Jad Khalaf Autobiography

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth."
II Timothy 2:15

Dr. Jad J. Khalaf's Autobiography

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Introduction

This is a brief autobiography of myself.

Several different selective topics will be discussed, including my family, God bringing Karla and I together, my
conversion experience and my ministry experience.

My Family

My father was born Jamal Mahyoub Khalaf in Ramallah, Israel, on January 30, 1954. He grew up in Ramallah
and then came to the United States in 1970. At the age of sixteen, dad landed in Chicago, Illinois, with one
hundred dollars in his hand. My mom was born Elizabeth Ezie Holloway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 8,
1958. She grew up in Pearl, Mississippi. Dad traveled from Chicago to Houston, Texas, and then made his way
to Jackson, Mississippi. In March 1973, Dad and mom met in Jackson, Mississippi. They dated for three years
and were married on August 1, 1976. Dad and mom each gave their life to Christ shortly after getting
married. On January 6, 1979, Jim and Libby Khalaf (my parents) were proud to welcome their firstborn son
into the world. After marrying each other and then giving their life to Christ, dad and mom both committed to
raising a family in the Lord Jesus Christ and according to the Holy Bible. So, when I was born, they were
overwhelmed with joy. Justin, my only other sibling, was born on December 13, 1982. Needless to say, dad and
mom were blessed that the Lord gave them another son. Justin and myself were not only raised in a Christian
home but were raised by loving and caring parents. On June 18, 2005, Justin married Erica Johnsey at
Wildwood Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi.

Jad and Karla: A One-of-a-Kind Love Story Written By God

I have prayed for my wife-to-be long before I ever knew her; and, my parents have prayed for her long before
I was ever born. As a teenager, I would spend time praying for her and praying for me. Then I entered my
college days at Mississippi College. Throughout college, I continued praying for my future wife. Even though
I did not know who she would be, I constantly and faithfully prayed for her on a regular basis. Time spent at
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary was no
difference. While at each institution, I continued praying for her. Part of the prayer that I prayed was as
follows: “Lord, I pray for my future wife. I do not know who she is but Lord I know that You do. Wherever
she may be in this world, please let her know that I am praying for her. I pray first and foremost that she
would be the most beautiful, Godly, conservative, virgin, Christ-like, Proverbs 31 woman that I will ever meet
or that I have ever met. Secondly, I pray that she would love me for who I am and that she would love me
unconditionally for the rest of our lives. Thirdly, that she would love the ministry of world-wide evangelism
that God has called me to serve in, that she would serve alongside me in the ministry, and that God would use
us for His Glory, for His Honor, and for His Praise.” That was just part of the prayer that I would pray.

I was never one to go out on dates. Just about every weekend, even when I went to college and seminary, I
was home and working in our family business. Family time was and still is very important in my life. My
friends would date a girl, break up with her, and start dating someone else. It became a cycle. Clearly I could
see that I was not interested in doing the cycle. Sure I had friends that were girls, but never a serious
relationship with a girl. Additionally, I was also a relatively shy guy (I still am to some extent). Towards the
end of college, it appeared that “everyone” was getting engaged or married. At times, I wondered were my
future wife was. I admit that there were times of “discouragement” because it appeared that all of my friends
were getting married and I was not. Through all of those years, I still held on to the promise that God was
preparing the most beautiful, gorgeous, Christ-like, Godly, conservative, virgin young woman that would be
my wife. The Potter (my Heavenly Father) was molding me and shaping me for just the right time to meet my
future wife. My future wife was also being molded and shaped by the Potter. In the Lord’s perfect time, will,
and place, I knew without a shout of a doubt that the Lord would allow our paths to cross (I just did not know
when that would happen; my faith was being strengthened day by day).

