It had been almost a year since our first trip. I was serving and living in Vienna, Austria with my wife. Many times, a prayer rose from me to God. “God, what now? What is Your will for Vanuatu? What is your plan for my life? What do you want us to do?” But there was no answer.
Well, that’s what I thought. But God was answering. I just didn’t understand at that time, the awesome work He was doing all the while in my life and in my wife’s life. Through many trials and lessons, God was slowly but surely preparing us as missionaries, training us as His ambassadors, molding us into the image of His Son and rooting us into our calling.
I so wanted to go to a college, get a bachelor of cross-cultural study, or missiology or something. To get some training, some preparation, just something, to speed up the way to Vanuatu and help to get the mission started there. But for some reason, still unknown to me, God chose a different approach for our family. And I am ever thankful He did!
There were many times where we wanted to go again. We talked, we prayed, we planned. But it never worked out! Our team planed a trip again for March 2015, but it seemed nothing worked out. On the morning of March 13th it became clear to us why. Cyclone Pam, a category 5 storm, smashed into Vanuatu. The storm went right through the islands, leaving behind a path of destruction.
As the storm passed through, and the big relief organizations came in and quickly out again, we felt the door for us to go again was finally opened.
I remember a team meeting, discussing what we should do and could do now. We had great ideas and big plans, but lacked one thing: finances.
But God is so faithful. When He guides, He provides.
We hadn’t told anyone about our needs, but received a call one evening from a brother in Germany. He asked us what we were planning on doing, and how the mission in Vanuatu is going. And then he told me, that God put it on his heart to give 8000 Euro to us, so we can continue God’s work there. From 0 to 8000 in a minute! Now you know why we named our mission “God will Provide” He truly “gives seeds for the sowing”.
In May 2015 we finally got to go back again. It seemed first like we came to a different country. Uprooted trees, destroyed buildings and flattened plantations. The “happiest place on earth” suffered great loss and pain. People were still smiling, but as we visited different places we got to see much suffering and need. There was only so much we could do to help, and it seemed like all our efforts were just like a small drop of water on a hot stone.
