lives are who are given over to the service of the Lord. Yes. Thank you for listening to Women Worth Knowing with Cheryl Broderson and Robin Jones-Gunn.

[00:25:16] For more information on Cheryl, visit CherylBroderson.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook. For more information on Robin, visit RobinGunn.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

[00:25:27] Join us each week for a lively conversation as we explore the lives of well-known and not so well-known historical and contemporary Christian women. If you think there is a woman worth knowing, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at WWK at CCCM.com

[00:25:45] We hope you've enjoyed today's episode. Make sure you rate us on your podcast app, subscribe and share it with a friend. Thank you again for listening to Women Worth Knowing with Cheryl Broderson and Robin Jones-Gunn. Women Worth Knowing is a production of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.