Prayer Answered

A year-and-a-half or so ago, I started praying that God might allow me to leverage the amazing training I've been so privileged to receive in places where Bible Colleges and seminaries are not accessible to all. Though happy to go wherever, I started praying, in particular, for opportunities in Africa. And I said to the Lord something along the lines of, "I'll go wherever you want, but Kenya would be a dream come true, as you know, since you sent my grandparents and parents there."

Six months later Dan, a friend and pastor in Monroe, Wisconsin, told me about a new EFCA (Evangelical Free Church of America) initiative called Pathways that was has as its exclusive focus training national pastors in Bible Study Methods and how to prepare biblical sermons out of that study.

Dan had been to Monrovia and Liberia in West Africa, and said another trip was planned. "I'm in!" I said, and went to the training. At the training we discovered, sadly, that things were on hold in West Africa because of the newly-emerging Ebola crisis. But something was opening up in Kenya. I couldn't believe it. Well, I could, but I didn't want to get too excited and presume on God, even though I know him very well to be the giver of good gifts.

A few months later, at the next training, I met Gary Kirst, a pastor from Galena, who has made six trips to Turkana, Kenya, but was attending Pathways training for the first time, and was looking for a teaching partner to help with training pastors in Turkanaland. "I'm in!" I said, and the rest is history.

Since two of my boys were going on mission trips this summer, also, I asked the Lord if he might provide the $4300 quickly and from a very small group so as not to impact the boys' support raising. Three wonderfully generous families and the mission team later, it was all in!

We have an amazing God!