Throughout college and seminary, I also began praying that the Lord would allow my future wife and I to meet
and marry after I finish the Doctor of Philosophy. You may think that it seems a little odd for such a
request. The reason behind this desire is simple: Many of the student husbands in seminary had a tough time
balancing school, time with their wife and family, time working to pay the bills, and time working in a church
ministry setting. These men found it very difficult to do all that was required and asked of them. They would
often struggle with what they would have to sacrifice that week so they could meet deadlines, study for tests,
etc. This is not what I wanted. My time was spent in the classroom, studying in the library, occasionally
preaching at different churches on weekends, spending time with my family, and working in the family
business.

Well, to make a really long story short, I finished my Ph.D. dissertation in May 2007. I submitted the
dissertation and was approved for graduation during the graduation ceremonies in May 2008. Finally, my
“schooling” was complete (let me insert that one never stops learning because life is a constant learning
process in which new and exciting things are experienced and learned on a daily basis). Patiently and faithfully
I continued to pray, wait, and trust the Lord’s will in my life as time went on and on . . .

Through winter of 2004 and spring of 2005, First Baptist Church McComb, Mississippi (FBC McComb; my
home church) began to think about partaking in an international mission trip. My mom is on the FBC
McComb’s missions committee and she was excited that our church was interested in doing so. For years, the
youth have taken mission trips and some adults have participated in mission trips locally and nationally. This
was the first time that I can remember the church getting excited about international missions. In 2005,
Ukraine was the first international mission trip destination. My parents, members of FBC McComb, and
myself flew there and did missions. It was a great trip. The next year, the church partnered with the Woman
on Missions (WMU) of the Southern Baptists North American Missions Board and went to Hilo, Hawaii, for
Family Fest. It was a good trip and yes we did missions in Hawaii. For 2007, our pastor urged the missions
committee to take a trip somewhere closer to home. Through prayer, it was suggested that our church partner
with Gary Bowlin and go to the country of Peru in South America. The vote was taken and the missions
committee members approved Peru as the next destination for missions. In July 2007 my parents, over twenty
church members, and myself landed in Lima, Peru, to work with Kevin Shearer, a Southern Baptist
International Missions Board (IMB) missionary to Peru. Our church literally fell in love with the Peruvians.
They were friendly, nice, gracious, and very hospitable. After returning from that trip, the FBC McComb
missions committee members agreed to adopt Peru as a missions focus for the church.

The trip back to Lima for 2008 was in the making. Plans were in place and a new IMB missionary family, John
and Jessica Pham, had just arrived in the country as career missionaries. Once again, my parents, church
members, and myself, all boarded a plane in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Louis Armstrong International
Airport. We all arrived in Miami on November 7, 2008, expecting to catch our connecting flight straight to the
Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru. To our shock, we all sat in the plane for over 4 ½ hours.
Here is the catch: We sat with the plane still parked at the Miami airport gate; the plane never moved. The
problem: mechanical issues. The solution: get off the plane, spend the night at in Miami, and wait for the
same flight to leave on Saturday November 8. American Airlines put our group in the Hilton Miami (a very
nice hotel). All passengers showed back up on Saturday, boarded a different plane, and was bound toward
Lima. After a relatively smooth airplane ride, John Pham and his son were at the airport for our group’s
arrival. On Sunday morning, November 9, our group was up early and ready for the mission work that lie
ahead. Not only were we ready, but everyone was full of excitement. A mission trip can literally change a
person from the inside out. I love mission trips and I have been on numerous trips. Admittedly, I was not
expecting this trip to literally change my life. But God had an amazing and life changing plan in store for my
life . . .

Sunday morning I woke up, made my way down the Hotel Santa Cruz’s stairway, and immediately took notice
of the most beautiful, most gorgeous, and most nice looking young lady that I had ever seen before. Now I
had heard about this young lady and I had even seen a picture of her weeks before I arrived in Lima. I took a
second glance just to make sure that she was the same girl from the picture that I had seen. Sure enough, it
was her.

Now I am very shy around young ladies. My tongue gets tied up, my heart races very fast, and I get extremely
nervous. The introduction made me look like a complete goof ball. Earlier, I had seen a picture of this young
lady but I did not expect to see her in person that day. When I walked over to her, the only thing that I could
say was, "Hey, your the girl from the picture!" She looked at me and replied, "What picture?" Needless to
say I had to explain my comment. In the midst of my explanation, I did find out that her name was Karla.

