A Bible, a Pandemic, and a New Beginning

For most of his life, Mario’s world revolved around hard work—both as a poultry farmer and a father of four. But in recent years, that centre shifted dramatically. Now, his focus is firmly on Jesus. And thanks to Vocational Bible College, Mario is equipping himself with the tools to serve more deeply and confidently in gospel ministry.

Raised in a large Maltese Catholic family in the Hunter Valley, Mario always had a general belief in God. 

“I knew Jesus was real,” he reflects, “but I didn’t really understand what that meant.”

It wasn’t until the chaos of 2020—living in Taree and grappling with big questions during the pandemic—that Mario began searching for something more solid. That search led him to the Bible: “I just felt compelled to read it,” he says. 

Without access to a new one, he ended up reading a school Scripture Bible his daughter had brought home. As he worked through the Old Testament, Mario found himself confronting the weight of his own sin for the first time. 

“I thought I was a decent person,” he admits, “but as I read, I saw just how far I’d fallen short.”

Eventually, through an online sermon, the pieces came together. The message of Jesus’ death and resurrection made sense in a new and life-changing way.

“I realised I couldn’t fix myself, but Jesus already had,” Mario explains.

Since then, life has been far from easy. Mario’s decision to follow Christ created deep tensions at home. His wife eventually left, and his children found themselves caught in the middle. Yet even in the pain, Mario has seen God’s grace—his daughter Taylah also came to faith, and he’s been surrounded by a strong church community at Maitland Evangelical Church since moving back to the Hunter in 2024.

“I always served where I could,” he says. “But I started to feel like I wanted the centre of my life to be ministry, not work. I wanted everything else to fit around that.” 

That conviction led Mario to begin formal ministry training at VBC at the start of 2025.

The structure of VBC’s training has been ideal. With a Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology, Mario attends interactive, practical classes each Monday while working part-time on a local farm. 

“I haven’t studied since high school, and that was 30 years ago,” he laughs, “but it’s been so accessible. The balance of theory and real-life ministry training really works for me.”

What surprised him most is how hands-on the learning is. Assignments are often ministry-based—leading Bible studies, sharing testimonies, and learning practical evangelism skills. The online environment brings together a rich mix of students from across Australia and beyond, with Mario learning alongside recent high school grads, young mums, retirees, and even students from overseas.

He’s also found the support to be outstanding: “The staff are so helpful and flexible,” he says. “They get that life happens.”

Mario’s heart is for discipleship. He’s currently mentoring several young men at church and helping lead a follow-up course for new believers called More to Life. He sees himself continuing to invest in that kind of relational ministry in the future—and he’s open to where God might lead.

“I don’t necessarily want to be a pastor,” he says, “but I want to be equipped to serve well. And VBC is giving me that foundation.”

For Mario, VBC has not just made ministry training possible, it’s made it personal, practical, and sustainable. 

“I’d definitely encourage others to give it a go,” he says. “Even one subject to dip your toe in the water, because it’s fantastic.”