And the Word Came With Power
One of the courses I took in seminary was on Missions. I took the course as a winter I-term, meaning 5 days in a row, 8 hours a day. Frankly I was just looking to learn a few things, get the required credit and move on to the next course, which is the life of academic work. The lectures were fine, though at 8 hours a day even the professors get bored. However, it was the assigned reading that had the greatest impact in my life. As is often the case with seminary coursework, it is what a student reads as assigned by the professor that matters most. In that course I was introduced to the greatest missional book I have ever read. I reread the book a few times, with greater and greater impact. The book is entitled, And the Word Came with Power. On Sunday evening, ten years later, the author of that book came to our church. She shared her testimony form her experiences as a missionary in the northern Philippines. I was concerned that my expectations for Joanne's presentation may have been set too high. I mean, I had been reading and rereading sections of that book for a decade, marveling at the work of God as she describes in writing. But you always wonder, is the author authentic? I prepared myself for Sunday evening. I warned myself that I might have to do damage control with my own heart afterwards if Joanne wasn't the person I have thought her to be. I know that is unfair but when you meet someone you have known about for the first time part of you is searching for authenticity. Well, I was completely overwhelmed by the testimony of God's work in the Philippines and by the authenticity of His servant. May God greatly continue to use her for His glory and may His testimony of faithfulness through her continue to change our church.
Her testimony is found at the following link
I hope every member of Matthew Road Baptist Church along with anyone else we can convince to see it, will allow God to speak to them through this remarkable servant of God.