Thank you for praying! The answer for the house came back from leadership as YES and our landlords were agreeable to the terms. GFA will be renting that house for another year.
We don't know yet whether I will continue to live in the house with the female interns or whether NN will move there with the male interns, but our landlords agreed to the terms. It's hard to find people who are willing to rent to a ministry, not just an individual, so this is a blessing!
You can continue to pray for the second house we need--NN and the intern coordinator are still working with the realtor on an opportunity to see that house. God is faithful!
As I praise the Lord for the beautiful facilities he has provided for us here, my heart still goes to Pastor Kilshore and his family as they sold all their posessions and moved into the slums of Chandigarh to minister to those people. I think about the pastor in Manipur whose house and posessions have been burned to the group by angry mobs.
And each time I open the door of my house, I thank God...and pray.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Thursday, June 23, 2005
RTR - House Part 2
Tuesday, I asked you to pray. Wednesday, I got a call from our current landlord. She said she had just gotten back from vacation and couldn't remember what my final decision was about renting the house we are in now for next year. I told her that with the possibility of only two interns living with me instead of three, this house was way out of our price range. She asked for the prices we were looking at and then said, "Just wait. Let me call my husband and we'll call you back tomorrow. I really want this to work out for you and for us. We really want you girls as renters."
Tonight I got a call from her husband, offering to drop the monthly rent by $175/month! I don't have the final say in this, but I told him I appreciated it and would take this information to the intern coordinator.
Tomorrow the realtor on NN's potential house is supposed to call and let us know about leasing possibilities. And your prayers continue to make a difference.
Can you imagine? In two months, GFA will have 9 interns working full time on projects that will help the work on the mission field continue to grow. And your prayers will have been a mighty part of making this happen.
Tonight I got a call from her husband, offering to drop the monthly rent by $175/month! I don't have the final say in this, but I told him I appreciated it and would take this information to the intern coordinator.
Tomorrow the realtor on NN's potential house is supposed to call and let us know about leasing possibilities. And your prayers continue to make a difference.
Can you imagine? In two months, GFA will have 9 interns working full time on projects that will help the work on the mission field continue to grow. And your prayers will have been a mighty part of making this happen.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
RTR - House
Road to Reality update - thanks for praying! I mentioned last night that I need a house, but I'm not the only one. NN, who will be living with the three male interns, is also needing a house.
Word just went out by email that there is a house in a great location (right next door to some of my favorite people) that suddenly had a sale contract fall through and they seem to be willing to rent the house to NN for the internship.
I thought about being jealous (see lawn mower story), but decided that it's a great opportunity to see God at work (which he is) in NN's house and know that he'll be just as faithful in providing me a house. Seeing God answering one prayer and knowing He'll answer the others as well.
Jen put a call into the realtors--pray for favor and right timing!
Word just went out by email that there is a house in a great location (right next door to some of my favorite people) that suddenly had a sale contract fall through and they seem to be willing to rent the house to NN for the internship.
I thought about being jealous (see lawn mower story), but decided that it's a great opportunity to see God at work (which he is) in NN's house and know that he'll be just as faithful in providing me a house. Seeing God answering one prayer and knowing He'll answer the others as well.
Jen put a call into the realtors--pray for favor and right timing!
Monday, June 20, 2005
Road to Reality
I was thinking today about Bro. Japr, a teacher in one of our Bible Colleges in India. We met him during our time there--he was so full of the Spirit of God--so full of fire. He shared part of his testimony with us. He said that as a young man, desiring to follow God, he came to God praying, "I could do all these things, Lord. I could be a pastor or an evangelist or a church planter or a teacher or so many other things. But God, what do YOU want me to do?" God led him to Deut. chapter 3 where God admonishes Moses to "commission Joshua and encourage him." So for the last 15+ years, Bro. Japr has been teaching at Bible College and mentoring young pastors and missionaries. Pray for him as he is a role model to thousands of maturing believers.
God hasn't called me to spend the rest of my life teaching/mentoring, but I have been given the opportunity to be part of the Road to Reality Internship program this year. Nine young people, ages 18-25, from across the US will be joining GFA for a year--serving in our home office, being discipled, and visiting the mission field. Five of us staff people make up the Intern Discipleship Team (IDT). Three of the female interns will be living with me starting mid-August.
The IDT team met for lunch and prayer today--praying for the physical details that still need to fall into place, praying for the interns as they raise their financial support, and praying for spiritual preparation. Please pray for me--that I would fervently seek God in preparing for this. And pray for a house. We need God's guidance on whether to keep the house I'm in or find a different house.
Trusting... that He who started the work will be faithful to complete it...