Well, the first day that Karla and I met, we did not talk too much to each other. Personally, I wanted to get
to know her, but since I was on a mission trip, I tried to stay focused (but it was hard to do so). My parents
really enjoyed talking with Karla. My mother told me that Karla is a very beautiful young lady and she
appears to love the Lord very much. I took notice of what my mother said. Furthermore, my parents told me
that she was friendly, nice, kind, and very gorgeous. Group members also asked if I was interested in talking
with Karla because she is a very sweet young lady. I really wanted to talk to this gorgeous young lady, but I
just could not come to grips and do so. Well, we did missions work that day. Karla and I played some fun
games with the children. We also went and did marital counseling for a couple. I observed this young lady
teach children that day. My observation was that she really enjoyed working with children and teaching them
the Bible.

As the day was winding down, our group members went out to eat at TGIFriday’s. My parents and I opted to
eat at the hotel. To my surprise, I found out that this beautiful Karla would not be coming back to work with
the missions group that week. Disappointment filled my heart and mind. Deep down inside, I wanted to really
get to know this young lady. On Wednesday night, some of the group members were preparing to eat at
Donatello’s, an Italian restaurant. We were ready to leave, and I saw Karla going with us. My little heart
jumped and leaped for joy. I would be overwhelmed with joy if I could get up enough courage to talk with this
beautiful and gorgeous young lady. After arriving at the restaurant, each person sat down. I intentionally
waited until last because I was scouring out where Karla would sit. Quitely I prayed that the Lord would open
up a seat next to Karla. Yes, the seat next to my dad was empty. Karla was sitting on the other side.

Well, we talked that night. I stared at the floor through the entire conversation. Somewhere in the midst of
the conversation, I found out Karla’s entire name: Karla Mercedes Ramirez Lopez. I engraved her name in
my mind because I did not want to forget such a wonderful name.

My stomach was in knots. The pizza that Dad and I ordered did not look appetizing because I had suddenly
lost my appetite. After that, some of us went to eat ice cream. Mmm . . . Yummy . . . Ice cream is a favorite
of mine. But, I did not eat my ice cream because of my nervousness. It was hard for me to be myself because
of my nervousness. Then we all made our way back to the hotel. Once there, Karla was preparing to leave. I
asked for her e-mail and she gave it to me. That e-mail was so precious to me that I did not want to lose it.
All I could think of was getting back to McComb so I could send an e-mail to this amazing young lady.

A few days later, I was back home in McComb. Immediately I rushed to the computer and sent Karla an e-
mail. Can you believe that the e-mail address that Karla gave to me was the wrong address. Huh? How could
this happen? I checked the address over and over. Yep, I typed it in correctly. Nope, it was not the correct
address. Sadness filled my heart. Karla had given me the wrong address. Was I disappointed? Yep.
Discouraged? Yep. Saddened? Yep.

I waited a couple of days and then e-mailed Aracelli (another young lady that I had gotten to know during the
first trip). In my e-mail, I asked Aracelli if she would contact Karla and if she would e-mail me her correct
address. Karla e-mailed me and I figured out the problem. There is no underscore in Karla’s e-mail, but she
wrote down an underscore. We exchanged a few e-mails. Karla made it clear upfront that she was interested
in only friendship and nothing else. I continued to correspond with her. She would politely reply back to me.
That was it, just friends.

In my prayer time, I would ask the Lord to either open up the door or close the door with Karla. The Lord
knew what was best and I would trust His guidance. As much as I wanted to get to know Karla, I would only
do so if the Lord opened the door. If the Lord closed the door, then I would submit to His will. “Lord, have
your will and way in this friendship. Please, guide me and guide Karla. I pray that if you open the door for
Karla and I, then please move in Karla’s heart. In no way would I want to get in the way of the Lord’s
working in our friendship. Wherever you lead, Lord, then I would follow,” was something that I recall praying
numerous times.

