By Bill MacLeod, Executive Director
I did not plan on it. I was reading the Book of Genesis for an assignment in college, and as I was closing in on the final chapters, suddenly I had a country on my mind that had not been in my thinking 48 chapters earlier. When these thoughts did not go away, I sought counsel from a veteran missionary who happened to teach missions at my college, and nine months later found myself being sent out by the college to this country as a summer missionary…
God has so many unique ways to get our attention as He graciously leads us to fulfill His purpose in our lives, and He often uses others in the process.
The Journey Deepens (TJD) is a two-day event Mission ConneXion hosts annually which allows those to whom God has been speaking, to join others who, like me, sense their journey with Christ may be turning into something more serious. Veteran missionaries who have followed a similar path are able to listen and provide one-on-one input. Here are just two stories of people who experienced the Lord lead them after attending this weekend:
“When I was seven years old I felt the strong call of God to be a medical missionary in Asia. Many thought this was a strange thing and even told me I would change my mind. However, I became a nurse and prepared in every way I could for missions work. During my first year of work I started praying through missions organizations and Asian countries, seeking God… I felt I needed something like the Journey Deepens to help me refocus and to obtain advice and wisdom from experienced missionaries about what to do next… The prayer, advice and wisdom I received at this event helped me to cut through the fog of noise and distraction… In the next two years, I repeatedly went back to the tools and counsel I received at TJD … Now, I am a missionary in Papua New Guinea working as a nurse supporting Bible translation…”
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“During TJD retreat I was able to learn practical next steps and came to realize that God would take me one step at a time. I didn’t have to know everything at that exact moment. Once home, I followed each of the steps I made for myself and as God brought me through each step, His plan began to unfold before my eyes. A few weeks after the retreat, my church had our annual mission conference and I connected with a couple who works with the organization I was looking into. They encouraged me to attend a 9 month ministry internship they have in Portland with this people group. Then I got in contact with the organization and saw God’s clear path. Finally I moved to Portland, began the internship, and now, two years after starting this journey, I am headed overseas to work with this people-group…”
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If you have been reading this and saying to yourself “this is me!”, or if it sounds like someone else you know, I would invite you to check out The Journey Deepens coming this weekend. Sometimes opportunities come quickly, and you have to make a decision…that could change the rest of your life.
If you think this might be the freeway entrance on your journey you’ve been waiting for, then please register here…and prepare to go deeper toward your calling…
