Chapter 5: Church Life
For me, life in Isla Vista whirled with new experiences and sensations. It all came in a rush, at once heady and disturbing and transcendent. The brothers and sisters displayed…
A Long Awakening
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
about
My name is Ann Witkower – born Kathryn Ann Overstreet. In 1970, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The direction of my life changed in that moment. The path has not always been easy, but thanks to the life of God within me, every step has been rich and full. Jim and I married in 1974 and we have three wonderful children. For ten years we experienced something called church life that has permanently marked us. We learned that we can live by the life of God, through the gift of His Holy Spirit. We now live in Charlottesville, Virginia, and are part of Christ Community Church. I retired a few years ago. Now I spend my time writing, gardening, traveling, knitting, and learning to play the piano.
Stories
Ann's Life
The posts here tell of my life during times of turbulence and peace, of searching and finding. I write to give glory to God my Father, who transferred me out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. If you know the Lord Jesus, maybe you can relate to some of my story. If you don't know Him yet, I pray that you will see His reality hidden among all these words.
Chapter 4: Road Trip
For days we all helped – or watched in fascination – as John made final tweaks to the old bus in preparation for our trip. Finally the day came. We…
Chapter 3: Away from Home
I now lived with Celine and her husband Ben and their three children. Penny, the youngest, would be my responsibility. When we discussed pay, I said I was thinking about…
The Church in Isla Vista - 1969-1981
We were the church. Gene Edwards was pivotal to the founding and growth of our fellowship. We saw ourselves as those who lived in the house of God, ever praising him (Psalm 84). In key ways we differed from other churches and Christian communes of the "Jesus Movement." These are stories told by brothers and sisters (as we called each other) who made up the Church in Isla Vista.
Paul’s Story
Based on an interview conducted on March 8, 2020, in Santa Barbara, California: My dad was in the Army, so we moved around quite a bit. And we ended up…
Nancy’s Story
A testimony written on 3/14/20: While I know Jesus came into my heart when I was 4 or 5, when led by a parent at bedtime I asked Him to,…
Lynn’s Story
Based on an interview conducted on March 9, 2020, in Santa Barbara, California: My name is Lynn and I was raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. There, my sister, Cathy ,…