The very first post that I put on this blog was about how God had already made a change in what we were expecting upon arriving to the field. We anticipated teaming with a veteran missionary as we got settled. We started planning with that expectation until the Lord saw fit to change that.
Praise the Lord that sometimes we get to see God's infinite wisdom played all the way through in its perfection, revealing His will and how he has accomplished it in ways we never would have predicted (Isa. 55:6-11). That just happened with us. God has given us some great answers to prayer of late and now God has made something very clear about preparing us for the field.
We anticipated originally working in Baguio with Brother Paul Perkins and family. They spent 10 years in the Philippines and took me in on my trips. He became a great friend and mentor very quickly. Over the summer they were on furlough and he was asked to act as the interim pastor of their sending church in Ocean Springs, MS - Grace Independent Baptist Church. Over the next few months God worked powerfully in his heart about staying in MS to pastor the church full time. In the mean time God confirmed that as He closed the door on the work he intended to take over in Baguio upon return. His burden for missions and the Philippines had not wavered at all and as he yielded to God changing his direction, he wondered about his continued burden for the Philippines and also about this young missionary family (us) that was planning on joining him on the field early on.
We stayed in contact and prayer for each other as God was working us both through our respective preparations/transitions. Before long, God began a new work in both of our hearts. God started directing me in prayer regarding deputation and how Brother Paul and I could continue that mentoring relationship. God started to show Paul as he took over this church that his burden for the Philippines was not going anywhere. There is a young family in the church that has yielded to the call to the Philippines themselves and others that go over on a yearly basis. Brother Paul recently took some of his men over for about a month and the church is also planning a trip for their teens to the islands next year.
Without me saying anything to him about it, he started discussing ways that he could help me, the burden God has given that church for this land, the couple who is also preparing for that field, the revival that God has been doing in peoples lives there etc. He suggested that we both continue to pray and asked if I would go down there to visit and preach. So I did at the end of October. The church has a wonderful group of people, very warm and kind. I felt like part of the family right away, everyone knows each other and I quickly learned that southern hospitality is alive and well. It was clear that God has been working there mightily. As we discussed deputation and ministry, God made it clear that access to this family, their local church and the burden they have for Asia would be monumental in my preparation, development and ministry once on the field.
Back in March my family traveled to TN to meet with Dr. Charles Keen. He told us at that time how beneficial it would be to spend a year at a missions language and training facility. We prayed about the school that he was referring to but never saw God leading us there. The reason became obvious as Paul Perkins went to Mississippi. Here we have access to a training center, acocuntability point, language school and more - all specifically catered to the Philippines. Praise the Lord for the way He clarifies His intentions and orchestrates the lighted path for our feet to walk down through His word.
So I met with my Pastor here in Rochester and shared with him this incredible opportunity. As we discussed how many missionaries will spend a year at a missionary training school or in language training prior to departure it was obvious that I had access to all this and more from this Mississippi church and pastor not to mention the long term benefit of communication from the field. We prayed together and both agreed that taking advantage of these great resources would be the most effective stewardship of our time and allow us to be sent as equipped as possible for what lies ahead. We agreed that it would be wiser for those reasons for us to transition to Grace then to base in Rochester and not avail ourselves of what God has given us access to.
It also provides many other benefits:
- Language training
- Culture, government and history preparation
- Practical help with things like visas, licences, insurance, cost of living, contacts etc
- Anticipation of short term groups coming over in the future
- A high level of accountability from a Pastor that is a veteran to that field
- Ready access to a pastor eager to mentor more preachers and missionaries
- The prayer of a congregation that has a special connection with and burden for that land
- Another brother and sister also going to this field (different area) to pray and learn with
- To help establish this growing church as a complete sending agency for homegrown missionaries
- Common bond and friendship between my wife and sister Monessa Perkins - she has been a great blessing and resource to Steph already!
- It is a solid, doctrinal church with a passion for God, a fire for souls and missions, a love for families, solid standards, great music, great preaching, a firm stand on the KJV, many great brothers and sisters in Christ and a shared burden to see the Philippines become a Gateway to the unreached of Asia
In a way this is a bittersweet thing for us. Our best friends, our family and so many that have invested in us spiritually are in Rochester. The call, though, is to a land 12k miles away so separation is part of the call. We have incredible support and encouragement from everyone in Rochester as they see God's hand on this transition.
To redeem the time is to go through this process of deputation with prayer and willing hearts - learning, witnessing, preaching, sharing our burden and trying to be a blessing to others. Between our meetings though, this trainsition will allow us a base at which we can make incredible strides in learning all that we can about ministry and our field from a man of God that desires to be a mentor, trainer and sender.
Naturally it will take some time to be able to transition away from work, sell our home etc. In the meantime we will begin setting up meetings up north and continue to enjoy the wonderful friendships and ministries that God has given us up here.Praise the Lord for his sovereignty in all this, truly it was no coincidence that Paul Perkins replied to an email about a bible student coming to the Philippines on a business trip two years ago.
Praise the Lord for our Christian family and church here in Rochester that are so loving, supportive and understanding of how God is moving. We look forward to a continued wealth of friendships that we cherish here.
Praise the Lord for the lessons learned while waiting on Him.
Praise the Lord for His burden for souls in the Philippines.
Praise the Lord for allowing us the privilege to serve Him
We appreciate your prayer - for the sake of God's glory, for the reputation of His name, for the reward of His suffering, for the salvation of souls and for the use of us your fellowservants
- Aaron, Stephanie, Autumn, Anna, Sarah and Emma Joy Putney
No comments:
Post a Comment