God leads! We don’t need to be smart! (1)

I’ve often been asked the question “How do you get into so many countries and start so many ministries?” Usually my answer is “God leads, I just follow!”

I think that many think that I’m just trying to sound humble. I believe that many actually think that I’m some kind of expert about “mission needs” in different parts of Asia. The reality is that often I’ve never heard of these very places, until God in His wonderful varied way brought that place into my mind. So allow me to share some stories to you and I hope that these will encourage you to know that God REALLY leads us!

About 4 weeks ago, I went to Batam, Indonesia to view a new church that was just “planted.” After viewing the new church site and spending the morning discussing with the workers what we were going to go there, I went for a cup of coffee with some of the leaders of our church there.

Since we had finished all our discussions, I asked one of them to contact a member of our church there who needed some encouragement and ask him if he was free to join us at the coffee shop. It happened that he was nearby and he came. I had only met him briefly once before.

While we were chatting about everything under the sun, he mentioned that he spent many years of his life in Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Indonesia. He also mentioned that he studied in a university there. At that time, these facts didn’t really strike me. I didn’t know much about Papua or have any interest in it. After I left for home, I didn’t think anymore about Papua.

A few days later I had to go to a part of Indonesia (for security reasons, I prefer not to mention the city) for some meetings. While I was there, I was told that our teaching team there had been invited to send a team of teachers to Papua. In fact, the head of the university there wanted us to start “As soon as possible.”

My ears pricked up! Normally, I never send a team of foreigners to a new city unless we have a “local” who can be our coordinator with the local “brethren” there. I believe in “team-ministry” with locals of like faith and practice. How could I possibly consider this request to send a team to Papua unless we have a local coordinator? But in this case, I could say “Yes” because God had already arranged this important link for me a few days ago.

Furthermore, I could also accept this invitation with greater confidence that God was in it! I didn’t hesitate because God had already shown me the way!

On further inquiry, I found out that our potential coordinator had studied in this very same university and that his father still lives just a short distance from the university. It seemed to me a confirmation of God’s leading.

I didn’t know much about Papua before, like most of you, but I know that God has led me for over 20 years in the mission field. And it has been a most enjoyable and fruitful journey.

Why don’t you let Him lead you on your journey?