Texas Friends

After Urbana09 I headed to Texas for a couple of days to see friends who I’ve not seen in a long time.

First stop was Dallas to see Jordan Gropp. Jordan did the Relay programme back in 04-05.  It was great to see her, to hear her talk of her business and the meet a couple of her friends.

We visited Dallas and Fort Worth: saw where JFK was shot, ate the best steak ever, enjoyed Texas sunshine and talked a lot about Jesus.  It was a good time, if a little short.  We chatted much about mission, ministry, life and frailty.  It left me greatly aware of the joy of knowing Jesus who does not require us to be anything but faithfilled and faithful. We also met Nina and that incident spoke to us both.

Then I headed down to Houston.  There I met with a friend, Ken, I had only seen once for two hours in 1991. When we met I was his waiter in a St Andrew’s hotel.  It was a quiet night in the middle of July and he was the only customer for a large part of the night.  As I took his order and served his meal i saw he was reading a very small book about discipleship. I thought ‘this is either good or bad’ so I decided to set the table of twelve right next to his table for one and see if he wanted to chat.

Chat we did – he was an American business man and golf fanatic who was up to play in St Andrews.  He asked me if I was working my way through college and I told him about the trip to South Africa I was going on in Dec 91.  He said he was a Christian too. It was a pleasant chat. As he finished his meal he asked if it would be OK if he took my address and he would talk to his wife about financially supporting my trip to South Africa.  I was amazed and dumbfounded. I gave him my address and that was the last time I saw him.

Later in the year, as the due date for the payment of the trip in full was due, I was beginning to consider withdrawing from the trip. One morning whilst shaving I was praying and felt God plant into my heart “Cast your nets out on the other side Peter”.  So I decided to entrust myself to God, but in truth struggled to believe he could and would provide.

That day I went into college, where I’d applied for a travel bursary for theological students who were doing study related travel. I’d been told it might only be £80.  There was an envelope in my pigeon hole from the bursary committee, I opened it and there was a cheque for £80: it was a start. When I looked again the figure was actually £800 – no one had claimed the money for nearly 10 years: they’d decided to give it all to me!  I arrived home that night to a letter from Ken and his wife.  Inside that letter was a cheque for £550 – the exact amount I needed to complete the £1350 to pay for the trip to South Africa.

Ken and I kept in touch for a few years but eventually lost touch.  Within a few days of me booking my flights to Urbana – Ken wrote to the TSCF office asking if he could be put in touch with me.  I responded and asked if they would be willing to have me come and stay: an incredibly bold request.  They were and so I did.

It was great to see them, to meet Hope, Ken’s wife, and their two adult children.  It was a real excitement to share with them the full story (they didn’t know the bit about their gift arriving on the same day as the bursary). It was fun to share how much that gift has shaped my understanding of God’s provision for his work and how it showed me that trusting God for finances is a crazily exciting thing.  It was encouraging to encourage them with some of the stories of how God has used me to minister into various situations and lives – if you’ve ever been encouraged or strengthened through my ministry then you owe that, in part, the Ken and Hope.

It was neat to hear Ken’s side of the story – that he’d walked the streets of St Andrews for an hour not really feeling happy about any of the many other places to eat – eventually thinking he’d just go back to the restaurant of the hotel he was staying with.  How he sensed God’s hand in our conversation.  How they’ve often chatted about and prayed for me since that time. I said I was amazed that Ken remembered my name “Oh no,” Hope said, “you’re famous in our house” Their two kids confirmed it and said it was great to finally meet me.

It was brilliant to go to church with them, eat with them, laugh and share photo’s with them.  It really did feel like being with family: amazing – two hours 18.5 years ago leading to this random but brilliant time together.  I was sad to say goodbye but hugely encouraged at the timely reminder of God’s provision.

Urbana 09 has led to a renewed commitment to living the Gospel out here in New Zealand: it has also led to a fresh sense of frailty in my own life as well as the great strength of God’s grace in a sinner like me!

With this trip to Dallas and Houston I’ve been reminded me of God’s great provision. Between them Ken (and his family) and Jordan, my Texas friends, form a bracket around my life – Ken the start of understanding ministry in a global context and experiencing God’s financial provision; Jordan being one of the last year of Relay Workers I led in UCCF.  God pointed my gaze toward the past through the 48 hours I spent in Texas “See what I have done!”.  He also pointed my heart toward the future “now see what I will do!”

I am a sinner in need of much grace.  In Jesus there is much grace for needy sinners.  Oh God that you would do in me that which I cannot imagine so that you might receive all glory and honour through the endless ages to come.  Oh God that you would take the meagre life I offer and make out of it an offering of praise and worship.  Oh God whose hand is not restrained by anything but love and mercy would you please use me as you would for that to me is life itself: to know you and to make you known.

Here’s to the future… stay tuned!