June 2023 Newsletter Story: Michael Morales

Seek Truth Above all Else

Michael Morales has been working as an AzOSA representative for 2 years, he refers to himself as the “man behind the scenes.” Doing much electronic work involving advertising, coming up with discussion questions, figuring out biographies, and much sales work including making book and media recommendations based on where someone is in their walk with God or questions they might have.

Morales grew up in a Roman Catholic Church, however, Sunday was the only day when he felt like he needed to act like a Christian; as the other six days felt like they had little to no relevance to what was said or will be said on Sunday. Morales had many questions about Christianity growing up but the answer he would most commonly get when he asked priests or Church leaders was “You just need to have faith.” Once he reached college, he drifted away from the Church and eventually adopted an atheistic evolutionary-type mindset.

Morales continued with this lifestyle for a substantial amount of time but once he became a husband and father, it triggered him to reexamine his life and dig deeper into questions of belief and worldview. After much critical thinking a soul searching, Morales realized that he couldn’t live by the “Anything goes” lifestyle of a world without God or a higher purpose. He was eventually invited to a Bible study by his wife and inevitably established a relationship with God. Using critical thinking he saw that he didn’t want his children to be raised by culture alone, and found that at the very least people need religious instruction in order to navigate much of life’s problems.

After regularly attending, Morales saw not only what Church teaches but also the community it fosters. In other words; he found the true meaning of Church Family. He found people that would be there for him in his time of need, people he didn’t even know who would make hospital visits, and he wholeheartedly saw just how much Church is not about the building but about the people. He decided to start serving as a small group leader and Sunday school teacher, during which, he felt not only himself getting better at teaching others, but felt that God was teaching him the true lifestyle of being a Christian.

Eventually, the same Church invited Dr. Kezele for a presentation that Morales attended, and after talking with much with Dr. Kezele afterward, Morales agreed to become an AzOSA representative. While Morales was exceptional at the electronic aspect of being a representative, he was uneager to get involved with the in-person and building relationships aspect. Luckily, he was partnered with another AzOSA representative who soared where Morales felt he was lacking, John Vanderhoof.

Together, Morales and Vanderhoof form the perfect Yin and Yang of representing AzOSA. With Morales working behind the scenes and Vanderhoof venturing North South East and West, they complement each other beautifully while united with a passion to spread news of God and to make opportunities for others to hear about Him. Morales believes that this why AzOSA is so special, it’s upmost concern with putting truth in front of people without conforming to one specific denomination or branch of Christianity.

One of the things Morales loves about his work is the objective to share truth in todays culture where everyone seems to be too scared to share it. He believes that anyone who is really looking for answers or truth of the matter will be led back to God, and the best way to lead someone is to love them while telling them about the truth.

Morales loves being a part of AzOSA. From seeing new people get excited about something they just heard, engaging in conversations with varying relevant questions, and everyone always seems to be hungry for more. He hopes to continue to grow local partnerships with pastors and churches alike, fostering a foundation for people to learn about God and Christianity in the best way possible. He believes that everyone reaches a point in their life when they become thirsty for truth, that it’s one of the greatest gifts God created within us, and that if anyone follows this thirst wholeheartedly, they will be led to the truth of God and Creation. Although it can sometimes be scary, truth still invigorates the human experience, and is something to remind someone of the existence and walk with God.