The Call Stood Up

The Call Stood Up

In 1983 I was called as a mouthpiece to the nations. But life didn’t cooperate.  In 1988 in a missions meeting at Faith Fellowship Church in Florissant, MO I stood up, eyes closed and head bowed.  “Lord, I give up this call. I relinquish it to my daughter, Amy.  I am too old, too broke, and too trapped to fulfill the call.”

But in 1992 someone fierce broke inside me. I knew I could go no further until I stepped onto foreign soil and spoke to the nations. There was still no money. But the call inside me stood up and claimed me. At a missions conference at Latter Rain Ministries in Litchfield, IL.I bent over as if hit by a torpedo in the gut. Standing, I declared, “I am taking my children on the mission field.”  I had NO confirmation from anyone. In fact some could have discouraged me by saying, ‘you can’t know you’re called until you know the nation to which you are called.’ But I needed no one’s confirmation or affirmation. I had the call and it was upright, strong and unyielding.

The first nation to which the Lord pointed was Guatemala and that was through my ten year old son, Nathan. We went in 1994 as helpers. I cooked, washed, and helped with homework. At one point Mario Barbarczy founding director of Hearts in Action, asked me, “Do you have something to say?” I opened my mouth and consequently taught in the Great Commission Conference in Guatemala seven consecutive years.

From then on every year I received only the name of the country. Denmark. Denmark? I believed by faith and made plans to go. As I researched the nation I discovered that Denmark saved their Jews during the Holocaust. By the time I went to Denmark the queen no longer wanted Denmark to be remembered for the Resistance. I went from one elderly man and woman to another, listening to the stories which they, at first hesitantly and then with more confidence, shared. I thanked them for saving my people. So many nations: Sweden, Scotland, Switzerland, Austria, Cyprus, Kenya, Israel, Portugal, Italy, France, Suriname, Spain, China.  Always only the name, and then the Lord opens up the nation!  Oh How He blesses and rejoices over us! He woos us and brings us and sends us and elects us and trains us and equips us and LOVES US!

In 1988 when I told the Lord I was too old, too broke, and too trapped I was 46 years old. I am now 65. I am jubilantly buoyant! I am as prosperous as I need to fulfill the call and I am FREE!