Can’t tell you the Joy it puts in my heart to see their faces and know that they are having the understanding of what a missionary does from the community level, to state level, to national, and to the ends of the earth! Great heart training for these young girls. They will be praying for us, giving, and someday maybe going with Pure Joy International. Several of the girls have already been on a mission trip out of the country. That is awesome to me!!!!
Well, we are in the home stretch for the trip. We have 20 missionary women sponsored as of today. So, 30 more to go! Don’t stop PRAYING and Don’t Ignore God if He directs you to give. Don’t assume someone else is taking care of it. Ask God if HE wants you to take care of some of it! Also, it is wild to watch God in the home stretch! He does amazing things!!
Keep Praying! Be obedient to give at His prompting!
Love you all,
His,
vickie
P.S. Ok, I want to share with you another Team Member’s story of how they felt God lead them to join the Team to Africa. Meet Kathy Kolkhorst….
Vickie was in Houston recently and she gave her criteria for going on a mission trip. She said you must know that God called you and you must also have your husband's blessing. (Did you hear from God? And is your husband totally on board? ) My husband, Gary, and I signed up to go on our first international mission trip this June, so I never thought that going on a mission trip before that time would be anywhere in the realm of possibilities. I did not feel any pull to go. I didn't even know where (name of country) was for heavens sake! But the one thing I was sure of was that Gary would be supportive of it. It seems like Vickie mentioned the East Africa trip to me and asked me if I was going at least 10 times (I’m sure it wasn’t that many but it seemed that way!) and I said NO every time because God had not told me to go. But then on the last day Vickie was in town, God got my attention and my heart and He began to show me that He wanted me in (name of country). God’s call actually started a week before this but I just didn’t realize it. When a friend was working on her Bible Study, God laid me on her heart and she felt that one of the paragraphs was to be passed on to me. So she typed a letter and mailed it to me. This is what she wrote from Priscilla Shirer's study of Jonah:
When I first read this I didn't get it. Then I reread it and thought it had something to do with something totally unrelated. But looking at it now, I know that this was God's invitation. Over the time Vickie was here she said things like, "if you go to East Africa I can see you doing ............” Ok, I'm flattered but I'm not going."Your story starts with God. The mark you make and the eternal significance will be found in yielding to the intervention God sends your way. When the Lord speaks over your life, separating unto Himself for His purposes consider it your invitation. You have been given an opportunity to write a story beyond your expectations....Your story begins with God's call. It is not your legacy or lack thereof that makes you significant. It is God's call and your willingness to obey it. Like holy hero's you have an outcome you can't make out. The fog of life's journey will clog your spiritual sight, and the fear of the unknown is bound to make you consider bowing out. Don't back down. Correctly viewing and appreciating God's awesomeness and his love compel you to realize the distinct privilege of being used by Him".
Sometimes it is hard to miss God speaking to you and I feel that this is the case with this trip. In my quiet time on Wed., God spoke to me about going to (name of country. When I tried to change the voice in my heart and head I couldn't. My heart became so tender for the missionaries who have been called to spread the gospel but who live in conditions that we can't imagine. The thought of these women without a girl friend to talk to, the constant threat of disease, and the lack of things we take for granted (flush toilets, running water that you can drink), the loneliness, and the lies of discouragement that Satan can speak, brought me to tears. My heart wept for these women.
Shortly after that, I was talking to my sister-in-law about (name of country) as I was on my way to Bible Study.. She said, "I bet this is what God has been preparing you to do."
Another cracking of the heart-was I supposed to go?
I walked into Bible Study and the teaching leader was saying, "Is God asking you to go and serve somewhere?' Tears rolled down my face.
On the way to lunch where I was meeting Vickie, God started putting ideas for the East Africa trip in my head-"What is this Lord?"
Another friend called on Wed. and left a message saying she had never seen me have such "Pure Joy" on my face as I had on Mon. night at the event Vickie was speaking at. I talked to her later and she said that when Vickie had said that maybe God was calling someone from Houston to go to East Africa she immediately thought, "Kathy is going to go."
I fasted and prayed on Thursday and my answer was clear-I was going to East Africa.
Psalm 57:2 spoke to my heart—“I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me. God sends his love and his faithfulness”.( I was in tears over God pursuing me and loving me so much that He didn't want me to miss Him!)
The icing on the cake was receiving a check in the mail that afternoon with a note saying to use the money as I saw fit!
I will have to say that even after all these signs (and after emailing Vickie to say I was going) I asked God to reconfirm that I was to go to (name of country) I was like Gideon just wanting some reassurance. God sent His confirmation through a woman that had lived in Africa. When I told her I was going to (name of country) she asked if I was going to (capital city of the country)-which is exactly where we are going!! God you are so awesome!
God is up to something and I'm hanging on for the ride. I can’t wait to see what wonders He performs in East Africa.
Blessings,
Kathy Kolkhorst
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