Interview with Joann Saloga

We are doing something a little different this time and doing an interview on the blog! I asked Joann Saloga to talk a little bit about her life and walk with Jesus in order to bring some encouragement to you all!

1.What is your testimony? How did you come to know God?

As I reflect on my life, the name of God that comes to mind is Jehovah-Jireh. Just like how God provided the seemingly impossible for Abraham in Genesis 22 (where this name of God is found), the Lord has provided for me in the most unlikely circumstances.

Hi my name is JoAnn and this is the story of how God redeemed and restored me.

My story begins on March 14th, 2003 in a small town in Pennsylvania, where I was born into a non-Christian home… a home that often felt absent of love, true love.

From a young age, I saw and experienced a lot of hardship in my home. Such of these struggles were close family members struggling with drug and alcohol addiction as well as committing felony level crimes, witnessing domestic violence between my parents, I personally was sexually and verbally abused, my mom’s attempt to take her own life, my dad’s imprisonments, health complications that resulted in my mom being hospitalized 100+ times (including multiple comas she wasn’t expected to survive), and even the death of loved ones.

All of this to say, it is clear to see that I was exposed to a lot of the darkness and pain of the world, but even through all of this, I was able to see that Jesus was bigger, stronger, and greater than the brokenness.

As I said, I was born into a non-Christian home. And, I was also born into a very Christian neighborhood. At the age of 6, due to the mentorship and discipleship of two pastors in my neighborhood, I gave my life to Christ. They went to great lengths to shine the light of Jesus into my life and they did not even know what was going on at home (or how much I needed to know that there was a Heavenly Father that loved me no matter what my present circumstances were).

Growing up, I really struggled with my faith because I felt like I lived two different lives. What I witnessed, experienced, and felt in the church was in direct opposition with what I witnessed, experienced, and felt at home. At church, I could be the fun, extroverted, and bubbly version of myself. However, at home I was quiet and submission out of fear of what would happen if I wasn’t.

I felt alone and confused.

These “two” versions of myself collided at the age of 13, on January 29, 2017, which is the day that I lost my older sister Nicole due to a drug overdose. My heart was so broken, yet it was in those hours after her passing that I fully committed my life to Jesus. It was on this day I decided to follow God wherever He led me and to share the Gospel with anyone who I crossed paths with.

As I entered high school, I struggled remaining strong in faith because I wanted to please my parents. I thought that if I made them proud enough, they would stop blaming God and put their trust in Him. So, I spent most of my time doing anything and everything that I thought would earn enough of their love to open them up to a Gospel conversation. This led me everywhere from auditioning to America’s Got Talent to Harvard’s admissions office. But NOTHING was ever enough.

After going on a missions trip in the summer of 2019, I came to realize that my faith had to come first, even before my parents. So, I decided to accept their disappointment and commit to a small Christian school to study ministry.

However, God makes the impossible possible. I expected to be treated as a failure and let down, but my parents responded favorably. When I told my parents about my decision, I did not expect them to respond in love. More than that, I never expected that it would be during this time in my life that they would commit their lives to Christ.

Since the fall of 2020, I have been studying youth ministry at Grace College, which has led me through a season of even more adventures. Most recently, I had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in Europe.

By being away from America for a summer, I began to understand God, myself, and others in totally different ways. I would sum up my experience like this: I had my Saul to Paul conversion moment. I broke out of a legalistic/ritualistic faith and entered into a true relationship with Christ.

As a result of all that I learned this past summer, I came back to America and realized that I needed an overdue amount of change in my life. I needed to know God through His Word and not define Him based on hard circumstances, I needed to give grace to myself, and I needed to be honest with others. Part of this change included having hard conversations with my parents about the pain I experienced in the home.

As of today, throughout some of those long and difficult phone calls home, I have found out that my parents are no longer following the Lord. However, due to all the growth Christ has brought about in my life, I now realize that their salvation was never something I could accomplish because it is not something I can give. Only God can work in their hearts and minds as He is the author of our salvation. Unfortunately, for the time being, I am not welcome to go home due to my decision to follow Christ. However, in these seasons, as well as all the other highs and lows of my life, I can see God working through it for good.

My story is incomplete, imperfect, and messy, but it’s also a story of restoration and redemption. It’s a story worth telling because of the One who wrote it. May all the honor and glory go to Him, Jehovah-Jireh.

2. Why did you come to a Christian college? What were you hoping to experience or get from it?

As I said previously, I came to a Christian college to study ministry. However, it far exceeded all hopes and expectations I had. Throughout my time at Grace, I have grown exponentially in my relationship with the Lord.

I have received mentorship from professors, have gotten some life-changing ministry opportunities, and have learned how to genuinely see people and love them like Christ.

When I stepped foot onto the campus at 17, I had no idea what I was going to do (graduating a year early did not help anything). Yet, being on campus and having other Christians walking alongside me, I have been able to discern where I am meant to be.

I still am unsure exactly where I will end up, but I have learned that I have a huge heart to see unreached people have access to the Gospel, to help mentor young people who have testimonies similar to mine, and to show Christians that God is so much more than a judge and a ritual, but He is a loving Father who wants to walk alongside them in every moment of their lives.

3. What would you say to someone who is struggling in their relationship with God (specifically college aged students)?

First, admitting that you are struggling is the first step in the right direction. It is taking on humility to say, I don’t have it figured out on my own and I need God to be in this. He promises to always be with us, so why would we try to figure life out apart from Him (the Author of life itself)?

I then would recommend students to seek out a Biblical mentor. I have worked as a Chapel Coordinator at Grace since August of 2021 and since then, I have met regularly with our Chaplain Brent Mencarelli. These one-on-ones have been instrumental in my spiritual formation these last couple of years. He has helped me process some really difficult situations, given me Biblical encouragement, and has called me out on things that I could look more like Christ in. More than that, he also is so knowledgeable about Scripture as well as having a ton of life experience, so he is always pushing me to know God more deeply, clearly, and wholly.

4. What is one of your favorite verses/stories in Scripture? Why?

Jesus’ story, obviously! Hehe, but seriously I have been studying Jesus’ background/upbringing a lot more recently and it has been such an encouragement to me. His childhood was far from easy and I have been encouraged to know that I am not alone in my family struggles. To that point, I also have really enjoyed reading Joseph’s and Job’s stories. All three of these men did nothing to deserve the hardship they went through, yet God’s goodness is still written all over their story. Their stories give me hope that even though my situation right now is heartbreaking, that God is still working for good (just on his timeline in his wisdom and not on mine, thankfully).