Willing to Go, but Will Have to Stay

Recently, one friend asked another a very poignant question.  “You may be willing to GO anywhere for the Lord, but what if He calls you to STAY?”  That really struck me.   Emil and I experienced that exact scenario in our own mission journey.  We finally said, “Send us Lord,” moved out of our home, sold a lot of our things and began planning for a move to Costa Rica.  But, after much prayer, a lot of counsel and a visit to Costa Rica the Lord shut the door.  Soon afterwards came the offer to join Global Recordings Network.  We fought the process for some time.  Why would we stay when we were ready and willing to go?  Well, after another round of prayer, counsel and ministry evaluations we realized that the Lord was leading us to STAY.  It was a difficult decision, but reflecting over the past four years we see that it was the right one.

Now, the Lord is asking again for us to STAY.  Our team of 13, who was ready to GO to Nepal next month, has had the door closed.  Nepal has just experienced a natural disaster that has shaken the core of their people, communities and faith.  We were scheduled to visit villages that were between Kathmandu and the epicenter of the earthquake.  Those villages are said to now be flattened.  Our goal in going was to share the gospel with the Tibetan Buddhists.  Many of them have now died.  That lays heavy on our hearts.  Although we are unable to go, we are able to send finances for our staff to reach out to the survivors and share the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  In addition, this money will help care for GRN’s Nepali staff.  For our team, it has been disappointing to prepare for months to GO, yet in the end have to STAY.  But the Lord knew.

Psalm 139:16 says, ”…in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

I always tell our teams, “We have our Plan B all scheduled, and now we will wait to see what the Lord’s Plan A is!”  Well, here is our Plan A, the Lord’s Plan A.  I pray that in years to come, the Lord gives us a glimpse into the good that rose from this devastation.  Please, pray for Nepal.  If you are led to give to GRN’s Nepali Relief Fund visit www.grnusa.net and visit the “donate” page.