God hasn't called me to spend the rest of my life teaching/mentoring, but I have been given the opportunity to be part of the Road to Reality Internship program this year. Nine young people, ages 18-25, from across the US will be joining GFA for a year--serving in our home office, being discipled, and visiting the mission field. Five of us staff people make up the Intern Discipleship Team (IDT). Three of the female interns will be living with me starting mid-August.
The IDT team met for lunch and prayer today--praying for the physical details that still need to fall into place, praying for the interns as they raise their financial support, and praying for spiritual preparation. Please pray for me--that I would fervently seek God in preparing for this. And pray for a house. We need God's guidance on whether to keep the house I'm in or find a different house.
Trusting... that He who started the work will be faithful to complete it...
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Attack by Night
One of our churches in Manipur has been struggling as they build their new church. From the gfa.org website:
Hearts pounded. Bodies hit the ground. First one round of shots was fired, then another. Then another … In all, 40 bullets were fired at the site of the partially constructed GFA Believers Church in Manipur (India) that night. God tenderly watched over His children, and none of the missionaries staying on the site were injured by the bullets....
“Even after this incident, we kept on constructing the church,” Pastor Prim states.
This pastor does not make this statement lightly—this is not the first time his church was attacked and likely won’t be the last. Angry mobs had dismantled the construction four times in the previous six months. Once, they set ablaze the missionaries’ temporary living quarters and burned their belongings to ashes.
Construction dismantled four times in six months? What if you were building your church by hand? Would you continue? Pray for these believers and many others across the world who are struggling as well. You can read the entire story at the gfa.org website.
Hearts pounded. Bodies hit the ground. First one round of shots was fired, then another. Then another … In all, 40 bullets were fired at the site of the partially constructed GFA Believers Church in Manipur (India) that night. God tenderly watched over His children, and none of the missionaries staying on the site were injured by the bullets....
“Even after this incident, we kept on constructing the church,” Pastor Prim states.
This pastor does not make this statement lightly—this is not the first time his church was attacked and likely won’t be the last. Angry mobs had dismantled the construction four times in the previous six months. Once, they set ablaze the missionaries’ temporary living quarters and burned their belongings to ashes.
Construction dismantled four times in six months? What if you were building your church by hand? Would you continue? Pray for these believers and many others across the world who are struggling as well. You can read the entire story at the gfa.org website.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Newsletter coming out...
Not only is my blog late, but my newsletter is also late. However, it has plans to go out this weekend. It was down in the mailroom getting folded today.
The young adults at GFA have been fairly active recently--enjoying the outdoors before the worst of the summer gets here. No, I haven't been camping at all, but we have been playing the occasional game of volleyball and a bit of rugby. In fact, Rach (my previous roommate) fractured one of her toes in the middle of our last rugby game. She's been walking around in a soft cast and a lot of pain all week. You can pray for her.
I thoughts this afternoon back to our games of volleyball and cricket with the Bible School students in India. Sometimes playing North America vs. India and sometimes mixing up the teams. Trying to dig the volleyball out of the makeshift net. Laughing with brothers and sisters from the other side of the globe. Finding time to relax and play in the midst of the battle to reach the lost.
Being people--just like you and I.
The young adults at GFA have been fairly active recently--enjoying the outdoors before the worst of the summer gets here. No, I haven't been camping at all, but we have been playing the occasional game of volleyball and a bit of rugby. In fact, Rach (my previous roommate) fractured one of her toes in the middle of our last rugby game. She's been walking around in a soft cast and a lot of pain all week. You can pray for her.
I thoughts this afternoon back to our games of volleyball and cricket with the Bible School students in India. Sometimes playing North America vs. India and sometimes mixing up the teams. Trying to dig the volleyball out of the makeshift net. Laughing with brothers and sisters from the other side of the globe. Finding time to relax and play in the midst of the battle to reach the lost.
Being people--just like you and I.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Freshly Cut Grass
Last week, TT sent an email to the office saying: Last night, we prayed as a family that the Lord would either provide us a lawnmower or give us peace about buying one. It was the first time we had prayed about it. This morning, when I came into work, there was one sitting in the warehouse with my name on it. God is good! Thank you to the person(s) who cooperated with Him in blessing us. What a joy to see His faithfulness, and especially to get to share with [our three year old son] how God answers prayer.
Oh! was I jealous! I immediately began to whine. "God, why did they get a mower and not me? You knew that we needed a mower. And now I'll have to buy one. Why didn't you give me a mower?" "Did you ask?" reminded the quiet voice inside. "Well, no." I blustered, bad attitude still firmly intact. "But you knew I needed one. Okay... God? I need a mower, okay? So can you give me one or give me peace to buy one?"
About 10 minutes later, I headed over to the Communications department to doing computer training for a new full time volunteer. I went over computer login and email and policies with David. We changed his phone password and set up his phone greeting. Then I showed him the GFA internal website where he could post a note or prayer request. "What gets posted here?" he asked.
