An Open Door (part 1)

Yesterday in my Sunday morning sermon (yes, I still call my Sunday morning "talks" sermons!), I shared that my blog postings this week would feature the story of an open door for ministry that Jesus Christ is placing before me. Today is the first installment of this story.

It all actually began back in 1993. That is the year I took my first of three mission oriented trips to the former Soviet Union. I was a member of a 70 person North American team that traveled to two cities in Russia as part of a mission initiative known at the CoMission. I took two more CoMission trips, one in 1994 and the next in 1995. Both were to Ukraine. In 1996 I began my Doctor of Ministry program at Grace Theological Seminary. Involvement in that program kept me home for quite a few years. Finally, in 2006 I helped to lead a team from Grace to India. The impact of that trip (as well as the three earlier CoMission trips) on my own personal walk and the lives of others was such that I made a commitment at that point to set as a goal one such mission trip each year. As a result, I traveled to Europe in 2007 (for Grace Brethren International Mission's Family Conference) and back to India in 2008.

Once I got over the jet lag from that 2008 trip to India, I began praying about a mission trip for 2009. I prayed through the summer and fall with no clear direction. With the arrival of 2009, I began to think perhaps God did not have a trip in mind for me - and I was content with that. But in mid February I met with Dave Guiles, Executive Director of Grace Brethren International Ministries. Over coffee, he asked me to consider an opportunity for a short-term overseas mission trip. I must admit that at the time we talked, I was mildly interested at best. But more on that tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj