Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Story so far...

Recently a friend in Germany asked me to outline the story of Harvest of Hope from inception to current status. She wanted to use it in a talk at her Bible College regarding trusting God and utilising your gifts/skills with God's direction (Her request was something along those lines). After sending an outline to her I decided to blog it to show what GOD has been doing so far in my own little journey with Him. It was written out in steps for ease of understanding..here it is...

Step 1 - Total submission and commitment to God, which included selling house and giving to the poor and using funds for ministry/bible college. That took courage

Step 2 - Bible daily, prayer and repentance (all on going) - not out of duty but out of hunger and love of God

Step 3 - Get of lazy backside and go help people. Joined Street Chaplains and went out into the streets to help the drinking youth and homeless.

Step 4 - God places thought in heart - Open a Rehab Centre

Step 5 - Write business plan with strategic five year plan (this done with much prayer)

Step 6 - God gives name of centre - Harvest of Hope. (Knew from God as name was to good just to pop into head after praying!)

Step 7 - Pray for Rehab program - Nothing happened!

Step 8 - Email Christian Rehabs, ask for program - No response. Decide to wait on God

Step 9 - Missionary Ship the Dolous comes to Bible College, heart beats faster - must go on that ship!

Step 10 - After joining ship and heading to Cambodi, God confirms Harvest of Hope by using Doloid (Jeremy) to tell jack of House of Hope in Cebu. Christian Drug Rehab Centre. Harvest of Hope - House of Hope? No coincedence - rather, God incidence.

Step 11 - Leave Dolous go home contact Cebu. Cebu DO email back !

Step 12 - Fly to Cebu 

Step 13- Learn Program, Program is JESUS. House of Hope and Harvest of Hope become partners/brothers. God confirms relationship and his direction very powerfully in many God Incidences.

Step 14 - Document entire program, including daily activities etc etc

Step 15 Go Home and Write up Program and update Business Plan. (both working documents)

Step 16 - Need a Logo. Pray. Send Email to Doloid in Canada who is graphic designer. Would you like to make a logo? YES! Makes logo. Ministry now has identity. Ask God if God likes logo? Jack crys. Means God likes Logo.

Step 17. - Send Money to Cambodia and Open School for children called Harvest of Hope - http://www.harvestofhope.com.au/projectscambodia.html

Step 18 - God provides thousands of dollars in answer to giving all personal money away and trusting God.

Step 19 - Need lawyer to legally set up Harvest of Hope as Charity. Pray. Enter Greek class and sitting beside me is a Lawyer that specialises in setting up charities! Hire lawyer. Charity set up in 6 weeks everyone amazed at how easily it got passed.

Step 20 - Make Website - http://www.harvestofhope.com.au - Peter in Ireland donates money through website straight away. After British to Australian conversion money equals = $777. God's number

Step 21 - God starts to send drug addicts to Pastor Jack (Jack graduates from Bible college) - start to gain one on one experience. God working to BIG plan and pulling me back all the time. Plan to come together in God's time - not mine. Often run ahead of God and things go wrong. Learn from mistakes. God disciplines through mistakes.

Step 22 - God directs me to become a nurse! Head off to University for nursing. Pass first step of exams, learn humility caring for old people and washing them, cleaning them, cry lots. Headed for second year nursing now. God keeps confirming on right path by sending donations to Harvest of Hope and giving preaching opportunities as I gets confused and asks "am I a nurse or Pastor?" God confirms you are both. I amtold to ask no one for money but only to pray. So that God not myself gets the glory. God gifts man with many gifts to be used to point to God. Not man. Thus no fund raising. God confirms this through story of Gideon and 10,000 soldiers down to 300. People will think all happening because of my skills. So God confirms don't fund raise! Pray!

Step 23 - Psalm 23, don't be afraid, Trust the Lord. Today Opening of harvest of Hope maybe only two years away (so far four years in planning and preparation and prayer - the 3 Ps).  Many Rehabs to come. Think Big, Pray, prepare, Plan - ACT

IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US