I cannot even pretend that I could foresee in the slightest the direction God would take us because of Jack’s faith and persistence. That’s not to say that I am certain he has not had to walk a rather shaky tightrope, not knowing where it would lead or if it would hold him. But he kept on. Walking. Believing. Praying. Hoping. Connecting. Sharing. Asking!
I was very politely (mostly) and respectfully (mostly) with him but quite honestly unsure how and if any of it would play out. It looked large, to put it mildly! So now that we are really only one year into any ministry for GCN as the first year was entirely planning, praying, figuring out how to do all the start up parts and pieces – and there were many, it is humbling to see the divinely appointed opportunities we have been able to be a part of initiating and facilitating!
In the meantime, very capable Africa director Paul Mamba and financial wizard and COO, Gary Minta joined the team.
One year ago this month we introduced with Jack’s dear friend Dan Freeman the first family conference in Taiwan. It was truly amazing that God gave us this opportunity! There were 216 people in attendance. Twenty five people came to faith in Christ and twenty were baptized. Jack lectured on the great importance of the local church as the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus resulting in eight house churches being established.
That led to two events this year, the Hong Kong Family Conference and the Taiwan Family Conference. Jack and I led the teaching in Hong Kong. Gail and Otis Ledbetter, our friends from many years ago are sharing from their Heritage Builders Ministry Resources in Taiwan this weekend. The conferences, or camps as some people refer to them, have two tracks, biblical marriage and biblical parenting. Attendance in both conferences this year is over 500.
Aurora Rodriquez in Portugal is running at high speed expanding our amazing Malachi Kids Clubs across Portugal. Steve Gause and Connie Jo Coker were able to join us in Portugal to see first hand the 4-14 seminars that Aurora was able to set up in six venues throughout the country. God gave her the most helpful and gracious Josue de Ponte with the Mevic ministry arm to get those scheduled and executed. Aurora is prepped to get Malachi Kids rolled out in September in multiple venues with the contacts gleaned from the 4-14 Window movement. She has taken the Malachi Kids very basic structure to a new level of preparation for this start up. Then she’s on to Spain and Latin America in 2019.
Our staff and ministry volunteer force continues to grow seemingly on a monthly basis. May we be faithful in blessing and lifting up those the Lord brings to this ministry!
While our team was in Portugal, Yolanda and Derrell de Palm came from Aruba and are working to get prepared for the Malachi Kids in the ABC islands located close to Venezuela. Yolanda did training in children’s ministry with Aurora when she still lived in Venezuela years ago. Aurora has enough of a start up support team in place to be able to focus on doing ministry but she could use more personal support.
Jack is heading to South Korea today as I fly home. He’ll be presenting GCN to some pastors there and we are praying they catch the vision for getting behind some of these countries and missionaries in order to reach and train next generation disciples!
And while all this is going on, God has opened the door for William Gordon (Left) to join GCN with his vast knowledge and ability to lead in India. He is already well connected and now has support because of the vision and very generous support of a donor with a heart to see the ministry doors in India accessed at great speed!
Several years of hardship, grieving and uncertainty are behind us. We never experienced the loss of faith in God’s providence. Like Joseph who never stopped trusting the Lord even when his own brothers sold him into slavery, Jack and I came to experience the eternal truth that God is and always will be on His throne, blessing the small steps of faith we take in His direction.
May His Name be praised as we serve Him and trust Him to provide countless open doors in the days ahead.
