Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Scheduled for Salvation



  A couple of weeks ago, Samaritan's Purse received a work order for a mud out in Minot, ND.  The volunteers were few and the job orders were many.  It just so happened that the Mennonite Christian Disaster Relief, who often have volunteered with Samaritan's Purse, came into town and requested work orders.  Samaritan's Purse gave them seventeen work orders out of the stack. 

The following week, a homeowner came to the Disaster Relief Unit to see when SP could be there to do the work.  She was told her work order had been given to the Mennonites.  She broke down in tears, as if she had no hope.  The SP office manager called for a BGEA Chaplain.  The chaplain came to the DR and started to talk with the lady to calm her.  The chaplain felt there was more here than just the house and ask the woman about her family.  The lady started to share that she and her husband were raising their 3 year old grand daughter because her father is in prison for abuse and the mother is gone.  This homeowner shared she could not forgive the father for what he had done to her daughter and grand daughter. 

The chaplain and the office manager prayed with the lady and told her only through Jesus could she forgive him, but with Jesus all things are possible.  The chaplain asked the homeowner to pray, right then, for the father and then continue to pray for him three times a day.  The homeowner hesitated, but then in tears, started to pray for him.

The Mennonites came back to the DR Unit with the seventeen job orders, saying they were not going to be able to get to them with their low number of volunteers. The office manager looked down and the lady's job order was on top!

The Office Manager called the chaplain and the chaplain came to hear that the job order was back in the hands of Samaritan's Purse.  The chaplain and the office manager had special prayer over this home and the homeowners.

A few days later this job site was given to a team.  The chaplains heard that the homeowner was going to be there when the team arrived, so they went to the home to be there as well.  Well, the team decided to stop by another job en-route and was later getting to this site.

The chaplains came down the road and saw the homeowner in the driveway waiting on the team.  (The SP team would not be arriving for 45 minutes) She told the chaplains she was faithfully praying for the man as the chaplain had requested her to do. 

Then, the husband arrived at the scene and the chaplains had the opportunity to build a relationship with him as well.  The SP team arrived and was warm and gracious and full of the love of Christ. The team suited up and went to work in the basement of the house.  It overwhelmed both the husband and wife.

The chaplains then asked the couple about eternal life.  They both listened as the "Steps to Peace" booklet was shared.  The husband prayed, for the first time in his life, to receive Christ.  The wife prayed and rededicated her life to Christ. 

It was with great joy and celebration that the wife and the little grand daughter came to share dinner with the chaplains and the SP teams tonight.  The chaplains prepared a dinner to go for the husband who was at work. 

God had scheduled this meeting with this job order....many played a part in this...but He gets the Glory!

1 comment:

  1. God's hand was all over this salvation. He always is there, but this was so apparent how the events were orchestrated for His Word to be shared, uninterrupted.

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