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