"The Move"
Since returning from Africa in September of 2007
we have been searching for an area where people are praying, seeking
REVIVAL, and where people have an heart for the poor and needy of
Africa - for it is no longer just "developing" countries
on another continent that needs help, but there are serious problems with serious
consequences affecting many people on BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
OCEAN!!! Which "poverty" is greater?
At least in Africa, most people REALIZE there are serious problems which need
addressing. But in America, despite even ABUNDANT SIGNS AND
WARNINGS coming from nature itself, economists, "prophets",
etc., people continue to not pay attention to anything outside of themselves -
a problem the LORD highlighted in 2004. And as Aldo McPherson - the
12-year-old who survived a horrific car accident said in the book "A
MESSAGE FROM GOD", today's church is the biblical "church of
Laodicea" - the lukewarm church God will spew out of His mouth,
self-content in their own earthly riches, and not aware of their "wretched
and miserable" condition!! Over and over we have searched, even leaving jobs to travel to another area in this recession, having to look for new work, to find even one congregation that is serious about PRAYER, REVIVAL, and AFRICA. It has been a trek across a very dry and thirsty land, with "lukewarm" receptions from church leaders, scant opportunities to share God's answer for America, and His HEARTBEAT FOR AFRICA! Working amongst Africans, Hispanics, and African-Americans in Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House, I decided to take a Christmas donation for the needy of Africa. After weeks, I decided to open the collection box in public to the protests of an African-American assistant supervisor, and found approximately $1.22 inside! The cold of winter cannot match the COLDNESS IN MANY AMERICANS' HEARTS!! It was just as God had revealed! The Wall St. protester cites the greed of Wall St., and Mr. Obama and the Democratic party leaders attempt to divide America with "class warfare", citing the oppressive "disparities", but the SIN OF GREED is endemic in American society, pulsating through its "bloodstream" throughout its sectors infecting poor and rich, and different ethnic groups. All over, rich neighborhood to poor neighborhood, people care about themselves - not about others, much less about the poor and needy of Africa. The "bloodstream" of America is sick, and the church needs to "PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS" to cleanse this scourge, but instead finds itself infected with the same disease! For years, if not decades, the church has compromised the Word of God, too often preaching to "itchy ears", focusing on numbers, not wanting to "offend" the "political elite" or the rich, tolerating the false teachers and "prophets" bringing the "prosperity" gospel of "me, me, greed, greed"! The very institution, that should have brought the antidote for America's ills, has become part and promoter of the very problem! The Barna Group through its research has come up with shocking results about a large percentage of church leaders (as though the multitude of scandals did not speak loud enough already), and has revealed that LESS THAN 10% OF AMERICAN CHURCH-GOERS EVEN HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW!! That is failure. Where is the LIGHT? But does the church repent? In a moment of remarkable honesty for these days, the Church of God magazine in the summer of 2011 even admitted that their denomination LACKS PASSION FOR MISSIONS!!! WHERE IS THE LOVE OF GOD IF THE CHURCH IS LACKING IT?!! No wonder America has such serious problems! NO WONDER THE POOR AND THE NEEDY OF AFRICA ARE BEING IGNORED! LORD, WE NEED REVIVAL!!!
Thus, we have had to "battle" on multiple "fronts", attempting to break through the myriad of unbiblical worldviews and the greedy, inward focus of many a congregation, cracking through the "coldness" of American society, just to try to get to the point where we can share the "STORY OF AFRICA", being a voice for the voiceless millions of Africans who want the truth told, who desperately need help, and who continually ask, "WHERE IS AMERICA IN MY HOUR OF NEED?" America has been called by God i feel to be a "LIGHT TO THE NATIONS", a beacon of God's LOVE in the world, a "city on a hill". I strongly feel that AMERICA HAS A DIVINE DESTINY AND CALLING it has not been fulfilling! And for this very reason that it has not been fulfilling its DIVINE DESTINY ("to whom much is given, much is expected"), and has succumbed to the disease of GREED, it has literally planted the "seeds" of its own demise. And with this current economic crisis people all over are turning even more inward! That's the EXACT WORSE RESPONSE!!! People all over are not seeing that places like Africa are actually PART OF AMERICA'S ANSWER!! I am not talking about the "double-dealing game" of foreign aid. I am talking about everyone's PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to REACH OUT TO THE POOR AND THE NEEDY! Few even understand. Your blessing comes from helping others! Where is the Biblical teaching? And the "lukewarm" church is so blind it cannot even see its own sorry state of "poverty", much less RING THE ALARM BELLS, CALL FOR A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY, AND CRY OUT TO GOD!!!!