I knew that Karla just wanted friendship and nothing else. So, I respected her and desired her friendship.
Deep down inside, I prayed on a regular basis. To begin with, Karla and I e-mailed each other. Each evening
after I would arrive home, immediately I checked my e-mail. I would just sit there and read over again what
she wrote to me (I still have every e-mail). A smile would come across my face. “What an amazing young
lady that Karla is,” I thought to myself, “Wow, she is so interesting and amazing.”

I gathered enough courage to ask for her phone number. Patiently I waited and waited. Each e-mail was
carefully read, but no phone number could be found. After sometime, Karla e-mailed me her phone number.
On a Saturday night, I nervously dialed her phone number. My fingers were shaking so fast that I could
barely touch the correct number. Sweat was pouring down my forehead. The blood within my body was racing
quickly through my veins as my heart was trying to keep up with the fast pace. Finally, all the numbers were
dialed and the ringing sound could be heard. She answered and I told her who I was. We chatted for only a
minute or two and then Karla said that she was at a youth event, some friends she had invited showed up, and
it was time for her to go. Karla hung up the phone. I sat there thinking about our few moments of
discussion. It was short, but I enjoyed hearing her voice.

Karla e-mailed me one day and asked if I would like to use Yahoo! Instant Messaging (IM). I had heard about
IM but never used it. To be perfectly honest, I did not know how to IM. She explained to me how to download
the program and how to get started. We then started IM each night. I would hurriedly run to my computer
and wait for Karla to log on. The time would fly by as we would sit and type back and forth (I still have our IM
conversations).

After some time of IM, Karla began to explain Skype to me. She told me about using a webcam to see each
other and hear each other speak. Once again, I had no clue how to use Skype. I did not even know what
Skype was. So, Karla walked me through the process of downloading the program and using it successfully. I
was so impressed with Skype. Each night, we would sit and talk through the webcam on Skype. I had been
introduced to an entirely new world of internet technology. Time spent with Karla each night is amazing,
wonderful, and so much fun. I enjoyed getting to know her, talking with her, and seeing her.

I asked if I could come visit her in Lima. After some time, it was agreed upon that I would come from March
7 until April 19, 2009. Pastor Percy, Karla’s pastor, invited me to stay at his home. John Pham agreed to let
me help him with mission work. I boarded a plane in New Orleans. After getting on my connecting flight in
Miami, I was finally headed for Lima, Peru. That night I arrived in Lima. Karla, Senora Loly (Karla’s mom),
and John Pham were waiting for me.

After seeing Karla, we exchanged a hug and I told her that I was glad to see her. I was so happy and excited.
The next six weeks literally changed my life, my heart, and opened my eyes to the true meaning of love.
WoW! What a wonderful and Godly young lady I saw in Karla. Our love for each other grew. I met each
member of her family. Her church family was introduced to me. We spent every day with each other. By the
end of my six week visit, I did not want to leave. I literally cried because of sadness. The night I went to the
airport in Lima to leave, my heart was heavy with sadness. I cried some more. Karla was the love of my life.
God had worked in our lives.

We prayed for some weeks and then set a time for our wedding date, September 18, 2009, at Union Church in
Lima, Peru. The wedding preparations immediately began with Karla working extremely hard to make sure
each detail was perfect. She has done such a great job in thinking about each detail. Her planning is
amazing. We spend each night on Skype talking and enjoying each other.

August 14, 2009, is the date that I would arrive in Lima, Peru. The countdown had begun. Each day would
bring us that much closer to being with each other again, forever. I love Karla with all of my heart, soul, and
mind. She is everything to me. Below is a list of the qualities that I see in her:

*funny
*sincere
*smart
*intelligent
*caring
*loving
*comforting
*straight to the point
*encouraging
*honest
*knows when to be serious and knows when to have fun
*has a kind heart
*compassionate towards others
*enjoys teaching and being around children
*hard working
*diligent in studying
*great attitude
*positive outlook on life
*trusting
*knows how to handle a situation
*not selfish but selfless
*a Godly young woman
*always there for me and for others
*listens very well
*knows how to lift someone up when they are not having a good day
*concerned about the well being of others
*makes time to talk with me, even when she is tired (that means so much to me)
*keeps her word
*beautiful
*gorgeous
*amazing
*inspiring to me
*wonderful eyes
*terrific smile
*will make a wonderful, Godly wife
*will be an amazing, Godly mom

