robert morrissey

My story begins in Tacoma in June of 1968. I was raised in N.E. Tacoma in a family of five. It was my Mom, Dad, older sister and brother; I was the youngest. My dad worked for the railroad. As a family we did not talk much. I was raised in the Browns Point Methodist Church, and I had a pretty good childhood, although I never really fit in anywhere with people. I was in the YMCA Indian Guides and the Boy Scouts. In 6th grade, my mom got brain cancer and was sick through my junior high years. She died in 1982. A year and a day later my brother who had been born with Cerebral Palsy also died from brain cancer. That left my dad and me at home while my sister was away at college. My sister took us to see Billy Graham at the Tacoma Dome one year, and My sister took me down for the alter call. I don't think I really knew what it was; I was just going through the motions. In high school I met a girl and we married after graduation in 1987. Seven years and two kids later we divorced. I guess we were too young to know what marriage was all about. After that my sister invited me back to church at Auburn Bible Baptist. Which is now Grace Community Church. After my dad died in 1998 of smoking related issues I came to realize the need for God in my life, it was a very hard time. Several years ago when Jeff Vanderstelt spoke at Grace and invited all Tacoma residents to visit Soma, I did. Continuing through life and different jobs: pizza store manager, driver, cook, Radio broadcasting school, plywood factory worker, truck driver, ocean container mechanic, house painter, I have found that I still need God in my life and to be part of a family that is in community to bring the peace of Christ into my life and remove the fear with which I struggle. I'm being baptized today to publicly show my faith and trust in Christ. Christ has always been their.