fbpx

Navigate / search

Covering Testimony: Janelle Trebuna

Head Covering Testimonies
Name: Janelle TrebunaAge: 43Location: La Grange, KYStarted Covering: February 2011

Covering Testimony: Janelle Trebuna

1) Introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in church; attending both Methodist and Baptist churches, but didn’t come to faith until I was in my 30’s. I have been married to my High School sweetheart, Todd, for 25 years. We have 3 daughters, ages 22, 17, and 14. One of my greatest passions is prison ministry. I enjoy homeless outreach, as well. The past five years I have been blessed, along with my husband, to spend one Saturday night each month, and two to three weekends a year serving in our four local prisons as part of the Residents Encounter Christ Ministry. I am proclaiming the Gospel, testifying to what God has done in my life, worshiping, celebrating communion, and establishing ongoing friendships with the men and women there. I love to read. I am passionate about the Bible, theology, and encouraging women to go deep and learn all they can about God and His word. I plan to return to college once my husband has completed his degree, and my dream is to graduate from seminary with a degree in counseling, to minister to women; especially those with a history of sexual abuse. My husband and I feel God calling us to serve as overseas missionaries once we retire and our children have left the nest. For the past 4 years, the tug on my heart has been towards India! My greatest desire is to be a women after God’s own heart.

2) Where do you attend church? Tell us a little bit about it.

I attend Crestwood Baptist Church.  We are new to the church, leaving our church of 4 years to find one closer to our home where our daughters can forge friendships with other teenage girls in their schools, so that they might be strengthened when faced with the daily challenges of High School.  The church is much larger than where we were previously attending, but after a month, we are settling in and very much enjoying our new Sunday School and Bible studies.  I have not seen any other women at this church who cover, besides me.

3) What led you to start covering?

I was listening to a White Horse Inn podcast on the way to work one day with my husband. The scripture they were discussing was in 1 Corinthians 10. I went home that night to read it more in depth. I like to get context around what I read, so I read 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Corinthians 11, also. The Holy Spirit immediately began working on my heart as I read 1 Corinthians 11. Now I had read this passage plenty of times in the past and always dismissed it as cultural and pertaining to biblical times only. However, God began speaking to me, and wouldn’t let me move past it this time. I read everything I could find on the subject. I poured over scripture and read commentaries. I prayed, and fought with God, and prayed some more. I finally had the courage to approach my husband and discuss what I felt God leading me to do. We knew no one who practiced head covering. No one in our church, no one we had met, no one. My husband was very supportive and said you need to be obedient to what God is leading you to do. He then proceeded to buy me my first 3 coverings for an early anniversary gift.

4) What was that first Sunday like when you showed up in a covering?

In the beginning I was so nervous. I wondered if people would treat me differently. The first Sunday my Sunday School teacher kept staring at my head. No one said anything though. I prayed God would allow me to be obedient to Him without drawing undue attention to myself. I prayed I wouldn’t have to defend my decision to the Elders of the church, and I didn’t. They never asked. A few months after I began covering a friend talked with me about it and said she had felt a similar leading. She began covering too. The first year and a half, I covered full time. I began having headaches and neck pain from the knot on my headcovering, so I prayed and searched scripture, spoke with my husband, and decided just to cover for worship and church/prison functions and evangelism. Its been 3 years now since God led me to cover, and I am so glad that He gave me the strength and the support from my husband to be obedient and follow Him! He has blessed me with peace and joy that comes from walking with Him.

4) What counsel can you give to women that do not cover for emotional reasons (fear, not wanting to stand out etc.)?

Pray and seek God’s guidance.  He will empower you to be obedient to His calling.  It was very intimidating for me at first.  My greatest fear was that what I felt was very much a private decision, was so obviously apparent, and I didn’t want to call attention to myself.  I feel like covering is a great show of humility, and feared others wouldn’t understand that.  I also did not want other women to feel as if I was judging them for not covering their heads.  The bottom line is scripture teaches we are to fear God and not man.  God will bless your obedience, and He will embolden you.  I always say–its just a scrap of material–and if it means I am being obedient to what God is calling me to, that is what I must do; even if others don’t understand.

5) What would you say is the best and the most difficult aspect about head covering?

The best aspect is that I am walking in obedience to God. I also love all the beautiful coverings! Its really fun to pick out material and sew up different coverings to match my different outfits. Its also always very easy for my husband and children to pick me out in a crowd 😉

The most difficult aspect is going into the prisons. I often have to be patted down or remove it completely to undergo screening before entering. I generally have to explain why I am wearing it ; that it is for religious purposes, or I face not being able to wear it in. It is very important to me to wear it in the mens prison. It is a sign of modesty as well as submission. I do not feel right sharing from the pulpit without being covered.

6) What kind of covering(s) do you use? Where did you get them?

I use bethany veils purchased from Sowers of Hope, scarves, and even hijabs in the depth of winter.  I also make many of my own coverings.  I recently made my first snood! I have found that a shoe rack that hangs over the back of my closet door is the best way to organize my coverings and keep them tangle free.  I also use a long section of ribbon tied to the rack to place my clips and bobby pins on.

Would you like to share your story of how you came to believe in head covering? Tell us about it here.

Send this to a friend