Tonya's First Trip

I made my first trip to Botswana in Oct 09.  We toured the country and met lots of wonderful people. Scott had talked with Pastor Norm of Open Baptist in September.  Pastor Norm believed that Scott was the answer to the churches prayer.  They had been praying for some time for someone to serve as a National Children's Minister.  The Lord had been dealing with Scott for several years and Scott had been wrestling with his calling.  When Norm asked Scott about being the National Children's Minister in Botswana, Scott knew that was what God wanted him to do.  Scott called me that day and told me to be praying about the possibility of us moving to and serving in Botswana.  I didn't even question him...I knew at that very moment this is what God had been preparing for us.  I hung up the phone with Scott and called my sisters, parents and closest friends.  There was never a "we might be going" it was a "we are going to be moving to Africa"!  No one was surprised.  They could see how God had been working in our lives to bring us to this point.  Our pastor - Clay Smith - told us that I needed to travel to Botswana to meet the leaders of Open Baptist Church and affirm that I felt led to go too.  We made the trip in October and both overwhelmingly agreed that this was our next with God.  For years we had talked and prayed and agreed if God opened a door for us in ministry we would walk through it.  I never really understood how God opened doors but now I knew.  While we were in Botswana at a prayer meeting in a home, we shared what God was doing and how He was leading us to Botswana.  Another missionary that was at the prayer meeting, Heidi, said she had a word for us from the Lord.  She opened her Bible to Revelations 3:7 and read "What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.  I  know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." That was a Holy and very humbling experience.  I tried to open my mouth to share with the group about our kids but I could not talk.  I was overcome with emotion, gratitude and awe.  I asked God and Scott many times during my trip "Why me?  Why us? Why wouldn't God call someone with years of Children's Ministry experience?"  God gently reminded me ~ "I know the plans I have for you."  "You were created for such a time as this." So we are walking through God's open door - or maybe I should say we are doing what our friend Becky told us to do - We are running through God's open door!!