Jesus Confirming the Call

“We’re ready for the next step.” (With a degree of nervousness)

After we took a month to pray about God’s call to go as missionaries we were ready to apply.  (See the previous two posts.)  At this point, we had no idea where in Asia God would be sending us.

I sent an email to the president of Jesus for Asia letting him know that we were ready for the next step.  From that point on, everything regarding going overseas from my perspective began to fall into place and happen so fast that at one point I felt myself digging in my heels because I felt that it was too fast for me to process all the change!

Some things in life happen and some don’t.  We struggle to make some things happen and others just happen seemingly on their own.  We had begun the process of going overseas with a different ministry five years before and we encountered roadblocks.  It was like going upstream without a paddle.  The experience wasn’t pleasant.  Something about it clearly wasn’t God’s plan.

This time our experience was just the opposite and it aligned with many experiences that we’ve had in the last 11 years of our Journey of Faith.  This time everything began to fall in place on its own and we had so much peace!  Because things began to happen so quickly, it was a confirmation to us of several things: 1) Jesus IS coming soon, 2) He was saying to us, “Yes, I am calling you—now”, 3) God makes His will known through providence, and 4) God is able to do things quickly. 

We filled out our Jesus for Asia application, it was accepted and then we had an interview video call.  Initially, three locations of need in southeast Asia were presented to us with the question, “Where would you like to go?” and “What type of scenario do you think fits you best?”  One was in Cambodia and two were in Thailand.  Two options were working with current missionaries. One option was going where no one had ever gone before (Kantharalak, Thailand).  In a conversation was mentioned, “…since you’re going to Kantharalak, Thailand….”  We were surprised that it seemed that the location was finalized even though we hadn’t talked about the options.  For us, we felt that it was God that had selected the location for us.  It was both so simple and so quick!  That felt so much better than doing an analysis of which place we preferred.  To us, it was a sign.  God was leading and He was giving us “evidences of His leading.” 

Of Jesus’ mother Mary it is said: “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19   God is so merciful and compassionate!  He gives us what I call “evidences of His leading” and I put them into a type of “photo album” in my heart to remind me of His leadings when the going gets tough.  I was encouraged by something I read, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and his teaching in our past history.” (Testimonies to the Church vol. 9, p. 10)   God began showing us in many ways that He was the One leading us.

That was the way it was with many things: simple and quick.  God led.  A God thing.  Not that things were happening the way we wanted, it was just they were happening with such ease.  We were told that a particular person would pick us up from the airport.  “Really?!”  I was surprised, “He works with you?  He was my college roommate!”  I reconnected with a dear friend from the past and was so encouraged to find a friend from the past that was on the front lines as well.  We began to call and pray together regularly.

Suddenly, we were official.  Committed.  It felt weird.  We were now part of a new community and the reality of it all had yet to sink in.

We decided to get the passport thing handled.  6 of them.  It was so simple and processed quickly.  Something about how simple this complex step turned out was very profound for me at that time and I saw it as God’s providence.  Then we were introduced to a strong grassroots network of support among the missionaries in the field.  This is immense.

We found out that a fund had already been established for work in our city and donations were coming in!  Furthermore, shortly after our commitment, a benefit concert was created by a group of young musicians who support Jesus for Asia.  Of all the Jesus for Asia projects that could be picked for the fundraiser, ours was selected!  What?!  We were barely on the face of the map and hadn’t even left the US.  There were much bigger, exciting projects that could have been picked and we were moved to tears to see God encouraging us on the path, revealing to us His leading.

We are on a new path, familiar in some ways and unfamiliar in more.  We can only move forward by faith because most of this doesn’t make sense to the average person.  So we move forward figuratively, with an arm outstretched as in the dark, feeling with fingers of faith, and we move forward as we recognize God’s leading and remember them for uncertain times ahead.   We may not know what is going to happen, but we know Who is leading us and He is leading us with LOVE. So we are following Him with faith and hope because we know it is so much BETTER with Him than walking on our own path.