God's Leading
In the Fall of 2006, God began to lead us that while we are still in the States we should do our best to have an effective ministry by living amongst those whom we desire to minister in our church neighborhood. It was around that time that we began to pray that God would lead us to a house in one of the neighborhoods around our church by January. But God has done more than provide a house--He has taught us incredible lessons and magnified His name! We pray that His kingdom will be advanced in the Poe Mill area.
God's Provision
Through God's faithful leading, He led us to the neighborhood of Poe Mill. This area is very close to our church, and the children's Bible club meets right across the street from our house. Knowing that God could give us children at any time, we prayed for a house with room if God should choose to add to our family while we are in the States. Wonderously, He provided a home that will be able to meet that need.
Thursday, March 15, marked the anniversary of the fateful day when Julius Caesar met his death amongst the throes of the Roman Senate. 1,963 years later, we closed on our house! Fortunately, we believe in God, not in fate, so the fact that it was the Ides of March meant nothing more to us than a historical date (although we did find somewhat fascinating, and perhaps Keren's mother will be proud of our historical fact :)).
As we prayed and waited with the Lord over whether this was to be the house for us, we have confidence that He has led us to this house, nearly 2 months after finalizing our first contract in January. And now that we are officially homeowners, we are looking forward to the joys of utility bills, weeds, leaks, and so much more that our homeowner's insurance probably won't cover! :) Our house will need a bit of sprucing up both inside and outside, but we are looking forward to seeing how God will use this house to increase our ministry effectiveness amongst the people of Poe Mill. Lord-willing this area will be a large portion of our mission field for the next 3 or more years, and although the language and culture barrier may not be quite as extreme (there will definitely be some, though!), we anticipate that this opportunity will have many lessons in store for the young Poe Mill missionaries as we continue to prepare for the foreign mission field.
While we were still in the process of closing our home, the desk workers that Daniel supervises had been (unbeknownst to us) meeting, praying, and planning about a way that they could help us. The Friday night after we closed on the house, these 11 young men announced to us that that God had led them to pay for and do the work to replace the roof on the house! Many tears of joy and thankfulness were shed that night, and we know that this is the Lord's doing-and only His! God could have simply provided the money that we need, but instead He did "exceeding, abundantly above all that we could ask or speak!" Not only did He provide the need, but He has drawn the hearts of 11 guys into the ministry we anticipate--something we will never forget! As Psalm 127:1 says, "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it..."
Poe Mill House with guys working:
Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.
~C.T. Studd~
Christians should entertain thoughts of the impossible when it comes to penetration into the most unlikely places and peoples in the world with the message and people of Christ. How can we not get on our knees with a fresh sense of trembling expectation and ask our prayer-hearing God for Christ-exalting, global impossibilities beyond anything the last one hundred years have seen?
~John Piper~