INDIA TRIP CANCELLED
For months we’ve been praying and talking about going to India in Jan, 2023. I have health issues to consider, so it’s been a hard decision. After much prayer for God’s guidance, we bought tickets for 2 ½ weeks in January. I know this was God’s leading. After all, there’s no safer place to be than in the center of God’s will, right? That was Wednesday afternoon. We kept praying and had great peace as the 24-hour deadline to cancel came and went. We started making plans for our time there.
Then Friday morning we faced a new medical situation, this time concerning Nancy. It isn’t life-threatening but it was obvious that a trip to India will not be possible. The doctor concurred. We thank God for making it very, very clear so we wouldn’t wonder and second-guess His will. No trip to India this year.
Did God just want to see if we were willing to go, like He wanted to see if Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac? What about the large sum we had just paid for plane tickets that couldn’t be cancelled? God gave us peace about that, too. Surprisingly, we were able to cancel our reservations and have all our money returned. We thank God for that.
I know that someday we won’t be able to go to India. For several years we have been praying and actively searching and recruiting my replacement. There were a couple possibilities, but nothing worked out. That same evening Nancy got sick and we realized we needed to cancel, a near-by pastor inquired about participating in our India mission. As we visited it seems he meets all the requirements. He is praying for God’s guidance and confirmation. We want what God wants and we need His clear leading with this.
We had a long video talk with Pastor Moses online. It was hard breaking the news to him. He was very disappointed, too. We have become close to his family and others in India. We will miss seeing them.
So, no trip to India in January for us. Hopefully someone else will be going instead of me. Pastor Moses will continue having periodic conferences as he has been doing. We will continue to focus on book distribution since we now have 16 books to train pastors. The books have been a very effective way of getting solid information to many pastors quickly and easily. LifeWay is using them to train pastors in India, and planning to use them in other countries as well.
I know God is not done with CTO. The focus may change but the mission remains. The need is greater than ever. We have a great God who does great things. Please pray for guidance, and for money to fund conferences and books in 2023. Finances are still needed as the cost of everything, especially printing books, continues to rise. We fund individual pastors, the conferences Pastor Moses leads and other ministries as well. Thanks so much! Jerry and Nancy
Romans 8:28-37 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. … If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things. … I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How are we to respond when it God leads in one direction, then totally closes the door so we have to go in a different direction?
Do you think God still asks people to do something to see if they are willing, then not have them go through with it, like Abraham sacrificing Isaac? Has that ever happened to you?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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