GOD IS SO GOOD

We were thinking back about when we got started in the ministry, and we were amazed at all that God has done through us, in us, and in spite of us.

Linda and I were the I.V.B.I. Directors in Port au Prince, Haiti from 1997-1999. When Linda and I left Haiti in 1999, Linda was diagnosed with Breast cancer. My first question was, "Now what Lord?" I turned the bible school over to a National Director which was a good thing, but now what do I do Lord? Linda's life was my first concern and I knew I needed to stay in the states to take care of her. We both had a heart for souls and for teaching the word of God to help people's lives change, so I prayed and asked God to give me a plan. What the devil meant for evil, God turned and used for good.

The Lord started dealing with me on starting another bible school in the Dominican Republic, so I started telling people about it and made several trips to the Dominican to prepare the people there for a school. I stepped out in faith and when people asked me about the Dominican Bible School, I would tell them it was going to start soon. They would role their eyes in disbelief. I didn't know how, but I knew God had a plan.

One day I was sitting on my couch asking God how to do this new school in the D.R. and work out a schedule. The Holy Spirit laid out the plan for me in about 10 minutes. I knew that about 90% of all bible school graduates never fulfilled the calling on their life because of their jobs, families, children in school, houses, car payments, and all the normal living responsibilities.

There is nothing wrong with these things but they tend to lock one into a system that they can not nor will not give up. Many have gone up to the church alter and have dedicated their lives to the Lord and have said, "Yes Lord, send me. I will do anything you say." They have been equipped and trained to go but when asked, they refused to go. The Lord said, "Tap into the 90%!" So I set up a two week schedule so that a complete lesson could be taught during that time. The 90% would not be able to give me 100% of their time, but they could give me 100% of two weeks out of the year.

Most people have two weeks of vacation and would be glad to give their vacation time to the Lord. They can go and teach, give the tests, and return home knowing they have gone and accomplished something for the Lord. The Lord told me that if I tried to do it alone, I would have a difficult time, but if I would partner with others, we could get the job done.

I did what the Lord said and recruited teachers. They went and taught, preached, evangelized, and laid hands on the sick. We have averaged to send about 30 teachers a year. We have started many schools since 1996. One in Haiti, several in Dominican Republic, two in Jamaica, one in Panama, several in Cuba, and one in Montreal, Canada. We have graduated over 1500 first and second year students.

The teachers that were sent have led thousands of people to the Lord. Many people have been healed and set free from the powers of darkness. Many ministry opportunities were available for each of the teachers.

Many of the graduates in Haiti have gone out and trusted God and have started churches on their own. One graduate has a church of 480 people. Another one started out preaching under a mango tree, and because a crippled man was healed by the authority of Jesus, he now has a church of over 300 and has led 17 voodoo priests to the Lord. Many of the graduates in Haiti hold crusades every month. Many people have come to the Lord through these crusades.

In the Dominican Republic we have six new churches and two feeding programs that have been started by the graduates and several new schools. All this has been accomplished because of my obedience to go on a short term mission trip in 1996 with Victory Christian Center, under Pastor Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty. I am just amazed at what the Lord has done.

When I look back at how one act of obedience can affect the lives of so many people, I am sobered. What saddens me is how many times that I was not obedient, and how many times I missed it. How many lives that were hanging in the balance that I could have affected.

Testimony:

A few years ago when I was living in Haiti my aunt died. Her children sent me $250 to help with an orphanage, in memory of their mother. I took the money and bought rice, beans, cooking oil, soap, some toys, tennis balls, soccer balls, and basket balls and took it all to an orphanage in Haiti. When I got there all the children were there waiting for me. My heart was moved with love and compassion for the children. They were hugging me and thanking me for what I had done for them. I asked the owner of the orphanage how much food they had and she said that they were almost out. Then I asked how long the food would last that I had just brought, and she said, almost a month. As I was leaving I was sitting in the back of the pickup truck and I looked back at the children as they were waving good-by to me. I felt the heart of God in me and the Lord said to me, "If you would not have shown up, no one would have." I started crying. That was a scary thought. What if I would have said no? I have heard preachers say that God always has a back up plan. That is a lie from the devil. In this case there was no back up. I was it. After that I said to myself, "I will never say no again."

I believe with all my heart that the Lord is coming again soon. I believe it will be in my life time. All the signs and prophecies are pointing to it. Twice in my life time I have lost everything I had. I realize that everything on this earth is temporal and you can not take it with you. No matter what one works for, or what things one may try to get, they can not be taken with into eternity. It all stays behind. The only thing that can be taken with us into eternity are the other souls we have led to the Lord. Every person will live forever. Where they live has to be decided in this life time on this earth. It can not be decided after death; it has to be decided here. I have worked for things, and I have lost those things, and when things wear out and get old, they have to be replaced. It is OK to have things, but we do not have to let things control us. Things do not satisfy the human spirit. What satisfies the human spirit is what is done for God. We are his representatives on this earth. When we do things for God they will last forever. Our riches are stored up in heaven. The rewards we receive in heaven will be determined by what we do on this earth, in this life time.

Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you and in my house there are many mansions." What we value so highly on earth (gold), the streets are paved with in heaven. In other words we will be walking on gold and think nothing of it. I want to do as much as I can for the Lord and take as many people to heaven as possible. I think of all the people that I used to drink with and that do not know the Lord. It scares me to think about it. If they do not go to heaven, then they will go to Hell. And Hell is a real place. If you are one of those people, please pray this prayer with me and let me know your decision.

If you feel inside that you would like to serve the Lord in some way but do not know how, pray about becoming a partner with us in the mission field. By becoming a partner with us you will be entitled to the same rewards as Linda and I have. By sending us, it is just like you being there. Even though we are not in Haiti the people we trained represent you and me. We are making a difference in the Nations. If the Lord does not come in our life time, the work will still carry on even though we are not here, because of the seeds we planted. Those seeds will keep right on growing and that's the type of ministry you want to help. One that has lasting fruit, one that will multiply itself. The bible says that every fruit bearing plant will bear fruit after its own kind and it's seed is within itself. We have to plant the Word of God which is within us, into other people so they will reproduce after their own kind. That is the law of seed time and harvest.