"Oh, almost anything. If you have something to give away or if you're looking for something---anything from dressmaker dummies to dishes to camping cots," I replied.
"So, if I had a lawnmower and weedeater that I needed to get rid of, I could put that here?" he asked.
I cocked my head and looked at him. "Are you speaking hypothetically or for real?"
"For real," he replied. "Now that I've returned to work full time, we've hired a lawn company to do the work. I've got a nice John Deere lawn mower I don't need any more. It's already had its yearly maintenance and has a newly sharpened blade and the weedeater is really nice too...."
Guess what we just got done doing? Mowing the lawn with our brand new (to us) wonderful John Deere lawnmower.
The lawn looks beautiful.
And so does God's grace.
Oh! was I jealous! I immediately began to whine. "God, why did they get a mower and not me? You knew that we needed a mower. And now I'll have to buy one. Why didn't you give me a mower?" "Did you ask?" reminded the quiet voice inside. "Well, no." I blustered, bad attitude still firmly intact. "But you knew I needed one. Okay... God? I need a mower, okay? So can you give me one or give me peace to buy one?"
About 10 minutes later, I headed over to the Communications department to doing computer training for a new full time volunteer. I went over computer login and email and policies with David. We changed his phone password and set up his phone greeting. Then I showed him the GFA internal website where he could post a note or prayer request. "What gets posted here?" he asked.
"Oh, almost anything. If you have something to give away or if you're looking for something---anything from dressmaker dummies to dishes to camping cots," I replied.
"So, if I had a lawnmower and weedeater that I needed to get rid of, I could put that here?" he asked.
I cocked my head and looked at him. "Are you speaking hypothetically or for real?"
"For real," he replied. "Now that I've returned to work full time, we've hired a lawn company to do the work. I've got a nice John Deere lawn mower I don't need any more. It's already had its yearly maintenance and has a newly sharpened blade and the weedeater is really nice too...."
Guess what we just got done doing? Mowing the lawn with our brand new (to us) wonderful John Deere lawnmower.
The lawn looks beautiful.
And so does God's grace.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Sunday at ICCM
It's been a good day of rest here at ICCM. We worshipped together this morning in prayer, praise, teaching, and sharing. Lunch was followed by a nap and then some indoor volleyball. A rain shower and lightning/thunder storm showed God's glory just before the evening banquet.
Running late after volleyball, I missed catching a ride from the dorm to the banquet hall 1/2 mile away. So I stuffed my good clothes and stuff I needed in my trusty backpack and trekked across campus in the pouring rain. (It's been quite some years since I walked through pouring rain like that...at least for that far. I found it..um.... refreshing.) Quote one attendee, "I saw you arrive. You looked like a drowned rat!" I stopped by the restroom and changed clothes and joined the banquet.
Halfway through the banquet, I pulled out my trusty Palm (which I've been taking notes on all weekend) and found it wet and refusing to start. Moments later, it did start, but erased all my notes and data from the weekend. Interesting, the comments I wanted to write down were about trust and assurance in God, not in our techie stuff.
So with my laptop out of commission and my Palm and notes gone, I'm writing from a borrowed laptop in the middle of an impromptu worship session.
Forever God is faithful...
Running late after volleyball, I missed catching a ride from the dorm to the banquet hall 1/2 mile away. So I stuffed my good clothes and stuff I needed in my trusty backpack and trekked across campus in the pouring rain. (It's been quite some years since I walked through pouring rain like that...at least for that far. I found it..um.... refreshing.) Quote one attendee, "I saw you arrive. You looked like a drowned rat!" I stopped by the restroom and changed clothes and joined the banquet.
Halfway through the banquet, I pulled out my trusty Palm (which I've been taking notes on all weekend) and found it wet and refusing to start. Moments later, it did start, but erased all my notes and data from the weekend. Interesting, the comments I wanted to write down were about trust and assurance in God, not in our techie stuff.
So with my laptop out of commission and my Palm and notes gone, I'm writing from a borrowed laptop in the middle of an impromptu worship session.
Forever God is faithful...
Saturday, June 04, 2005
ICCM 2005
Here I am in Upland, Indiana at the International Conference of Computing and Missions. 100+ computer techies who work with missions all over the world. I'm sitting here on the steps of the theatre where we are meeting...currently in the middle of our Talent Night. DH from Avant Ministries is currently on stage on with his dummy, Andrew. His ventriloquist dummy. They are amzing! We always enjoy DH's stories... it helps us realize that we as Christians aren't living on our own. It is God who lives through us. Just like the puppet doesn't live without DH, we don't live without....
It is such a wonderful time to join together with other techies... techies who love God and want to see the world reached for God. Even if there are only five of us ladies in the entire group.
It is such a wonderful time to join together with other techies... techies who love God and want to see the world reached for God. Even if there are only five of us ladies in the entire group.
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