The Latest

In the past few months, God has completely changed my plans. I've decided to stay on as a worship leader for a small church in Perth called Northgate Ministries, and abandon my orginal ambition to be in the recording industry. I've chosen to go with ministry rather than industry. Why? God changed my plans. They are completely demolished. I had such big dreams of changing the entertainment world, and sharing the Gospel through media, but all that is gone.

Last month, while I was asking the Lord what He wanted me to do regarding staying on as the worship leader, and I felt God speak to my heart and say "Yes." I was dumbfounded at how fast I had received an answer, and asked the Lord for confirmation that this was His voice, and not my own. He took me to Joshua 5 where there was a man with a drawn sword, and Joshua walked up to him and said, "Are you for us, or for our enemies?" The man said, "Neither, but as Commander of the armies of Heaven, I've come to take over." God gave me further instruction saying, "This is my thing, not yours."

It was based off of those two things, what God had spoken to my heart, and also through His word, that everything hung in the balance last wednesday night. This past week I went to a Pastor's Conference in Maryland, and came back Wednesday night going through border security. I was a few days late in leaving from my 90 period, so I knew I would encounter some trouble coming into Canada again. Officers are trained to be intimidating, and pull the truth out of you. After asking me a few general questions, he told me to wait on the bench.

I sat next a young man who had a t-shirt that said "Pain and punishment". There was absolutely no way I was going to let that be his future. I started talking to him and finding out where he's from and where's he's going. I told him about how I felt called by God to lead worship, and follow Jesus, and proceeded to ask him what he thought about Jesus. He explained how he had a catholic background, and really hadn't been to church in a while. I told him about how salvation is like a present on Christmas day, you can either choose to open it, or leave it under the tree. It's your choice. I also told him that most people don't know that God not only has the power to forgive our sin, but also deliver us from the power of sin. Then my good friend Paul with the gift of evangelism, took over from there, and before I knew Dan was reading a Bible, starting with the Gospel of John. That's when I was summoned back to the front desk again.

The patrol asked why I didn't say that I was in a discipleship program at the beggining? I explained that I was shy about staying that I was going through a discipleship program, and that's why I said that I was visiting friends, and family. I proceeded to explain that my orginal intentions were to only stay for three months then go home, but my plans changed within the last month. He asked me, "Why haven't you filled out the right paper work, you had three months?" I told him, that I had looked online, and found scarce information regarding what I actually needed as a religous volunteer non-permit worker. He said that I would not be able to cross that night, and would have to return to U.S Customs, and proceeded to hand me a legal document stating that I was allowed to leave Canada. This was just killing me. I thought of thousands of times of Bible studies at the Gosse House, spontaneous worship, fasts on wednesdays, sharing the Gospel at anytime, with anybody. I thought of all the warm people in our fellowship, and the idea of never seeing any of them, or what I was a part of ever again.

I was unsure of where I would stay, or whether I would have to get a ticket back to FL. The border patrolmen was telling Paul, as the driver, that I would have to be driven back to U.S. Customs. Paul, very respectully said, that they would be more than happy to do that, but wanted to know what I would need in order to go back into Canada that night. The patrolmen showed the list of documents, and things that needed to be signed. Dan jumped in and said that he was the pastor, and would be more than happy to supply those things, and whether he could send them by email. Meanwhile, Joel jumped in and helped calm the situation by using the right words and some goverment connections,I'm not sure. So, before I know it, Dan is on the phone, then Joel, then Dan, and their talking to Amy (Dan's wife) who was trying to put 8 kids to bed and type out on offer of ministerial employment at the same time. For me, this was absolutely insane. I'm the type of guy who is more than prepared for any and all situations, and I do not like giving much to chance. It was incredibly emotional and nerve wracking. Did I really hear from God, or is this just going to blow up in my face? I waited for hours, and tried to pray for the guard. As I'm waiting, Dan asked what degree I had. I told him that I have an Associate of Arts in General Education with a minor in Music. I didn't realize how glad I would be that I got that degree!

A few hours later, all the documents made it through, Dan signed a document, I signed one, and all the other paper was in order. The result is a year long religious volunteer non-worker visa. This is indeed a miracle. When I first came to Canada in 2007, I had more paperwork, from two pastors in the States, and just one pastor in Canada, my brother, and it didn't work out at all. I breathed a sigh of relief. We waited for pizza that Paul and Joel went to go get.

On the car ride back to Canada, the words of a song came across my mind
"Just to know that my hopes rest in Your heart...Just to know that You are always with me, just to know that your promises, will STAY RIGHT HERE." (Rita Springer "Just to Know")

I was softly crying as I thought of God's faithfulness. I am living in the unknown world of faith, where I do not live by what I see, but by what I can't see. I don't know how everything is going to work out in this life, but as I learned from an illustration from Damian Kyle this past week, an elderly couple in his church had a drawing in their house that was a sillouhette of Jesus with words written underneath, "I never said it would be easy. I just said it would be worth it."