One of the beautiful aspects of seeing the Kingdom of God takes hold of someone is watching how it changes a person’s thinking.  It doesn’t matter what culture you are from; your mentality is the key to your destiny.  How you understand the world around you, how you view God, how you define yourself and how you interpret your circumstances; the Kingdom of God is a mentality.  It is THE mentality.  It is the answer to every culture’s deficit.  It is the answer to poverty thinking, it is the answer to traditional thinking, it is the answer to greed, it is the answer to mediocrity – it is the answer!

Our work began about 20 years ago as I traveled throughout the Czech Republic and Poland working in small church planting projects, equipping young leaders to build and multiply small groups within their local churches. In those early trips, two significant things occurred – 1) a portion of the Lord Jesus’ heart for Europe was injected into my veins creating the burden needed to start PI and 2) a simple strategy arose . . . find, equip, and hold up the arms of indigenous leaders to bear much fruit within their own lands! This is the heart and soul of Prepare International!

Never thought I’d quote a line from the 1939 Gene Autry song, but “I’m back in the saddle again!” After much of the summer spent in sabbatical rest, it feels great to be back at the helm of Prepare International!

In Isaiah 54 God instructs us to spread out our tent, to lengthen our cords and strengthen our tent stakes.  As school begins, I see multiple Facebook posts from parents having to lengthen the cords as their children grow and enter Kindergarten, start to drive or leave for college.  Parents look forward to the empty nest time only to be much surprised by the myriad of emotions they experience.

When Randy and I were first married, we cried out to God that He would use our family as a battle ax in His hand to aggressively advance His Kingdom. Like many others, fell on our face before God asking how to be good parents.  Throughout the years I have reminded myself that God loves my kids more than I do, even when that seems impossible to comprehend.  He not only loves them, but He perfectly loves them. It was during one of those prayers; I realized Randy, and I don’t own our kids, we are stewards of THE Father.

You know there are many things I love about PI, but I think each trip I take I cherish the stories of how God is using PI students to reach the forgotten places of the world. Let me paint a picture for you of Sarah’s* journey.

Political unrest and severe drought have combined to create a dire situation for millions needing work in Africa. Currently, there is a mass exodus of people heading to Vredendal, South Africa, with the hope of finding work so they can send financial support back to their starving families. Sarah is a young, 18-year-old girl desperate to feed her 1-year-old son. She makes the painful decision to leave her baby with family in Zimbabwe to travel roughly 1,200 miles to find employment.

There are those people who cross your path and leave you changed forever. They can pass for a moment or for a season, but the impact is the same. Last year, I met a young girl who left an impression. Someone who would leave a God-print on my heart. And with great anticipation, I looked forward to reuniting with her as our PI team traveled to the Czech Republic to assist several of PI’s partners by leading a creative camp for youth.

I know you’ve heard this before but I stand amazed at what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing with this tiny group of individuals known as Prepare International around His world.  What a Jesus! What grace to take broken, immature people and do wonderful things!  What power to use the weak to reveal great strength!

We’ve never been in such a powerful position as we are now:

The team is at an all-time high with great new additions this year

Our office area has recently been upgraded tremendously

Our teaching team around the world has grown rapidly and are being so fruitful

Our footprint in 24 nations is growing and the doors are open like never before

There are so many other stones that I have collected for the Alter of Remembrance.  A friend told me that she saw the makings of a book in the gathering of my stones.  So I will, I will write a book on transitioning and the gathering of stones, after my two books on children/families are published.  But as of right now I’m gathering a diamond, the final stone I will write about before I stand on the altar.  God impressed in my heart that PI Family Camp, these next two weeks, will be my altar.  I will be on the mountain top like Abraham and Isaac.  I am excited to see what God will do in and through me during this time.  I believe my trust in Him will be challenged. I will let you know how the process of standing on the altar of remembrance and offering myself afresh as a living sacrifice goes!

But for now let’s talk about the DIAMOND!  This is a rock of remembrance for my marriage, my husband and how God loves me through Randy.  It is an incredible blessing to me.  

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping . . . (a line in an old song).  During transition time is critical and time seems to always be slipping, slipping away.  Matter of fact, it is quite humorous that this blog is on time and I am two full days late at getting it up. 🙂  The next stone that I am taking to the Altar to stand on is time.  

This month 50 years ago, as a six year old, tagged as shy, I gave my life to Jesus.  I asked Him to clean my heart and to make me forever His.  My dad would bring an old mattress that was hidden under my bed in to the living room.  Sometimes we would do gymnastics, sometimes we would have Bible stories, but this night we were watching Billy Graham on TV.  When Billy Graham asked for those that wanted to give their lives to God and have Jesus cleanse them and to live with God forever, my tender heart was pierced.  I gave my life to Jesus that night.  The next Sunday I couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle and show everyone I was His. And being baptized was the icing on the cake!  It was a first act of total obedience, pushing past all my fears.  I couldn’t put it into words but it was real and it took! This was not expected or normal for me – I was told I was shy (I really hate that word).  I marched down the aisle with my eyes on my pastor to the song, “No Turning Back.”  As a six year old I told the Lord that would be our theme song.  “Though none go with me, still I will follow.  No turning back.”  And as a six year old I received the keeping power of grace to walk these 50 years without ever turning back!  That is a big cause for celebration to me.  I am collecting the Stone of Keeping Grace.