Personal Stories part 1

Here’s a picture from the Nashville days with the young fellow I tutored in the after school program.

A friend recently requested that I recount some of the missionary journeys the Lord called me on from the past, so here goes:

When I was in high school the Lord was already laying on my heart a burden for the down and out and the poor. He was calling me to follow Him wherever He might lead. As I read Scripture this seemed to be how He called the disciples. I noticed too that they experienced the Holy Spirit and miracles in a way that I hadn’t been brought up to believe was possible in modern times. One night the Lord impressed on me very strongly to go to Chicago in my wood-paneled station wagon and leave my family and everything behind. My brother had wanted me to go with him to Nashville, TN and try to get a record deal with him in music somehow. I was wavering between the Lord’s call and this exciting opportunity. I knew the Lord had called me to give up music to Him and use it for His glory and not my own. But instead of following my own call I promised my brother that I would go with him to Nashville and try to get a record deal. As fun as that was my heart was miserable. I worked difficult hours at International House of Pancakes and my brother and I started to have auditions with drummers. We did choose to live simply and my brother desired to do the music for God’s glory too, but I knew God had something else planned for me that I was running from. After two months, I felt the call again to sell my stuff, give to the poor and follow where He led, so I set about doing that, thinking that God would surely send me to a developing country somewhere. I quit my job and sold my stuff that I didn’t think I needed, but the LORD opened a door for me right there in Nashville to be an after-school tutor with a ministry called Saloma Ministies that worked in the projects in that city. I got to know one ten year old boy and taught him about the Lord, got to know his family and tried to help them as best as I could. I did play music sometimes in coffeehouses and cafes, challenging folks to follow Christ, but I learned a lot about loving in Christ’s name in the Projects. I got the job at IHOP back with better hours and started sharing Jesus’ love with the people I worked with. I learned that a person doesn’t necessarily have to go to a specific place to follow God’s call, just follow Him right where they are.

Then my giflfriend Rochelle called me and told me about a place in Mississippi called Cary. A group from a ministry there came to her school and talked about what they were doing. I knew God would have me go there soon, but I didn’t know exactly where it was or much about it. Then the time came where the Lord’s Spirit made it clear that I must go to Mississippi and believe that He would provide for me there. I had worked in Nashville for 9 months and quit my job again at IHOP. When my two week notice came up, I got very sick and couldn’t keep food down for four days straight. I cried out to God, “Did you call me to Mississippi or am I just going crazy!?” I opened my Bible and my eyes fell on the verse where Jesus says, “Rise up and go, your faith has made you well.” Still sick, I packed up what little I had, including some matches and firewood in case I would need to camp in the Delta, got in my wood-paneled station wagon and started driving south towards Mississippi. As soon as I started on the highway my sickness was gone and I started laughing and praising God for the freedom of not knowing where I was going, but believing that he would provide. I felt like I was riding on the wings of His love! I came to a town at 9pm, not knowing where I was and it was dark so I decided to sleep in my wagon. Soon a police officer came to my vehicle and knocked on the window. I got out and he asked me, “What you doin’ here?” With my long flowing hair and beard I declared that I was following the Spirit wherever He led me. The officer said, “It ain’t safe here. I’m going to take you to the Kahri Krishn Center.” I agreed to this, thinking that he was taking me to the Hari Krishna Center, because of his thick accent. I came though an impoverished town and when he brought me to the place I saw the sign said, “Cary Christian Center” and realized that this was the place that Rochelle had told me about on the phone. I parked my wagon, pretty tired by now and looked into one of the building, seeing a group of white kids about my age dancing around and decided to go to sleep, thinking I was delirious.

The next morning I was awakened by the volunteer coordinator, Joe. I explained my situation and he marveled asking, “How old are you?” “19”. “That funny because we had made plans with a 19 year old Menonite guy who was supposed to show up today and do some work for us, but he backed out at the last minute and now you show up.” I asked who the people were in the building nearby and he said they were from Dordt College. My parents had gone to that college and my girlfriend was planning to go there, so I thought that was very interesting. When I met them I realized one of them had been a classmate of mine from Lynden. The Center gave me an apartment with a bed, a couch and TV and all the food I needed as I started working on fixing shotgun shacks for the poor and playing Gospel music in the churches there. I knew that the Lord was with me and very much alive! He healed me and provided for me miraculously! I learned to hear from the Spirit from folks like Mamma McGee and also how to worship with my whole body, soul and spirit. What an amazing experience God gave me and I’m still riding on the wings of His love ever since. Well that’s the first chapter I’ll share for now.