How my pen encouraged my faith

Many of you are aware of the building project that we are embarking this year.  If you have not heard you can read all about it at http://cnministries.wordpress.com/.   We are purchasing our first piece of property.  Ministry growth in the orphanage, church, Christian school and ministry require it.

My Word of Life pen

What many of you may not know is Monday we gave the first $30,000 payment, signed the contract and took possession of the property.  We are currently in the building.  Signing the contract was the most exciting and scariest decision that I have made in my life thus far.  Exciting because it will help us more effectively make the name of Jesus famous in the city of Cochabamba.  Scary because it is the biggest financial commitment that I have made in my life; $390,000.  It is so big a commitment that I would not have done it unless we were convinced that it was what God wanted us to do.

As they handed me the papers something interesting occurred.   I noticed the pen I was going to sign the contract with was a pen from my home church in St.  Joseph, Missouri.   I was going to take the biggest faith commitment that we have taken since we have been on the mission field with a pen from Word of Life Church.

What is so important about a pen?  Our home church holds a special place in our heart.   Angie and I will celebrate 10 years as missionaries this November but it has come with several transitions.  When we lived in Omaha our home church split.  I would not wish that experience on anyone.  It was devastating. It was as if I came home from work one day and my home was moved and no matter how hard I tried I could not find it again.  It was as if we were suddenly homeless.  The church that Angie and I loved and grew up in was gone forever.   We visited some 30 churches in the Omaha area but were still not able to find a place we could call home.   In this searching process we received an invitation to visit Word of Life, a church two hours away and once we stepped in the door we knew we were home.  We visited for a couple of months until we made one of the best decisions in our life.  We relocated our family so that we could be closer to our new home church.  The timing was perfect because the first month we attended they hosted the first “Faith Life Seminar”.   It was then that God birthed it in our hearts that if we could believe nothing was impossible.

As I looked at the pen in my hand I was encouraged.  I do not think it was a coincidence that the same pen that I used to take notes some 12 years ago when I was learning about faith was that same pen that I was now using to use to sign the biggest faith commitment that we have taken up to this point.   It somehow gave me the courage to believe that faith will find a way.  Thank you Heavenly Father.  Thanks again Word of Life Church.