How We Got There: Part III

Today we come to the third installment, the conclusion, of How We Got There. 

"Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains

and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord,

but the Lord was not in the wind;

and after the wind an earthquake,

but the Lord was not in the earthquake,

and after the earthquake a fire, 

but the Lord was not in the fire;

and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

When Elijah hear it,

he wrapped his face in his mantle

and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave."

                                                  I Kings 19:11-13a (NRSV)

What continues is a conversation where the Lord instructs Elijah. 

Is it possible that our culture places certain stereotypes on God. We have come to accept that the certainty of God’s will comes only in large ways. The claps of thunder or the bolts of lightening is how God gets our attention. Or so we think. While these profound signs would be wonderful and very helpful in discernment, they are not often the case. I know that in my life I have experienced very few of these types of revelation.

While I believe that God can reveal Himself in ways that we read about in I Kings, I also believe He reveals Himself by simply allowing us to proceed along a given path. By this, I mean, Gerrie and I did not have this grand revelation the we were to go to England. Admittedly, having been to England, we knew that if our journey took to us there, we would not be unhappy. But while setting in a classroom in Lausanne, all we really knew was that we planned to continue in a foreign locale after our school and outreach.

From our small room in the chalet, we continued praying and talking. We were learning of other mission locations almost weekly. Some of these were quite interesting. But still, we kept coming back to England.  We found two mission operations in the United Kingdom that had performing arts ministries that looked interesting. With my background in theater and music both of these seemed like logical places for us to consider. One was in Edinburgh, Scotland and the other in Nuneaton, England at a place called The King’s Lodge. Edinburgh we had heard of. Nuneaton has us looking for a map. 

Still, no thunder clap or rolling thunder.

We kept talking about and praying about both these locations. The King’s Lodge was in need of additional staff for their Creative Arts Evangelism Ministry. There were also other staff positions that Gerrie could be involved in until she could join a school staff.  There was also a place there we could live. We learned that the leader of our school had once served on staff at the Lodge and didn’t seem to mind our thousands of questions. She, along with a few others began praying with us about this direction for our lives. 

Before leaving on the Reconciliation Walk we made our application to The King’s Lodge and continued praying. It was while we were somewhere in Italy that we received word that we were accepted. We were welcome to join the staff at the conclusion of our outreach! Great news!

This meant now we would need to apply to the British Consultant in Geneva for missionary visas to the United Kingdom. We had heard this could be a painstaking and quite lengthy process. Once we finished the Walk and were back in Lausanne, we asked our friend, Marie-Franciośe, to drive us to Geneva. Our plan was to submit our paperwork and come back Lausanne to wait. As it turned out, we visited the Consultant, went out for lunch and a bit of shopping. Before the drive back, we went back to the Consultant and, picked up our approved visas! All this in the course of about four hours. Unheard of?

Still not a thunderclap, but a bit more than a whisper.

After a few days of packing we traveled to France. We spent a week visiting with friends in a small village east of Paris. We also spent an overcast day in Paris; Gerrie and the ladies visiting the Louvre, while I rummaged the stacks at Shakespeare and Company. Then in the early morning of December 13, 1996, we boarded a coach in Paris and began the trip to Nuneaton. We crossed the Channel at Calais and went through customs at Dover, before traveling on to London. Arriving in London late, we made our way to our hotel in Kensington, grabbed a bite to eat and settled in for a much needed nights sleep.

The next morning, December 14, we took a taxi to London’s Euston Station and with all our luggage, made the roughly hour and a half train trip through the English countryside to Nuneaton. Once we arrived, we were met at the station, driven to The King’s Lodge, welcomed and shown to our room. We were given a tour of mission, had tea and were introduced to more people. Through it all we felt completely assured that we were where we were meant to be. That evening, sitting in a small room on the second floor, I pulled out my journal and started to write.

14 December 1996

     Today begins our journey to The King’s Lodge, Nuneaton. It is a journey to our new home away from home, a new work in and for the Kingdom of God, a new extended family, and of new growth and new experiences. It is a journey we have been eager to take to a life we look forward to living.

"After the fire came a sound of sheer silence."

The journey that led us from our quiet living room in Old Hickory, Tennessee to this quiet little room in Nuneaton was not one of splitting mountains and breaking rocks, of wind, earthquakes or fire. It was a journey that was prayerfully and thoughtfully presented to our Lord and one that He confirmed in us through day-to-day confirmations and assurances. He made the way when a way needed to be made and He opened doors when the doors needed to be opened. His provisions were daily. Some were profound while others were a simple reminder to keep doing what you’re doing. Through it all, He was there.

He still is. 

As time goes on I will share more of our life in the Lord. More of our life in England and the places and adventures that we had through making a decision and following God’s call to missions. Being on the mission field was one of the most fulfilling and happiest times of our lives. Being on the mission field is something we would embrace again if that is how God leads.

We have wrapped our faces in our mantles and are now standing at the entrance of the cave. 

Greg