Olivia McCombs had enjoyed a successful ten-year career in retail operations when she began to feel called to something with greater purpose – a place where she could openly glorify God. She found what her heart was longing for at Vapor Ministries when she came aboard in 2024 as their manager of thrift operations.
Her new role brought meaning, fulfillment, and spiritual growth to Olivia’s life. She wanted desperately for her husband, Jackie, to find the same thing. Olivia had been praying for years that he would surrender his life to Christ.
Olivia had only been in her new position about six weeks when Jeanna Roach, CEO of Betenbough Companies, came to Birmingham, Alabama, with Kingdom at Work to produce a film about Vapor Thrift. Jeanna visited a Vapor thrift store that was being expanded and remodeled, and Olivia happened to be at that location when Jeanna arrived. The two women met and began talking.
As Jackie and Olivia’s story unfolded in conversation, there were striking similarities with Jeanna and her husband Andrew’s testimony. Jeanna told Olivia how she had prayed for twelve years that Andrew would come to Christ before he made that commitment on a Kingdom at Work trip. Then Jeanna prayed with Olivia for Jackie’s salvation.
Jeanna shares about that prayer: “Andrew and I walked through it, so we have authority in that area now. With that authority comes responsibility. It’s a spiritual discipline; I never want to miss an opportunity to pray in those situations.”
“God spoke to me that day,” recalls Olivia. “I wanted prayer for Jackie, but I needed God to change me. I had to stop pressuring him, overcome my doubts, and trust God’s timing.”
After her prayer with Jeanna, Olivia changed her approach to Jackie. When she wanted to join a church, she discussed it with Jackie but made sure not to pressure him.
Olivia felt led to be rebaptized as a symbol of her spiritual growth and recommitment to Christ. Again, she discussed it with Jackie gently, making sure he had space to express his own thoughts on the matter. Jackie had no problem with Olivia’s decision.
On the day of her baptism, Olivia was shocked when the pastor—from the pulpit—asked Jackie to stand up. The pastor announced that Jackie was accepting Christ as his Savior and getting baptized, too! It was the sweetest surprise to be baptized with her husband as their four- and six-year-old daughters looked on.
“It was a turning point for us. We got to talk about the meaning of baptism with our girls. Things in our family have been different since that day.”
– Olivia McCombs
In November of 2024, Andrew and Jeanna traveled back to Birmingham for Jeanna to speak at the Kingdom Enterprise Forum. Olivia found the couple as soon as they walked into the event. She was bursting with excitement to tell them about Jackie’s salvation. They cried together with gratitude for what God had done!
Jeanna is emotional as she remembers that moment: “What a mutual encouragement!”
Galatians 5:6 says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Jeanna did just that when she prayed with Olivia. May we all walk in the authority God has given us and be willing to simply express our faith in love. In Jeanna’s words, “Of course I’m going to do that. There’s too much on the line.”
