New Beginnings (part 1)
Stories.
Everybody likes stories.
Well, maybe not everyone, but I know that I like them, especially when they are written by the Lord! The story I am bout to share with you has been a long time in the making. I became aware of the possibilities one Sunday night in October of the year 2012.
Once Upon a Time...
I went to church that night expecting a typical Sunday evening service. What happened was anything but typical. John and Dee Cook of Indigenous Ministries International were sharing about their ministry with our church.
They shared some statistics about indigenous ministries in other countries and how effective it is, both financially and spiritually. They are involved all over the world encouraging and equipping nationals to reach nationals for the Kingdom of God.
They were so passionate!
So real.
So genuine.
Not just for the people overseas, but for the people that were right in front of them.
For Us. For Me.
I liked them at once.
I really appreciated their passion and what they shared that evening. One of the things that especially stuck out to me was when Dee shared about the women believers in Egypt. At one of her Women's Conferences in Egypt the ladies asked her a question, "Do believers in the US even know that we exist? Do they pray for us?"
Wow~ That really touched my heart. "Of course we know you exist!" I wanted to exclaim aloud. "But do you pray for them?" That Still Small voice quietly whispered. "No." I said in my heart, "I don't." That is not okay. That night I purposed to pray for those women.
After the service I went over and talked with John, thanking him for his ministry and what he shared that evening. He greeted my kindly and his next words changed my life forever, "Why don't you come with us sometime?" "Okay!" I enthusiastically replied. "I'm not kidding." He said. "Neither am I." I said. He then told me to talk with Dee about the details. I waited a few moments while she finished talking with someone else. When it was my turn to speak with her I told her about the words that were just exchanged between John and myself. She was very kind and positive and began to share with me about the upcoming trip to India and she extended the invitation to join them. I knew at that very moment that I wanted to go!
I went home from church that night and excitedly shared my news with my parents! We talked and prayed that evening and then decided to have John and Dee over for lunch that week. I promptly texted Dee and invited them for lunch. They came Tuesday.
While they were here they met Mom and the rest of my family. Dad was at work so he did not get to meet them. They shared more about the trip and what my role would be. I was going to have some opportunities to teach the children Bible stories and songs through an interpreter. I would also have the opportunity to spend time with and share with the girls at the Bible College that we would be visiting. WOW! I was so excited! And as we prayed about this opportunity we found no reason not to go. So, why not? We decided that I would go.
A few days later, Penny, the Executive Assistant for IMI, emailed the official application to me. I was going to India! I was REALLY going to India!!! Wow! It was such a prayer come true!
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
It had been a desire in my heart for a few years to go to India. I was "introduced" to India through another ministry that I traveled with after high school. I firmly believe that what this verse is saying is that when we delight ourselves in the Lord he not only fulfills our desires, but he GIVES us those desires as we seek Him. Then He delights to fulfill them in His perfect timing.
The trip to India was amazing! (If you want to read a little more about that trip then just scroll down and check out my first couple posts. Also there are some photos on my facebook page.)
One of the things that we talked about when we were in India was my future.
Dee and John both expressed to me that they felt that this trip would not be my last trip with them. Sweet! I was all about that! They also expressed that they would love for me to join IMI someday. In my heart I absolutely loved what they were saying, but in my mind I knew that (well I thought I knew) that is probably wouldn't happen. (Remember what I said about desires and delighting in the Lord?)
Anyway, when it was time to part ways in India I was so sad to be leaving. Not just sad about leaving India, but about leaving John and Dee. In the short time that I had known them they had touched my life and challenged me very deeply in my walk with the Lord. I really appreciated them and their passion for ministry. (I still do too.)
So, before we parted ways in India we talked about me going to visit John and Dee in Colorado! Yay! I loved the idea!
Fast-forward a few months to the end of August. (A lot happened last spring and summer, but that has all been covered in other posts so I won't go into detail here.) I was going to be in Colorado for few days with my employer so I called John and Dee to see if that would work for me to come and stay with them for a few days. Surprisingly, everything worked out for me to go to Colorado and stay with them for a week! (I wasn't sure that it would work out. But I am SO glad that it did.) The week before I left John asked me to pray about something. Would I pray about doing a 9 month internship with IMI?
WOW! Of course I would pray about that! I would LOVE to go! But one small problem...I was just beginning my second year of school, I couldn't just quite for 9 months. But I knew that this was definitely something I wanted to pursue... So I prayed.
I'll continue the story in my next post.
