Throughout the rest of this celebratory year, our upcoming blogs will highlight some of our most memorable moments, special events, incredible miracles and healings, as well as unforgettable experiences from our journey in Arequipa and other cities we've influenced in southern Peru...
Let's begin with a bit of history about how this all started. In 1992, God began to work on my heart about returning to RHEMA to complete a second year. When I had completed my first year at that time it was only a one-year institute. Whenever the thought of returning crossed my mind, I would dismiss it. This continued for many months until I decided to reason with God. By the end of 1992, I had already planned to attend the WINTER BIBLE SEMINAR in 1993. I told God that if I still felt this pull on my heart while I was there, I would fill out an application for the second-year program.
February finally arrived, and I prepared for my trip to WBC. At that time, I was living in Houston, Texas. I had told the Lord that if He wanted me to attend a second year, He needed to let me know before I left Tulsa—famous last words! Regardless, I had no intention of staying in Tulsa, so I accepted a new job with Swensen's Ice Cream, which relocated me to Houston. At the time, God began to tug at my heart while I was working as a general manager at TACO BELL. I was at the peak of my career, managing three restaurants and a kiosk in a Quick Trip gas station, and I was poised to take on another restaurant. As you can see, at the height of my success in the secular world, God was urging me to give it all up to return to RHEMA! By this time I am experiencing a rich young ruler moment, to say the least. I realized that returning to school would mean sacrificing over 75% of my regular income. Deep down, I knew that was the decision I would make, and I'm grateful I did.!
To cut a long story short, around this period of my life, I was driving to Tulsa. As I entered Okmulgee, I threw up my hands in surrender and said, "Alright, Father, I'm returning to Rhema, which is actually in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. I'm going straight to the Alumni office to request my application for the second-year program!"
After returning to Houston, I entered a waiting period. I wanted to receive my acceptance letter before informing my District General Manager of my decision to leave my job and return to Bible School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Having spent 17 years in the restaurant industry, I was cautious about resigning too early, as companies often allowed employees to leave immediately after giving notice.
Reflecting on everything, I can clearly see God's favor in my situation. My acceptance letter arrived in early July, and I aimed to be in Broken Arrow by the beginning of August, with classes starting in September. This timeline gave me ample opportunity to find accommodation and secure a part-time job. God granted me such favor with my boss that when I handed in my notice, he accepted it and expressed regret over my departure but understood my circumstances. He also knew I was a Christian. For the following two weeks, he had me work as a utility manager, filling in at various restaurants until my time there ended. God is so good. We will continue with the rest of the story next month...
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