Twelve years ago, my parents felt God leading them to move our family from the church I had been in my whole life to a new, unknown church family.
Yesterday, God opened the door for my team to move out of a shady, filthy hostel into a clean and safe church prayer room for free.
At first glance, you may not see how those two sentences have anything to do with each other, but keep reading, and you will get a small glimpse into the way in which God is constantly weaving the intricate details of our lives together, looking out for our future long before it’s on our minds.
I don’t know the details of what was on my parent’s hearts and minds during the transition twelve years ago from the church they were raising me in to a new, very different church family. After all, I was only ten.
I still remember my first Sunday at Bethel Worship Center. I remember my friend Travis showing me to my Sunday School class. I remember the upbeat music and a few people waving flags in worship. I remember it being different, but I also remember telling my parents that I liked it. I remember my parents telling us that they felt called to join this new church as a family.
At the age of 10, I became a member of Bethel Worship Center and the International Pentecostal Holiness Conference (IPHC). I didn’t really know what that meant, except that my mom was reading lots of books about speaking in tongues and I was now allowed to raise my hands during praise and worship.
To be honest, I still don’t know all the ins and outs of the IPHC, and my membership now officially lies with a non-denominational church that I adore in Greenville, but this week, I have gained a new appreciation for and pride in my upbringing in the IPHC as I have seen what they are doing around the world and become a recipient of their selfless generosity.
Let me explain…
When my team began the search for Unsung Heroes in Malaysia, my teammates and I sent emails to our pastors asking for any potential contacts here. My pastor at Bethel, Casey Mills, emailed me back to connect me with Allen Mayo, a college classmate of his and the IPHC director here in Malaysia.
When Meghan and I met Allen at a coffee shop in Penang, he told us about several ministries he could connect us with back in Kuala Lumpur. Our team discussed the limited opportunities to find new contacts in Penang (due to AIM’s long history there) and prayed over the decision before deciding to leave Penang after just a week and move back to KL for the remainder of the month.
I’ll spare you all of the logistical details, but when we arrived to our hostel on Monday night, we were shocked at what we found. It was filthy and hot and filled with smoke. The worker at the desk was drinking on the job (and had already had a bit too much). A cat roamed freely in and out of the rooms. We’re pretty sure people were doing drugs throughout the night, and the padlocks on our doors still weren’t enough to make us feel safe and secure.
We had no choice but to spend the night there, but none of us got much sleep. I alternated between dozing off, looking for bed bugs with my cell phone flash light, spraying myself with bug repellant, and praying God would provide us with somewhere else to stay… soon!
On Tuesday morning, three teammates and I headed out to meet the Mayos at Myanmar Refugee Learning Center while everyone else stayed behind to keep an eye on our stuff and start the long and arduous task of finding a better hostel within our budget.
When I arrived at the school, my mind felt scattered and confused. I had only known for one night that I would be teaching the school’s morning devotion to students ranging from ages 4 to 16, and I felt inadequate for the task.
I wanted to give these refugee children my best, and it broke my heart that I hadn’t been able to give 100% as I prepared for the morning. My teammates joined me in praying that God would go before me and speak through me, that He would be glorified despite my inadequacy and would empower me for the task ahead.
When I walked in front of nearly 100 students on Tuesday morning, it was as if my soul was taking in a breath of fresh air for the first time in a while.
As I shared my Bible lesson with the students (through a translator– that was a first!), I felt God giving me the words and wrapping me in His peace. I took great joy in seeing that the older students seemed fully engaged, with warm smiles, wide eyes, and nods of affirmation. Praise God for answered prayer! It was a truly joyful morning.
As Pastor Allen led us through the school, he explained to me that the IPHC provided a great deal of funding for this school and for the Myanmar, Chinese, and English churches that met in the building as well. IPHC funding has provided the curriculum, computers, and school uniforms, and the pastors on staff are also part of the IPHC! It was so cool to be on the other side of the world and see a church part of the same conference as my church back home!
After the tour, Allen’s wife Debbie, with a motherly heart of concern after hearing about our hostel, spoke with the pastoral staff about our housing need… and they then offered to let us stay in their prayer room for free for the rest of the month!
We moved in yesterday, and we have A/C, wifi, showers, bathrooms, filtered water, and our own space. Plus, we’re living in a room that has been prayed in and over countless times and we are literally dwelling in a place of ministry, surrounded by men and women doing Kingdom work! I am blown away by God’s provision and blessings!
As I sit here in my new home, listening to refugee children laughing in the stairwell and having conversations throughout the day with the pastoral staff, I am amazed at how God plans the details of my life.
Because my parents were obedient when God asked them to move churches, I became a part of the IPHC.
Because I joined an IPHC church, my pastor had connections to the IPHC director in Malaysia.
Because I met the IPHC director in Malaysia, I was able to see what my conference is doing to change the hearts, lives, and futures of Myanmar refugees and Malaysians.
Because I was able to visit this church and school, God opened the door for my team to move from an unsafe hostel to the house of God for the rest of the month!
When God calls us to step out in faith, we cannot imagine how He will work through our obedience in a million different ways to continue protecting us, providing for us, and blessing us throughout the rest of our lives. Praise God for His limitless power and steadfast love!
In what areas of life is God calling you to new levels of obedience? He holds every detail of your life and future in the palm of His hand. You can step out in faith and trust that His will truly is the best plan for your life. Even now, He is working in ways you cannot see or imagine to continue loving on you and providing for you. How cool is that?
Hey, Bethel family! Check out what your denomination is doing on the other side of the world! Isn't it wonderful to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves (both the IPHC and the Kingdom)?