God did it again. My intention was writing and informing you of something else. In 2005, when sending out an email FROM AFRICA, focusing on prayer points, suddenly it was there and i wrote it into the email: "Mr. Obama has an homosexual agenda." IN 2005 !!!
Yet a majority of Americans voted for this "man of sin". God warned. When will America listen? How much longer do you, does America want to suffer?
Thus, not our will, but we had to move again. This He told me back in August of 2011 when we did not even have rent money, much less money to move. He also told me i needed to get to Africa ASAP! I later found out how prices are skyrocketing in countries like Ethiopia! How friends we cannot even communicate with there must be suffering! He revealed that i would make 2 trips, and i surmised that we would move first BEFORE TRAVELING TO AFRICA! Later, He disclosed central Florida. I got out the map and saw Orlando in central Florida. When i found out that there was an Orlando House of Prayer in Ocoee, near Orlando, i realized that this was the place - where people are praying - that we should head for.
Suddenly, in a couple weeks time starting in February 2012, the Lord began to put everything together - so fast that we didn't even give our rental office 30 days notice, which almost became a problem, but the LORD marvelously worked that out too. We were very busy, and it was tiring, as it was exciting. Making this move for me was MUCH BIGGER than just moving. It meant getting back to Africa! SO MANY THANKS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO GENEROUSLY AND LOVINGLY HELPED TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE! It was a "God moment" - the way our cash flow increased and costs were cut!
A window had opened!
My last day of work was March 2nd. I told my boss that day. He took me out to lunch, and I received an unexpected donation from a co-worker! We had a moving sale the following day on Saturday. On Monday we picked up a Pennske 16-footer, got another discount for the truck arriving late, and began to load up the truck. That night Evelyn got violently sick, And though we had wanted to leave early on Tuesday,, March 6th, we still set out with Evelyn driving at about 8:34 a.m. after a neighbor (Roberta) we had gotten to know during our move fixed us breakfast. Her and her husband helped us very much. They were not even friends from church. Throughout this whole process it was interesting whom the Lord was using.
The trip was exhausting and very hard on Evelyn, but by God's grace, we pulled in to where we will be renting a room for the time being at about 9:29 p.m. Since our space is reduced, we are renting storage space in Ocoee, not too far from the House of Prayer. Last week was so exhausting, getting things set up. We also were able to attend the Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival on March 8th, which was an answer to a prayer I had said shortly before everything starting popping and coming together for the move!
Now we have internet connection, and so am updating you. We had to get an USB adaptor for the desktop computer in order to pick up the wireless signal in the house. Our address is: 1137 Kenworth Drive, Apopka, FL. 32712. WE hope to be here temporarily to about the end of April. And as you can see, we also have a new email address. However, our phone number is still the same. And our blogger is till the same: www.africamis.blogspot.com. Our blogger will give you reports on our trips to Africa, photos, and an explanation of our objectives - HELPING HANDS MINISTRY. The desire is to bless the people of Africa, meeting their needs. There is a lot to do there. I would also like to collect soccer/sport balls for the children there and that project is explained. You will also find some articles there which i share.
Instead of trying to find an apartment, etc., we are instead going to try to get to Africa, and have set our sights on that goal. The need is too great there, and we have been here too long. We are probably the most organized we have ever been, and if we have to leave our things (lot of books, photos, writings, etc.) in storage, then now is probably the time to do it. After a number of years, we have also established phone contact with a friend in Kenya, who is calling us constantly! She has been inspirational and encouraging, helping to keep Africa forefront in our focus. She has been inviting us to Kenya, though i am looking at Ethiopia right now. She is so enthusiastic and says that we can stay at the house where she and her dad lives "FOREVER"!! Wow! "This is Africa!" So often that term is used in a negative sense. But there is another side of Africa people must also see. Having so little, the humble actually want to share with you and to bless you!! The humble are so devoted in their friendship. People here, even in church, so rarely say that they love us, yet she can't stop saying it! "This is Africa", and WE MUST RETURN! My non-PC, truth "boldness" turns some people off, but maybe there is a reason for that, and maybe i have been too timid! Some won't listen. That's why we travel. It has been over 4 years, and while preparing to return in 2007 the Lord told me, "DO NOT LET THEM DOWN." Just have to get back to Africa. There must be a way. We would like to find a group of people with whom we can work in this endeavor, and some who might even want to travel with us to experience for themselves. If only people could see that THEIR ANSWER, AMERICA'S ANSWER, AND AFRICA'S ANSWER are all STRONGLY CONNECTED to one another, then maybe we could see something really great and exciting happen!!!
paul
March 15, 2012
