God Gives You What You Need, Mary Nelson's Story (cont.)

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story Podcast, where you will always hear a good

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story to encourage and inspire you in your walk with the Lord.

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I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and International,

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author and traveler on this journey of faith.

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If you haven't done so already, please take a moment to like or follow this podcast on

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your favorite streaming platform.

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That way you won't miss the stories of any of my amazing guests.

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I'm so glad that you tuned in to hear more of Mary Nelson's God Story.

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As you probably know, Mary is my wonderful mom.

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Not only that, she is the one who introduced me to Jesus and prayed me through various

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rough patches in my life.

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I am so thankful for my praying mom.

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First Peter 3:12a says, the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive

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to their prayer.

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My mom, Mary Nelson, is a woman of great prayer.

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After faithfully serving as a military wife and mother for almost 30 years, my dad retired

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and God invited them into a season of ministry, allowing them to see some of the fruit they

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sowed into.

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Welcome back, mom.

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Thank you, Jodie.

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It's a real blessing to be able to share what God has been doing.

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In our last episode, you shared a bit about growing up in your relationship with the Lord

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and in the understanding of the authority believers have in Christ.

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And after dad retired from the Air Force, you, he, and your youngest son, David, moved

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back to Florida.

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What prompted that?

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Well, we still owned our home in Tampa, which at that time had been handled by a real estate

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company.

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We had been notified that the renter was going to be moving out about the time that dad retired.

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So we moved back to Tampa into the same home that we had lived in before.

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And dad had had those three previous assignments in Tampa.

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So we were actually going back to a home that we owned and also to a large Christian family

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that we had been a part of in previous years.

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So you didn't really know what was next, but God had something in mind getting you involved

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in a new, a brand new ministry.

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About six months after dad retired and we were living in, you know, Tampa, we found

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out that our friend Harold Kent and two other men had established a new Christian mission

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organization called Galcom.

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So the Galcom International USA became the U.S. partner of this ministry.

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Harold had approached dad to ask him if he would consider praying about heading up this

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ministry.

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So we prayed about it and felt like, yes, that was the assignment that God had for us

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next.

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So he became the administrator of Galcom USA in Tampa.

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And I became the assistant administrator.

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So Galcom is a ministry that produces solar powered, fixed tuned radios that are tuned

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only to Christian radio stations to be distributed to tribal people living in areas of that station.

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And actually in recent years, the Galcom radio now includes the option to listen to the audio

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scripture, which is recorded on a microchip that's embedded into those radios so people

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can listen to a radio program or they could listen to the audio Bible in their own language.

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So that is amazing.

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And just the opportunity to be involved in mission work after so many years of serving

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very faithfully in the military.

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And of course, you shared Christ wherever you went in the military, but now you were

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full time focused on the work of the Lord.

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Yes.

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And actually one of the neat things that happened, we had returned to join the same church fellowship

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we had previously been in when living in Tampa.

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And at that time, David, at this time, David was in his early teens and participated in

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the church youth group.

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So dad and I volunteered to help the youth pastor and his wife with the youth group.

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In one particular year, I accompanied the youth group on a mission trip when they joined

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teen mania in one of the South American countries.

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And my husband or dad had actually given me some solar powered radios fixed to a Christian

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radio station in the country that we were going to.

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And he encouraged me to just distribute the radios at will.

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So I happened to meet a Christian missionary that was living in the country and gave him

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all of the radios that dad had given me.

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And this particular missionary owned an airplane and flew.

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And he had the vision for air dropping these radios into inaccessible areas.

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So he developed a small parachute attached to a little box that he put these radios in

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and he would fly just directly over a home in these inaccessible areas and air drop it

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right into the yard of the home that he was wanting this radio to get to.

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So I had also given this missionary dad's contact information so that he could contact

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Galcom at any time if he wanted to have more radios to distribute, which he did do.

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That was a very exciting time.

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Yeah.

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So that was a unique way of getting the gospel out, air dropping fixed tune radios that have

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a gospel station to people in their own language.

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They could hear it in their own language to people in areas that you wouldn't be able

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to reach.

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You know, most people wouldn't be able to reach otherwise either because it was just

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there were no roads or because there might have been some guerrilla activity in the area

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that you couldn't get to.

