Its all part of His plan

Over the Past 3 months God has opened up all the right doors for us to start a ministry on the Nova campus. I still can not comprehend how I am involved in this the way I am. I mean my calling is kids, or so I thought. I spent the first two and half years of college ready for the next phase of my life and planning my life for when I would either have my own children or for when I started an orphanage. I mean yes everyone on campus that I knew was aware that I was a Christian that was more “Christian” than most, (after sharing my convictions and morals people would always say “your REALLY Christian.” Funny concept… I was unaware that there were degrees of Christianity.) but I was not at college to win souls into the Kingdom. I was here to get my degree so I could do what he called me to do. Thing is that was MY decision not His. So I am going to take you back a little bit because I think it is just beyond AMAZING how God puts everything into place in order to speak to us in order that we my receive the BLESSING of being used by him. So this one starts back at my birth technically, but we will pick it up in 9^th grade or so. My brother, Kyle was in college, and for years he had been my role model. Everything he said was just a little more important to me than anything anyone else said. One day we got on the topic of California and he brought up a pastor by the name of Francis Chan, and we went on to have many conversations about this pastor. Naturally I started to listen to Pod cast by him later on. His messages were awesome, so rawly God. They challenged me to recognize and change the things in my life that God was pointing out as rotten fruit.

Ok so now we are almost caught up. About a year ago I started to hear an advertisement for the ONE Conference. It was going to be here in Miami, and FRANCIS CHAN WAS GOING TO BE THERE! I would be able to hear him live, and I was beyond excited. So I bought the ticket and with two precious friends we went. While Francis, the other speakers, and worship were INCREDIBLE, two things just really touched me beyond compare. First was the hosting pastors’ (Pastor Pedro) amazing PASSION for the people that were around him everyday. Whether he was at his church, in line, at home, in another state, or another country I could just see his genuine LOVE and deep NEED for those people to join him as a child of our AMAZING God. It was truly contagious. The other thing was how God spoke to me… first in opening my eyes to see just a glimpse of His passion for the people we are each surrounded by. Second was he just placed this verse 

“well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:23) 

on my heart. He reminded me that He is always looking to see what I am doing here, what I am doing now. I feel called to work in another country with special needs orphans, but first God brought me far from home to see what I would do with what he entrusted me with here. He called me here to be a missionary. He tells us to be in this world, but not of it. While the world sees me as just an athlete and student, God knows that really I am a missionary. On a daily, hour by hour, moment by moment basis have to decide if He or they determine my identity. In the weeks following the conference when I was wrapping my mind around the impact of this conference I felt God tell me to ask two things of my pastor, (Pastor Billy) which has had the biggest impact on my life since coming to Florida. First was to seek a someone to disciple me (which was very odd to me), and the second was to offer to help in anyway to start a Calvary NOVA on the NSU campus (the senior pastor (Pastor Bob) had mentioned it in a vision sermon he gave.) I have attended two churches in my life, both are on the list of 50 biggest churches. I understand how busy the pastors are, and so I resisted sending the email for about two months because I though my questions were just too petty for the Pastor to deal with. But finally God got what he wanted and I sent it, complete with the subject line “No big deal.” I honestly don’t even know if Billy remembers reading the email, but because of that Diana, (his assistant at the time) an amazing child of God and faithful servant is now discipling me. She has challenged and encouraged me through some pretty amazing changes God has wanted to make in my life.

Ok so now we are up to date, well at least to where this story looks like it starts.  My friend Julie and I went on a outreach trip to the Keys with the Eikon ministry of Calvary. Pastor Billy, Diana, and John (Billy’s Ministry Assistant) were all there. At this point I knew Diana pretty well, and also knew John from the Sports nights, but had never actually met Billy. So we sat down at a table in the shade and Billy walks over and ask if anyone is sitting next to us, and there wasn’t so he sat down. You are thinking so what, and that is a fair question. But God knew it was a little bigger and eternal than a seat in the shade. During that dinner we started talking about how all three of us really wanted to start a CalvaryNOVA, but just didn’t know if it was Gad’s plan right now. So we started praying fervently. That night in our room we spent 30 minutes praying for the campus ministries and the possibility of starting a CalvaryNOVA. Well a lot of prayer, several emails, and a few meeting later we decided to make it an official club. But God didn’t stop there, he continues to bless our patience and reliance. The dean of student affairs agreed to be our advisor. Diana, my discipler, is now working with the women in all of the on campus ministires of Calvary, and God fostered our relationship before there was even plans to start CalvaryNOVA. Now today Elizabeth, one of the people that has been helping us start this thing got baptized by a guy that is starting a college ministry at the Plantation campus of Calvary, which is much closer to nova than the main campus. I don’t know how God is going to use this, I don’t even want to speculate, but I have stopped thinking that God has coincidences. God has plans, plans that never fail, and plans that are in place to prosper and grow each of us.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Right now we are praying for the following things…

-direction (individually and as a group)

-leadership (specifically a president for the club)

-John, Diana, Billy (the amazing servants that God has called to work with young adults)

-professors (we need more professors that profess Jesus)

-students (move the one’s that are Christians into action, and soften the hearts of the ones that do not yet know and understand the Love of God)

-Our boldness on this campus (we can’t wait any longer to capture the hearts of those on this campus. We need boldness to live different and to courageously declare his name to all)

We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

    even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:20-22 

As you read this I ask that you pray with us, it is greatly needed now and all the way through this process. Our hearts are to reach those that are impossible to reach. The only way their hearts are going to respond is if the Father softens them.

We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”

Hebrews 3:14-15