In Part 1, God moved us from the pastorate to Action International Ministries, headquartered in great Seattle, Washington. This took about two years. That’s where we pick up the story.
We wrote our first prayer letter. Keith had kept names and addresses for years of many friends in our previous churches. Coming up with a mailing list was quite easy. Waiting for people to respond to our letter was not easy! We mailed our letter bulk mail, which saved money but extended delivery time. After three weeks of waiting to hear from anyone, I again was worried. Satan began to attack me. (We have found that this is often Satan’s tactic). It was like God’s hedge of protection (Job 1:10) was dropped so Satan could get in. God used this trial to strengthen our faith; Satan wanted to use this test as a temptation to sin and give up.
I remember a Monday morning during this time. Keith had already gone to work and I was staying in bed, feeling sorry for myself. The phone rang. It was a friend we had only met once. He was a former Action missionary and current pastor of a church where we had never been. He called to say that his church had voted the night before to take us on. I was so surprised! I couldn’t believe it. He explained that his mission committee had some extra money in their budget (that hardly ever happens!), they wanted an administrative couple (that rarely happens!) and they knew Action because their pastor had been a missionary with Action.
They wanted to support us $1000.00 per year. I thanked our friend, quickly figured out what that would be per month and called my husband. We cried together on the phone. I still believe God used that friend’s phone call to speak to us and encourage us that He was still in this and that He would bring in support. We began to hear from friends we hadn’t seen in 25 years. They wanted to support us! My extended family—aunts and uncles—brother and sister—all supported us with prayer and finances.
We felt we needed to move back out to the Seattle area to become genuine Actionites. I flew out to find a home for us and to interview for a job teaching school so Keith would be free to raise our prayer and financial support.
I got the job, teaching third grade and bought a house, all in just a few days! God was opening doors. Having taught third graders for three months in Grand Rapids, I was ready for a larger assignment. Friends living in Everett (next community north) needed to sell their home. (We had seen the home previously, knew we liked it, and had agreed on an offer before I left our G.R. home.)
Sometimes, we pray and pray and nothing happens. Then we pray some more and still nothing happens. Then we quit praying until we hear a convicting message, someone makes a comment, or the Spirit rouses us some other way. We start to pray again. And still nothing happens. But then one day, we wake up and have to run to catch up. We moved back to the Seattle area the end of August, 2000. I started teaching just a few days later. God had led. God had provided.
Because of my income, and Keith’s support raising, we began to travel almost immediately. Our education in missions (literally) took off.
I wish I could say that it has been easy since that day. We have never been fully supported. The big three in missions are: (1) Church planting, (2) Bible translation, and (3) medical missions. We were stateside and MemberCare is viewed as “nice, but non-essential;” both factors work against supporting us. We understand that thinking.
But God took care of us. Our son and his wife suggested we present our ministry to their church, Cornerstone Baptist of Roseville, Michigan. We did and they took us on. Because of that, we flew to the Detroit area every fall for Cornerstone’s missions’ conference. I remember us speaking at the conference about our trips to Africa, Philippines, India, Thailand and other countries.
The following October, the senior pastor asked Keith out to lunch where he asked him to consider doing what we do for Action for Cornerstone missionaries also. That was a no brainer for me! We could move back to Michigan where both of our boys, their wives and our two granddaughters lived (Since then, our family has grown to four granddaughters and four grandsons.). Keith began to earnestly pray. I began to pack! (Just kidding, I prayed too). It was actually a year and a half before the church called us as they were just starting into a building program. Keith became the Missions Pastor at Cornerstone.
We moved back to Michigan in the spring of 2004. God richly blessed our ministry there. We continue to travel to visit both Action and Cornerstone missionaries. We have visited between 25-30 countries. God has removed my fear of living on support. God has always provided our needs and even some of our wants. If God is calling you to missions, He will provide for you also. As a follow-up to what was mentioned before (in part 1), the owner’s son of the car dealership where Keith worked became one of our largest supporters. While Keith would have never chosen to work as a greeter at a car dealership, God used that humbling, minimum-wage position to bring about significant support for us many years later!! You never know how God is leading and who God will use to support and encourage you!
How do you know if He is calling you? You will have a strong tug in your heart and mind that persists. He has ways to keep nudging. Every time you hear a message on missions or are personally challenged in some way. Even when you try and argue with God against missions, the thought won’t go away.
If this is the case, ask your parents, your pastor, and your friends what they think about it. Take a missions class. Talk with missionaries. Read biographies of great missionaries. Attend a Christian college if at all possible. Take as many Bible classes as you can. Be focused. Get your degree. Go on mission trips. Determine to only date those who have the same passion as you do. God will lead you as you pray and ask others to pray with you.
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