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And God really used that.

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I mean, that missionary years later has shared with you some of the stories of people who

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received those radios.

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That's right, Jody.

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He had actual Christian people that ran up into that used to run up into the mountainous

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areas to, you know, share the Lord with the people and take aid to them.

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And that's how he found out that people were actually turning to the Lord, listening to

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the radio.

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But one thing he did when he air dropped the radios, he inserted a little cartoon piece

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of paper that he had designed to show them how to turn the radio on.

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They were non-literate people and needed a little bit of help to know what to do with

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this thing that landed in their front yard.

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That is a really interesting thing that God allowed you to be a part of.

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What an exciting kind of kickoff to a life of other ministry opportunities that he gave

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you.

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David was still in school and you had a lot of time to do other things.

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And God started using you in the Tampa area as well.

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For one, you helped start a women's Bible study program like you'd been involved in

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for years.

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Tell us a little bit about that and what you saw God do in that ministry.

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Ashley, about 10 years previous to our moving back to Tampa, I knew that my friend Joanne

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Kent was a gifted Bible teacher.

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I encouraged her to pray about starting an Explorer's Bible study that was very similar

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to the one that I had been in when we lived in Ogden, Utah.

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After prayer and Godly counsel, she got together with a group of interested women and started

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this Explorer's Bible study in the North Tampa area.

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When I returned to Tampa after Dad retired, I rejoined this group studying the Word in

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Explorer's Bible study and then I became a small group leader as well.

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Well, Joanne, in years following that, developed her own Bible study called Lifebuilder's

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Bible study, which has continued to bless women for 20 plus years in the Bay Area.

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She has since retired and we've moved away, but I think that study just still continues.

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Yeah, so that Lifebuilder's Bible study has touched thousands of women and the children

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as well.

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You worked with the children during those studies, sharing the gospel with them and

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seeing women and their children transformed.

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Yes, it was a blessing.

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Another thing that group of women did that was associated with Bible study, they started

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a prayer program for the National Day of Prayer in Tampa.

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When we came back to Tampa, we participated in those prayer meetings and it gave me a

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vision to see the need of prayer for not only families, churches, but also the city and

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our country to grow in the Lord, to come back to the Lord and grow in the Lord.

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Yeah, so you were involved in several prayer teams for some large gatherings in the area.

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Cher, I mean, what is it like to be on a prayer team?

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What's required and what did you see happen?

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Well, actually, for the National Day of Prayer, we joined an intercessory prayer committee

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and we were given prayer points to pray for the National Day of Prayer.

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So we prayed for the National Day of Prayer leading up to the meetings and actually prayed

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during the meetings.

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These gatherings continued to grow and eventually we were holding those meetings in Yankee

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Stadium in Tampa, which was quite a large venue for a prayer gathering for the believers

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in the city of Tampa.

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Another thing that happened is that as interest grew among the Christians in the National

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Day of Prayer, there was a group of women that felt like we should be reading the Bible

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for the week prior to the National Day of Prayer.

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Actually, it was a group of believers, not just women.

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So they got a permit from the city of Tampa to set up a podium on the city courthouse

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steps to read the Bible for 24 hours day and night for the week that led up to and culminated

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on the day of National Day of Prayer.

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Wow, that is so powerful.

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I mean, having the word of God proclaimed from the steps of City Hall over the city,

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I mean, the Lord says his word will accomplish what it set out to do.

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So when you're proclaiming and reading the Bible over a city, it can't help but have

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some spiritual impact in the city.

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Yes, this Bible reading marathon was 24-7 where people could sign up for a slot of time

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to come and read the Bible.

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So we did that.

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We took groups from our Bible study down there and sat and prayed while the others read.

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The Bible was read from Genesis to Revelation during that time.

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Wow, so depending on what time slot you had, you would be in various different parts of

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the Bible.

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It could be Psalms or it could be Revelation or stumbling over some of the words in the

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Bible, some of the names.

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Yeah.

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And you got involved with Anne Graham Lotz when she came to do a crusade in the Tampa

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area.

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You were involved in a prayer team for that as well.

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I did, Jody.

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I volunteered to participate on a prayer team that supported Anne Graham Lotz's ministry

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when she was invited into the city to lead her ministry called Just Give Me Jesus.

