Tennessee

On Wednesday, September 10th, our family flew from Salem, Oregon to Tennessee to seek out those who would be willing to partner with us in prayer and financial support in our ministry. Two days later, we received a call from our training director in Salem that YWAM Nashville had called, and were needing some help . . .

After several calls, a face to face meeting with the Nashville director and the Fall DTS school leader and serious prayer and consideration, we have decided to help staff the Fall discipleship school in Nashville. Our leaders in Salem have decided to commission us out “on loan.” This means all our finances will still be channeled through Salem, and we will return there after the school is over.

So for a short recap of our trip so far: we flew here on Wednesday the 10th, got a call from our training director on Friday, called the Nashville base on Sunday, met with them on Monday, on Thursday we spent the night in Adams, on Friday night we were with supporters in Indiana, on Saturday afternoon we attended a family reunion in Illinois, on Saturday evening we returned to Adams where our base is stationed, on Sunday evening the school started as we played games with the students and learned everyone’s names. Do you feel the rush? No wonder I had to walk out of class on Monday to cry. Logically, I know we are supposed to be here, but my emotions had not yet adjusted to the idea. This was all on top of the emotional let down of discovering my home church of over 11 years had closed the door for me to share anything about what we are doing. (No fault to them personally; I feel that was a door God Himself closed.) Nevertheless, it has been quite a trip, to say the least.

After deciding to stay here, our next concern was to be that of finding a vehicle - if we are going to be living off campus for the next three months, this is a major necessity. After sharing our need in the staff meeting this last Wednesday morning, we were offered a solution. A man someone knew had recently bought a new vehicle, but had kept the old one feeling he was supposed to give it away to someone. It is a silver, four door Ford Focus in good condition - go God! We just need to change the tags, as the previous ones are from another state and have expired. That along with insurance, and our family has a vehicle for our stay here! We actually met with him last night to look at the car and make arrangements to pick it up. God must have known we were going to stay . . .

As for the school, there are over 20 students. Already, the girls have approached one of the staff to ask if it would be okay for them to meet every night within their dorms to pray for one another before they go to bed - wow! I’m not sure I’ve seen that one before. In talking to one of the girl students (19 years old) the other night here, I was amused to hear her say, “I’ve always known I wanted to be a missionary. I guess I’ll be starting in Argentina (since that is where this DTS is going), but I imagine someday I’ll end up in China as a martyr. I’d really be disappointed to die of old age.” That may have seemed like an odd statement for such a young person, but it made me smile, because she is not a depressed person with dark thoughts, she is actually quite cheerful and full of the wonder of discovering God. She reminds me of the man who discovered a pearl in a field, and sold all he owned to gain possession of what had true worth.



I'll post more pics later . . . .