Today, we are headed back home from our incredible experience in Malawi. We have all been overwhelmed with how God is working. In a few short weeks, the word has been beginning to spread, and many are requesting to be involved in our training sessions, really through the presence of the Holy Spirit in the unified body of believers who lead. We have begun initial discussions about sustainability, so we will be looking into a couple of suppliers. Both of them will be identical, and will involve basic food merchandise.
Rhoda is a smart businesswoman and can oversee the progress. Our thoughts would be to start the first two and perfect the control of inventory. Once we have proven success, we will begin the franchising process of sorts. If this is God’s will to do this, to help families have income for food, then we shall proceed with vigor. Once our supply chain needs have reached a high enough level, Echo could step in and become the distributor. We can buy in mass quantities and receive a discount, then we would continue to supply the products at the same price they could purchase them elsewhere. The additional revenue that Echo received would go into supporting the teaching facility. We plan to have a substantial system that can run for decades. This is far better than continuing to pour money into it without any real means of support. Eventually, we will use many different approaches to help generate revenue for these poverty-stricken brothers and sisters.
Heidi and I both feel a connection to Africa. The feelings that we have are that it feels more like home than Michigan to us, except for one lovely young lady that we can hardly wait to see. If she were not off to college this fall, I am sure we would feel much different. The reality that we will be empty nesters in a few months seems like perfect timing for our next journey in life. For far too long, I have been disobedient to God and not followed the prompting of the Spirit. Now, we are dedicating the rest of our lives to serving Jesus with our whole hearts.
I will be anxious to get back to Malawi, as there are many things to do. We will be receiving the motorcycles, and I need to train the guys how to drive them safely. The ability to obtain permanent property is a higher priority now also. We are still looking for a suitable van, but now are considering a new one, as we would get a discount. In addition to that, we will be setting up a system of application for project support. This will give us a tool to determine the greatest needs, and our capability of assisting churches. Other areas we will start to investigate include a traveling teaching system. The needs far outweigh our capability. I anticipate a rapid acceleration in requests to participate in our program. We will diligently be seeking God’s will by fasting and praying to determine what our course of action will be.
All praise, honor, and glory be to our Lord. Any question whether or not we were participating in God’s will has clearly been eliminated. The testimonies of the pastors, deliverance from spirits, and unbelievable growth by many individuals is clear evidence that it is beyond man’s capability to do such things. One of the blessings was to have my friend Rick and my wife help me confirm that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. The same feelings I had last time when leaving came again to me. I began to weep as the aircraft lifted off from the runway. Just as before, I felt God saying, “Do not be gone for long.” “Thank you Jesus for this wonderful opportunity. I do not deserve to participate in Your will and I am humbled by Your grace and mercy. Amen.”
