A Lesson in Patience and Growing with God

LAKE CHARLES, L.A. – In May 2018, Hillis Jeffries graduated from Southern Adventist University with a degree in theology. After many endless interviews and watching his fellow classmates receive calls to various conferences, he waited and waited, yet no job seemed available. So, like Paul in the Bible, he used his other talents to provide for his family. 

An avid cook, he started Tropical Blend Vegan Grill, a catering business, in May 2019. His business was doing well with catering events lined up for the entire year. Throughout this time, Jeffries continued to interview—still, no job offers. 

Ten months after starting his business, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the economy, leaving families wondering how they would survive financially. 2020 proved to be a year of faith and trust. While our family, along with the rest of the world, was affected by this deadly virus, God never forgot about Jeffries. In February of 2021, the Arkansas-Louisiana ministerial director contacted Southern regarding pastoral candidates. Not long after, Jeffries received a call and was offered a position to pastor the DeRidder and Lake Charles district in Louisiana. After accepting the call, two souls, with the help of Malcolm Gibson, joined the Lake Charles Seventh-day Adventist Church, and one young lady joined the DeRidder Seventh-day Adventist Church. Three more baptisms have been scheduled. Jeffries gives all the glory and praise to God in whom he never stopped believing. He lives by the saying, “God has you right where He wants you; just be ready to go where He needs you.”

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By Rosemarie Jeffries