These are just some of the God-given qualities of Karla. I am a very blessed man. God has definitely blessed
me with the most amazing, Godly, Proverbs 31 wife-to-be. I love her with all of my heart. She means
everything to me. I am excited that I get to spend the rest of my life with my Beautiful Senorita Karlita, the
woman that I LOVE!

Conversion Experience, Spiritual Pilgrimage and Call to Ministry

At the age of thirteen, I was attending a Lay Renewal at First Baptist Church (FBC) of McComb, Mississippi
(my home church). The preacher preached and then gave an invitation. While sitting in the pew, the Holy
Spirit convicted me of my sin and of my need of salvation. I tapped mom on the knee and said, “Mom, I want
to be saved.” With tears of joy in her eyes, she led me out of the sanctuary. We both proceeded down the hall
and made our way into room 113. I knelt beside mom while she led me in a sinner’s prayer of repentance.
The very moment I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior, He did. Wow! A
change had been made in my life. I rose up from my knees and I knew I had become a child of the King. We
both walked back into the sanctuary. Immediately I walked to the front of the church, took the pastor by the
hand, and told him what had just taken place. That night will forever remain in my mind. I joined FBC that
night (though I had been raised in Southern Baptist Churches, this was the first church I joined) and asked to
be baptized. Shortly thereafter I was baptized at FBC.

When I was sixteen years old, I felt that God was calling me into the ministry. I shared this with my parents.
At that point, my family agreed to pray about the apparent calling that God was placing in my heart. At
seventeen, I surrendered my life to full-time Christian ministry. I still did not know exactly what area of
ministry to serve. After much prayer, God revealed that world-wide evangelism is the area of ministry to
serve. I am overwhelmed that God has called me to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every country, in
every nation, on every continent. On September 1, 1996, at the age of seventeen, the Lord opened the door to
preach my first sermon. The Lord continues to provide preaching engagements.

In January 1997, the Lord opened the door for me to preach at West McComb Baptist Church (WMBC) in
McComb, Mississippi. Mike Pennock, pastor of (WMBC), called me to his office. Mike shared that the
deacons of WMBC wanted to pray about licensing me into the Gospel Ministry. The Khalaf family, WMBC,
and myself agreed to ask the Lord for His guidance concerning this issue. On January 4, 1998, at WMBC, I
was licensed into the Gospel Ministry.

After I was licensed into the Gospel Ministry, Pennock called me back to his office. He then shared that the
deacons of WMBC agreed to pray about ordaining me into the Gospel Ministry as a Southern Baptist Minister.
The Khalaf family, WMBC, and myself prayed for one year. On January 24, 1999, WMBC ordained me into
the Gospel Ministry as a Southern Baptist Minister.

God has definitely called and equipped me for the ministry of world-wide evangelism. Every time I stand to
proclaim and preach the Word of God, I am both humbled and honored. I believe the Word of God is inerrant,
infallible, and inspired. Until the Lord calls me Home, I will unashamedly, unapologetically, and boldly preach
the Word of God to every country, in every nation, on every continent. One of my favorite Scripture passages
is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Education

In 1997 I graduated high school from Parklane Academy in McComb, Mississippi. I then attended Southwest
Mississippi Community College in Summit, Mississippi, and graduated from there in May 1999 with an
Associate of Arts degree. Then I went to Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, and graduated from there
in May 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Christian Studies and Philosophy and a minor in
Communications.

The Lord laid on my heart to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) in New Orleans,
Louisiana. I started classes in August 2001 and graduated with ninety-two hours, including three New
Testament Greek classes and three Old Testament Hebrew classes, in December 2002 with a Masters of
Divinity in Evangelistic Church Growth. From January to December 2003, I worked on the Doctor of
Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree at NOBTS with a major in Evangelism and a minor in Preaching and earned twenty-
eight hours of classes.

