Transition Story

Transition Story

Over the last several years the State of Illinois has been sinking into financial debt because of over spending in a number of areas.  As a result, the University of Illinois in Urbana has not been receiving all the funds they are due when in State residents attend their courses. So, a few years ago the University made a decision to allow a higher percentage of foreign students to attend. As a result there has been a dramatic influx of Asian students, particularly students from China and Taiwan. These students typically pay about 2 to 2 ½ times what Illinois residents pay because they do not get any special breaks. This is allowing the University to move into the black financially. It also has created the second largest international student body in all of the USA.  

About three weeks ago I spoke at Victory Christian Center in Bloomington Illinois. The morning I was planning to speak there I had a dream. In my dream Amy Oun, someone who used to attend our church in B/N walked up to me after I had finished the first two points of my sermon. She said, “Follow me.” And we went outside the building right in the middle of the sermon. Then she gently turned my face towards her and looked deep into my eyes and said, “This is very important. You have an opportunity to greatly increase the impact of your ministry between now and August 29.” Then I woke up.

I wondered what August 29th was all about.

Later that day we flew out west and then the following day we went to Anaheim.  During the Pastors conference our son attended the youth meetings for Pastors Kids (PKs).  If you write him he will send you a copy of what happened to him during one of the meetings. Suffice it to say this, when they were asking the Holy Spirit to fall on the youth and speak to them about their destiny he had a very dramatic experience. His spirit was taken to heaven and Jesus spoke to him. One of the things that he was told was that it was not yet his time for Taiwan and that he must go to Urbana. The entire account is quite powerful.

When he shared that with Amy and I we were quite stunned.  About the same time we had a brief exchange with one of our leaders at Urbana about the glorious gospel. That encouraging exchange impacted my heart. So we began to pray about Urbana. Finally after the conference we shared it with some of our leaders from Urbana. As we processed things we became convinced that we should explore going to Urbana. As we talked to them, the leader there in charge of training asked me if I would be able to teach their VBI class on Church Health. As we talked about it he shared with me later on that it would be necessary for me to be there when the class started.  I asked him when that was.

He said, “August 29th.” That’s when I realized it was the same date in my dream from a few weeks before. Now I knew what opportunity was going to end on August 29.

So we are planning to go back to Urbana. I will teach a class on Church Health in their system and we will start to reach out to the students there. Interestingly enough, one of our contacts here in Taipei, a young lady named HuiHui, is moving to Urbana to work on graduate training and plans to be there for the next five years.  

We’re not sure how long we will be in Urbana, but we believe that the Holy Spirit is leading us to go there at this time.  So we asked the Lord where we should live. We all felt led to rent a place. Then we asked Him how much. Amy, Johanna and David all heard $1200/month. I heard $1100.  I told the family that I was the Dad and that my figure was the final word. They agreed. A friend prophesied in detail about the place and what it would look like.  They found a place that fit the description given and that they felt good about in a little town called Mahomet (just 10 minutes from Urbana). It was listed for $1200. Before they talked about money, the agent showing the property offered to reduce the rent to $1100. So, we decided that was exactly what the Lord was saying. Something listed for 1200 we would get for 1100.

We are planning to continue living by faith. We feel the Holy Spirit spoke very clearly to us, Proverbs 3:5-6.  So we are asking you to continue as our partners, not as missionaries in Taipei anymore but as missionaries to the Asian students in Urbana.

I once again say to the Lord, we are like nickels in your pocket. Spend us as you please. I ask that we make the most impact for the Kingdom of God as possible.  We feel that associating with the leaders and congregation in Urbana will be a huge blessing for us.  They have so much we can learn from them about. We also feel that it gives us a very good place where we can model how to do church for those we disciple, train and deploy.  We’re not sure how long the Holy Spirit will have us in Urbana, but for now it’s going to be our home.

Thank you.