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And then many years later, she came back with a passionate pursuit.

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So one of the things that we did on the prayer team, we divided the city up into zip codes

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and we prayed for the people and the churches, the congregations, the pastors that lived

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in our own zip code.

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So that was the way we had blanketed the whole Tampa Bay area with prayer prior to Just Give

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Me Jesus or the Passionate Pursuit.

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And then we had prayer all the time during the meetings praying for her and for the people

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participating.

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You know, I'm just thinking as you're saying all of that, that Lord gave you real strategies.

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It's almost like, you know, back in the Old Testament when the Israelites went to war,

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God gave them a strategy for every battle.

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And the different prayer teams you've been on, you had different assignments for each

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one and God had given different strategies for each one because he wanted his specific

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will accomplished in each gathering.

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It's interesting that you don't do anything same.

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God has a unique way to work out plans for each situation.

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Even in prayer, it's not the same every time.

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The Lord has specific prayer assignments and ways to accomplish that.

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Yeah.

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So God did not only have you involved in Tampa, but you also have the opportunity to join

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his work in other parts of the world.

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For a time, you and dad regularly went to Israel for ministry meetings for Galcom.

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And what did God show you during your times there?

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I mean, Israel, of course, is a land with so much rich biblical history and, you know,

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people who go there have great encounters with the Lord.

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You can't help but have revelation from the Lord while you're there.

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Just share some of your experiences about Israel.

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Well, actually, Jodi, before I share that, could I just get back to you about another

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prayer initiative we had in Tampa?

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Absolutely.

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Just prior to the National Republican Convention that was held in Tampa, there was a woman

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that was a prominent prayer group leader in the city.

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And she invited all of the different prayer groups to gather together one day to unite

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us in purpose and focus, praying for that National Republican Convention.

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So all these groups, all of our groups prayed prior to the convention coming into Tampa

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and during it.

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But anyway, one of the results of our prayer was a very unusual way that God intervened.

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We were concerned that there might be activist groups trying to come into the city to cause

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trouble, which has happened in other cities during this.

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During both conventions.

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Both conventions, right.

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One of the unique things that happened is that a hurricane was developing between Cuba

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and South Florida and it was moving up our way, which deterred air traffic and highway

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traffic coming into the Tampa Bay area.

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People were leaving instead of coming.

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Right.

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So there wasn't a way for people really to come in to the area in large groups to be,

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you know, cause problems.

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So that hurricane diverted just before the people for the convention came into Tampa

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and went out into the Gulf of Mexico, which provided no rain, but a cloud cover that helped

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the 5,000 plus police that were dressed in riot gear there to just keep peace in the

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city.

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It just protected them from the heat.

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Yeah.

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And not only that, there was a gentle breeze that continued to blow into the Bay area that

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was also great, a great aid for these police that were dressed from head to toe in the

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summertime.

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Yeah.

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It was quite amazing.

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It was quite an amazing result.

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And do you know, Jody, there were actually no negative incidents that happened at all

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during that convention time.

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God made sure that it was covered with peace.

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Yeah.

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When things are covered in prayer, God moves.

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There's been prayer in other cities that I have been privy to before national conventions

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and similar things have happened that have just kept peace when there had been expectation

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for a lot of chaos in the city.

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So it's really important that we as believers pray for what's going on in our cities as

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well as our nation because God answers those prayers.

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That's true.

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And actually something else Dad and I did for years living in Tampa, we would walk our

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neighborhood for exercise.

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We also prayed for our neighbors as we were walking around our neighborhood, which was

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quite a large neighborhood.

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Anyway, one day I was out for my exercise walk by myself and happened to met a woman

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coming down the street that had moved into the neighborhood.

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And as we were visiting, she invited me to her home to a woman's Bible study that she

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wanted to start using Beth Moore Bible study.

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I told her I'd love to come.

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The day that I went to the first meeting, there were probably 25 women there from our

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neighborhood.

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And Jodi, most of those women were women who lived in homes that we had been praying for

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for years prior to Pat and Frank ever moving into our neighborhood.

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We didn't have time to start anything because we were involved in missions and traveled

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a lot.

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But here came a woman with a vision for Bible study to just help disciple these women in

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our neighborhood.