In December 2006, I transferred the twenty-eight hours of classes from NOBTS to Louisiana Baptist
University and Theological Seminary (LBU). I have completed thirty-two hours of work on the Ph.D. from
LBU. A total of sixty hours has been earned on the Ph.D. The Dissertation is titled "A Variety Of Questions
That Christian Singles May Ask That Require Honest And/Or Biblical Answers."    I have completed all of the
requirements for the Ph.D., and officially received the degree on May 2, 2008.

Ministry Experience

Since September 1, 1996, God has allowed me the opportunity to preach over one-hundred and fifty times. I
have preached and/or ministered in places such as Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Hawaii, New
York, Israel, El Salvador, Ukraine, Peru. Youth rallies, youth revivals, week-long church revivals, one day
church revivals, and guest preacher are just some of the events I have been privileged to preach. Though
many churches have asked me to be their pastor, the Lord never called me to pastor a church. The calling on
my life is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every country, in every nation, and on every continent!

Throughout the years, I have been honored to join many organizations. The following list will provide those
organizations I have joined and that I am considered an active member: The Conference of Southern Baptist
Evangelists with support from the North American Mission Board, the Conference of Mississippi Baptist
Evangelists (COMBE), and the Southern Gospel Promoters Association. In 2005, I served as Vice-President of
COMBE. In 2006, I served as President of COMBE. On behalf of COMBE, I was in communication with Don
Lum, the Director for the Evangelism Department of the Mississippi Baptist Convention (MBC). As COMBE
President, I strove to help the evangelists in Mississippi work alongside Lum and the MBC.

The Southern Gospel Promoters Association consists of approximately ninety-two Southern Gospel music
promoters. The promoters promote Southern Gospel music throughout the United States of America. The
association works with Southern Gospel booking agents, Southern Gospel artists, and other individuals in the
Southern Gospel music industry. On September 30, 2005, I held my first major Southern Gospel concert. I
planned the event, paid for the event, organized the event, and was in charge of the entire evening. The Crabb
family was the main group of the evening. I sung several songs that night and I had the opportunity to share
the Gospel with those in attendance. Over five hundred people were in attendance. I love Southern Gospel
music and will continue to promote the music I love.

Conclusion

God has definitely called and equipped me for the ministry of world-wide evangelism. Every time I stand to
proclaim and preach the Word of God, I am both humbled and honored. I believe the Word of God is inerrant,
infallible, and inspired. Until the Lord calls me Home to Heaven, I will unashamedly, unapologetically, and
boldly preach the
Word of God to every country, in every nation, on every continent. One of my favorite Scripture passages is
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

I believe that the media is an effective tool to get the message of Jesus Christ to the world. I am praying for
the Lord to open the door to enter the television arena by acting in Christian movies, directing and writing
Christian movies, and for any way the Lord sees fit. My prayer is for the Lord to use me to share the Gospel
of Jesus Christ through every form of media - television, radio, magazines, books, pamphlets, Gospel tracks,
Internet, etc. - and through revivals, crusades, conferences, and youth rallies.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30.

I would be honored to come and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ at your church, event, or rally! Please feel
free to contact me. Please let me know that you are praying for the ministry that God has called me to serve
Him.

Contact now and book a date.

Prayerfully this brief autobiography has given some insight into my life. Thank you for reading.

The Word of God says that there is a time and season for life. My life is in God’s hands. May the desires of
my heart become reality, knowing that with God all things are possible. I will uplift the name of Jesus Christ
every where I go. When people look at my life, may they see Jesus living through me. I pray that the lost
will get saved, the saved will grow closer to the Lord, and the Lord will receive all the Glory, all the Honor, and
all the Praise. To God Be Glory!

Glory to God
In Christ,

Jad J. Khalaf, Ph.D.
Phil. 4:13     Smile, GOD Loves U!
John 3:16     JESUS Saves

Dr. Jad Khalaf

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