One fall Sunday night in 2006, I was sitting in church minding my own business when God did something I was not expecting. Isn't that just like Him? Anyway, I had sensed God preparing me for something for a couple of years, but was unsure what it was. I had been Director of men's ministry for our church and really had a heart for discipleship of men. I thought maybe God wanted me to write a book, or begin speaking at Christian men's events. Missions were not even on my radar. No, that was Velda. She was GA director and was always talking about missions, missionaries, going on trips, being a missionary someday. I remember thinking, "You go ahead, I got work to do right here." That was true, however God has work to do all over the world and I we were about to be a part of it.
That particular night, a vision team had returned from Zambia where Tommy and Cyndi Morreau, members of our church, were serving with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. (That is the IMB of the SBC. Baptist love them some acronyms!) Tommy was someone I very much looked up to, respected and admired for his walk with God and always considered him to be a mentor. So as the team was giving their report, I was listening to hear what our friends were up to in Zambia. Then they showed a video. Suddenly I was heartbroken for what i was seeing on the screen. Not heartbroken like you get when you see the feed the children videos of the starving kids in Africa, but a broken heart that can only be done by God opening my eyes and breaking my heart. I remember thinking "I am supposed to go to Africa! God, I cant go to Africa. Why me? But there was no denying it, He wanted me to go.
At the conclusion of the service, I told Velda "God wants me to go to Africa!" She looked at me and said "God is telling me to go to Africa! We both can’t go, someone has to stay here with McKinley!" We decided to talk to Jeff Wallace, Dir. of Global Outreach, about going on the upcoming trip to Zambia. After speaking with Jeff, two things were evident. One, we could not afford for one of us to go, let alone both. Two, I was the logical choice if one of us were to go. We expressed concern about the cost to Jeff and he assured us that if God was calling us to go, He would provide a way. We left the church that evening trusting God to provide for my way to Zambia. Later that night as Velda and I were laying in trying to go to sleep, I noticed Velda was sobbing. I asked her what was wrong and she said "I have to go to Zambia and love on those kids; I know it is what God wants me to do." Bottom line was, we were both going and we were going to have to trust God to provide for both of us. And provide He did, but that is a story for another time.
After months of planning, preparing, and praying we finally arrived in Zambia. We were blessed to be part of a great team made up of people from Lone Oak First Baptist and Friendship Baptist. The team was fantastic and having the Pastors of both churches on the team as well was awesome. We were working with Tommy and Cyndi as well as Wes and Laurie Wilcox, also IMB missionaries, in training local church leaders. I immediately hit it off with Wes and off course it was great to see the Morreaus as well. Bur more importantly, I could tell that God was doing something in and through me like I had never experienced before. As I preached, taught, and visited with the Zambians, I felt God's anointing like I had never felt before. For the first time ever I felt like I was doing what God had created me to do. Even Velda said that God's anointing was upon me visibly, that she had never seen me like that before. The whole time I kept asking God "Is this it? Is this what you have been preparing me for?" Over and over I sensed he was telling me "Yes". I knew I had to be cautious and not get caught up in the Spiritual high and let my emotions lead me so I had just concluded a lengthy story where I had completely retold the story of Joseph in Genesis and I had sat down as Wes had taken over the session and we were getting ready to dismiss and I began to pray "God, help me to know your will. If this is it let me know. Help me to see past my emotions to hear you. We dismissed as I was finishing my prayer. As I was walking out the door, I was stopped by a wonderful Zambian Chief named Bo Nelson. He was in his 90's and was just an amazing Christian man with a love for God and His word. As I passed by, he took me by the hand and looked into my eyes and said "Mr. Paul, You are truly a man of God. You are a great help to the people of Zambia." Now he may have said that to everyone he met, but i know that it was God's answer to my prayers and a peace came over me.
After 10 wonderful days in Zambia, We were on the plain waiting for takeoff and I was still trying to process everything that had happened. i had not told Velda of what I had experienced because i feared she would think I was just being led by my emotions, something I had been guilty of in the past. As the plain began to lift off the ground Velda and I sat quietly as tears filled our eyes and i looked at her and said "We will be back" and she replied softly "I know".
In the days following our return to the U.S., I had confided in our Pastor, Dan Summerlin, and with Tommy and Wes about what I had experienced while in Zambia. Tommy and Wes both said that they were not surprised and i believe one of them said they were expecting to hear from me about it. Dan was very encouraging and it meant a lot to me to have the support of my pastor and he helped me tremendously through the whole ordeal. One thing they all told me was to pray that God would call Velda as well and that way it would be our call and not just my call. So for the next couple of months I prayed that God would call Velda. I started to get frustrated and even began to question my call when she didn't seem to be hearing anything from God. So one day we are sitting in the swing in our yard having a cup of coffee, when Velda says "So what has been bothering you the past few weeks". I said "Nothing, why do you ask" (I lied) She said that she knew better and that I needed to talk to her. So I shared how I felt like God had called me to the mission field while we were in Zambia and that i had been praying she would here the call as well. She looked at me and said "God called me three years ago and I have been praying that he would call you ever since." Talk about the power of a praying wife, there you go!
Well, that's how in the world it happened. Ever since that time we have been waiting on the Lord's timing. Almost 5 years of waiting. Now we are hearing Him say "Go". Can't wait to see how He pulls this one off. More of that to come so stay tuned!
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