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It was wonderful.

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Yeah.

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You know, when we partner with God, He doesn't put the whole burden on us.

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He invites other believers to partner with Him as well to accomplish what He wants to

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do in people's lives.

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So you're part of prayer.

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You sowed in prayer and you got to see some of the reaping.

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It was neat through that, you know, that somebody else was hosting a Bible study.

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That was wonderful.

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Anyway, getting back to Israel, we went to Israel yearly for probably 15 years so that

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we could attend board meetings for GELCOM that were held in Tiberias.

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We invited people to come along and developed groups of 15 to 20 maybe people to come along

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on those tour groups.

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So while dad was in the board meetings in Tiberias, Joanne and I would lead these women

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around, well, couples around the Nazareth and Perneum area sightseeing.

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And then when they were finished with their board meetings, we continued to tour the rest

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of the country and we developed such a love for the country of Israel.

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Traveling the areas that Jesus had walked and taught and ministered in brought the Bible

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alive to us after visiting these actual locations.

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It was wonderful.

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So we not only came to love the word of God in a new way, but we love the land and really

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appreciated the people living in the land.

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And you know, like you said, I've been able to go to Israel twice.

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Once I went with you on one of those trips and then I was able to go a couple of years

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ago with another group of ladies and it does really bring scripture to life.

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I mean, as you're reading the Bible in the places that these events occurred, you have

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a new understanding of the power and the majesty of God.

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That's true, Jodie.

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Actually, one of the most impactful things that happened to Dad and I, one day when we

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were in Israel on tour, we took a day off and went to Yad Vashem, which is a museum

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and memorial to the people that died in the Holocaust during World War II.

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So we got headphones in English and went through the whole museum and spent the whole day there.

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But it was very important for us to see this because many years previous to that, we had

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visited Dachau concentration camp in Germany, not knowing that there had been a Holocaust.

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So it was very interesting to see having a greater view and better understanding of how

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encompassing that Holocaust was and how many people it affected.

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And the righteous Christians in various countries who did help people like Kori Ten Boom and

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others, so having a full understanding of when evil floods in, the Lord asks us to rise

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up a standard of righteousness in the midst of it so he can work.

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And he did.

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And I mean, it was obviously the Holocaust and World War II were tragic, tragic, tragic,

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but God did rescue and save in the midst of it.

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He did.

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Well, in the 1990s, there was a unified missions effort in the U.S. to share the gospel with

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the most unreached parts of the world.

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Most of these countries fall within 10 degrees south, 40 degrees north of the equator, which

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became known as the 10/40 window.

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Maybe you've heard of it, those who are listening.

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The leaders of this effort understood that prayer was the first step in reaching people

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in the 1040 window with the gospel.

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So several years of organized prayer were launched.

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In one year, the organizers mobilized teams to travel to the 100 most influential cities

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in that region called Praying Through the Gateway Cities to pray.

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They wanted people to pray on site with insight.

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And the Lord called you, Mom, to be involved.

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How did that come about and what has happened?

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You've been able to see some amazing results of that prayer trip.

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Share some of that.

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Because we were involved in Christian missions worldwide with GALCOM, we sensed that we should

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participate in this prayer effort.

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So we prayed about it and felt, yes, this is something we should do.

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So Dad contacted the Pray Through the Window Organization office and told them that we'd

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be available to pray wherever they needed prayer.

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And they didn't have anyone going to Mongolia at that time.

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So we said, yes, we would go to Mongolia and pray.

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We contacted you to see if you'd like to come along.

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And you and a friend of yours, Angela Daw, agreed to be part of the team.

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Then we invited a couple of women that were intercessors in Tampa, Diane Taylor and Joanne

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White.

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Then Harold Kent, Dad, and I joined as well.

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So there were seven of us that had volunteered to go to Mongolia to pray.

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So prior to going, we met in Tampa, the small group in Tampa, met weekly to have dinner

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together and pray over our trip and ask the Lord to show us how we should be praying while

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we were in Mongolia.

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And one of the things we felt like we should do is write out the scriptures and put them

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on three by five cards and laminate the cards.

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So we did.

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We put one scripture reference on each card and gave a packet of these prayer guides to

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each member on our team so that we could pray the scriptures that would bless the country

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and the people living in the country that we were going to.