All for now,
Lou
Everybody likes stories.
Well, maybe not everyone, but I know that I like them, especially when they are written by the Lord! The story I am bout to share with you has been a long time in the making. I became aware of the possibilities one Sunday night in October of the year 2012.
Once Upon a Time...
I went to church that night expecting a typical Sunday evening service. What happened was anything but typical. John and Dee Cook of Indigenous Ministries International were sharing about their ministry with our church.
They shared some statistics about indigenous ministries in other countries and how effective it is, both financially and spiritually. They are involved all over the world encouraging and equipping nationals to reach nationals for the Kingdom of God.
They were so passionate!
So real.
So genuine.
Not just for the people overseas, but for the people that were right in front of them.
For Us. For Me.
I liked them at once.
I really appreciated their passion and what they shared that evening. One of the things that especially stuck out to me was when Dee shared about the women believers in Egypt. At one of her Women's Conferences in Egypt the ladies asked her a question, "Do believers in the US even know that we exist? Do they pray for us?"
Wow~ That really touched my heart. "Of course we know you exist!" I wanted to exclaim aloud. "But do you pray for them?" That Still Small voice quietly whispered. "No." I said in my heart, "I don't." That is not okay. That night I purposed to pray for those women.
After the service I went over and talked with John, thanking him for his ministry and what he shared that evening. He greeted my kindly and his next words changed my life forever, "Why don't you come with us sometime?" "Okay!" I enthusiastically replied. "I'm not kidding." He said. "Neither am I." I said. He then told me to talk with Dee about the details. I waited a few moments while she finished talking with someone else. When it was my turn to speak with her I told her about the words that were just exchanged between John and myself. She was very kind and positive and began to share with me about the upcoming trip to India and she extended the invitation to join them. I knew at that very moment that I wanted to go!
I went home from church that night and excitedly shared my news with my parents! We talked and prayed that evening and then decided to have John and Dee over for lunch that week. I promptly texted Dee and invited them for lunch. They came Tuesday.
While they were here they met Mom and the rest of my family. Dad was at work so he did not get to meet them. They shared more about the trip and what my role would be. I was going to have some opportunities to teach the children Bible stories and songs through an interpreter. I would also have the opportunity to spend time with and share with the girls at the Bible College that we would be visiting. WOW! I was so excited! And as we prayed about this opportunity we found no reason not to go. So, why not? We decided that I would go.
A few days later, Penny, the Executive Assistant for IMI, emailed the official application to me. I was going to India! I was REALLY going to India!!! Wow! It was such a prayer come true!
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
It had been a desire in my heart for a few years to go to India. I was "introduced" to India through another ministry that I traveled with after high school. I firmly believe that what this verse is saying is that when we delight ourselves in the Lord he not only fulfills our desires, but he GIVES us those desires as we seek Him. Then He delights to fulfill them in His perfect timing.
The trip to India was amazing! (If you want to read a little more about that trip then just scroll down and check out my first couple posts. Also there are some photos on my facebook page.)
One of the things that we talked about when we were in India was my future.
Dee and John both expressed to me that they felt that this trip would not be my last trip with them. Sweet! I was all about that! They also expressed that they would love for me to join IMI someday. In my heart I absolutely loved what they were saying, but in my mind I knew that (well I thought I knew) that is probably wouldn't happen. (Remember what I said about desires and delighting in the Lord?)
Anyway, when it was time to part ways in India I was so sad to be leaving. Not just sad about leaving India, but about leaving John and Dee. In the short time that I had known them they had touched my life and challenged me very deeply in my walk with the Lord. I really appreciated them and their passion for ministry. (I still do too.)
So, before we parted ways in India we talked about me going to visit John and Dee in Colorado! Yay! I loved the idea!
Fast-forward a few months to the end of August. (A lot happened last spring and summer, but that has all been covered in other posts so I won't go into detail here.) I was going to be in Colorado for few days with my employer so I called John and Dee to see if that would work for me to come and stay with them for a few days. Surprisingly, everything worked out for me to go to Colorado and stay with them for a week! (I wasn't sure that it would work out. But I am SO glad that it did.) The week before I left John asked me to pray about something. Would I pray about doing a 9 month internship with IMI?
WOW! Of course I would pray about that! I would LOVE to go! But one small problem...I was just beginning my second year of school, I couldn't just quite for 9 months. But I knew that this was definitely something I wanted to pursue... So I prayed.
I'll continue the story in my next post.
All for now,
Lou
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