Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Our Adventure to the Mission Field: Part 3

    Part 3 of our journey overlaps with part 2. We'll pick up in November 2012. We went to visit Aaron and Jill McCormick at New Tribes Bible Institute (NTBI). We had visited them one other time, and wanted to visit again. When we were talking, we found out that there was an opening in the Philippines for a supply buyer.
   
    A supply buyer is a missionary to missionaries. Missionaries that are living in the tribes, send there list of wants/needs to the supply buyer who is living in the city. That person then uses the missionaries money to buy the supplies that are available. They pack them and send them to the missionaries in the tribes.
  
     As some of you know, Kent is a parts purchaser for 11 NAPA stores in Ft. Wanye. He does something very similar to what a supply buyer would do. After gaining this information we began to think that maybe New Tribes Missions would be a ministry that we could serve in. However, our faith was still lacking in the area of finances. We didn't think that we could afford it. Therefore, we sort of put the idea over to the side. We thought maybe someday, but just not at the current time.
   
     So fast forward to Jaunary 2013 and change gears back to house parenting. We hadn't been perusing it because of the age of our children. Yet, Pastor Matt sent us an email in January telling us that House of Hope was hiring full time house parents. We were thankful that he had sent us the email but both agreed that we weren't interested in it because it was working boys. We had somehow set in our minds that we didn't want to work with boys. (Oh, how God can change our hearts.) The Lord wouldn't take no for an answer and had Alicia Hill, the Excetive Director at HoH, contact us. After some discussion we decided that we would at least interview for the position.
    
     We went though a very long process during Febuary and March of interviewing, talking, and praying. We were prepared to sell our house and move to the farm in order to be full time house parents. Through this discussion we began to talk about what would happen if we didn't get this job. Would we stay where we were? Would be apply some place else? Would we move to NTBI? The interview process for HoH opened our minds to moving forward in a ministry for the Lord. The Lord made it clear several times during this 2 months that he was ready for us to move, to be sent. It was clear that he was sending us somewhere. The main scripture that put Kent over the edge was  "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8.
     
       After much prayer, we were certain that we would be offered the position for full time house parents. So when we were offered the posisiton as part time house parents we were pretty upset. Many days of discussion and thinking and praying brought us to two decisions.
       1.   We could accept the position at HoH.
       2.   We could future consider NTBI. If we were willing to sell our house and move to HoH why not sell our house and move to NTBI?

     In the end of March, while waiting to meet with Alicia to give our answer, we went to visit Aaron and Jill yet another time. We thought that this was the direction that we were being lead, but we just didn't know if we could afford it, if it was really doable. We talked with Jill and Aaron more, talked with Todd from administration and prayed. It was helpful to talk with Todd because he had a rational view about the entire thing. You just do it and move on. Step out in faith and God will lead. We left that visit with decision that we would go to NTBI in August. Yet in all of this there was still HoH. How did HoH play into everything?

     So we came back and told Alicia what we were thinking. That we would be the part time house parents, but that we would be leaving in August for NTBI. We didn't think they would be willing to do that, seeing as it would have only be 3 months. Well, two really cool things happened during that meeting, encouragements from the Lord.
      1. When Kent told Alicia about Isaiah 6:8, she showed us a plaque on her desk that had that same verse. It was her verse.
      2. When we told her that we could only stay till August because we were seeking out NTBI.... she said, "Hold on." She looked up Joe and Brenda's resume, the full time house parents, and discovered that yes indeed they also had went to NTBI and had served for 10 years in Venezuela as dorm parents. It was a total God moment.

    So as it turns out they decided to take us on as part time house parents with the understanding that we would leave in August for NTBI.

6 comments:

  1. Brenda, I have enjoyed reading your posts and getting caught up. I love the way you share your journey without guilt trips or lectures or seemingly judgmental comments towards those who aren't on the same path. You are and have always been so full of God's grace and mercy and love...it's contagious!! I'm excited for your family as you head out on this adventure with God! :) We'll be praying for all of you!!!

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    1. Posting anything about this child is illegal

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  2. Oh Wow! I really am out of the loop. Your lives have changed a ton in the space of a few posts (months for you, minutes for me). How cool that God is calling you to this NTBI ministry. I've always thought New Tribes had a neat vision. Just so you know Jim's brother & family are missionaries in the Philippines. I can hook you up with their address, e-mail and phone number if you want to talk to someone whose been there and done that. The first time they went over Tim did the accounting for a ton of different missionaries over there. This time they are working in colleges with Muslim students. I'll be praying for you.

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    1. I would love there contact information! Thank you!

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  3. wow! love those last two points...amazing confirmation!

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  4. It's illegal but I guess the law doesn't apply to you.

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