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So we did this.

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And then I also felt like we needed prayer support while we were in country.

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So I contacted intercessors I knew in the Tampa area and asked them, as well as family

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members, if they would please pray for us, be our prayer support while we were in Mongolia

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and for several weeks following our return from Mongolia.

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And the Lord gave me some specific prayer points to encourage them to pray while we

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were there.

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So we had a wonderful prayer support team while we were going.

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So one of the results of this prayer journey, the man that owned the travel agencies that

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we had contacted in Mongolia was a relatively new Mongolian believer.

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And one day, Dad and Harold Kent were visiting with him about his vision for the future.

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And he said his vision was to have a Christian radio station in Mongolia, not realizing that

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that's exactly what we were involved in doing.

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Dad and Harold contacted Among Foundation in South Dakota that was actually sending aid

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into the country and asked them if we could send a radio transmitter along with one of

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their shipments to our contact in Mongolia.

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We sent a radio transmitter to Batchigal, and he was able to get permits to have a Christian

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radio station in Ulaanbaatar.

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And his radio station is called Wind FM.

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And now Wind FM radio stations with repeaters covers, I think there are 16 repeater stations

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that cover the country of Mongolia with Christian radio.

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That's amazing.

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And before there had been no Christian radio in Mongolia at all.

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And this is by a Mongolian Christian in the Mongolian language, reaching people.

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And he has seen many, many people come to know Christ.

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Yes, Jody, actually, I had read an article recently that Franklin Graham had been visited

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to Mongolia to have a crusade or a Christian meeting invited by the different Christians

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in the different churches in Ulaanbaatar.

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So he did go and many people came to the Lord during his time in Ulaanbaatar.

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When we went back in the early 90s, there were really very few Christians.

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There were a few, there were a few, we actually met a missionary family that had been there

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for many years and they shared that there were some Christians, but it was very sparse.

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In fact, one of the people we were with took us out into the steeps of Mongolia to meet

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with one woman.

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She was, she was an elderly woman.

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She was in her 90s, Jodie.

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She was in her 90s.

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She was living in Ayurt.

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Out on the steeps of Mongolia.

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Out, I mean, there was nobody else around but her little family.

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And she had become a Christian and she wanted to fellowship with other believers.

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So we went to her little yurt.

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We drank camel's milk with her and just shared about the Lord with her.

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And it was, you know, I think probably the first other believers she had met other than

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the one who had led her to the Lord.

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That's true, Jodie.

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And actually we visited her on the way to a little community that was probably 20 miles

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from where she lived, where there was another group of new believers that were having a

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firm meeting.

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And we went to join that firm meeting.

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They were amazed to find out that there were Christians from another country that knew

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the Lord.

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Yeah.

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That had known him longer than they had.

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They were probably three months, nine months, one year old in the Lord.

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That was wonderful to be part of that.

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Yeah, I do remember that.

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They were so excited to know that God was moving in other parts of the earth because

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they hadn't had contact with many people who weren't Mongolian at that point.

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That's true, Jody.

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And actually one other thing that happened, we always wondered how our prayers were going

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to be answered.

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And if they were going to be answered, we just, we kind of wondered.

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After we came back to Tampa, of course, maybe two years later, we were invited to a concert

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given by a Mongolian Christian who had come to the United States.

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He was actually a relatively new Christian.

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He was a young man that had been actually going to college in Ulaanbaatar the year that

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we were there praying for that city.

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And actually we prayed around that campus, blessing the students.

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And he was a student there at that time, but was not a believer then.

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When we met him, he had become a believer and was, and actually is a very wonderful

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worship leader right now in the Bay Area.

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So we didn't obviously lead him to the Lord directly, but our prayers laid a foundation

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for God to be able to work in a greater way in that nation.

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And God has taken you to another country in Asia as well to reach an unreached people

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group there with a kind of a strategic plan that you were involved with for years.

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How did you get involved with that and what did you see God do?

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Gary and Harold had gone to a meeting regarding unreached people groups and reaching them

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with the gospel.

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And we felt like we should adopt an unreached people group, which they did do.

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And we wondered and prayed about how to get to know these people and felt like we needed

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to go visit them and get to know them and see what their needs were.

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Dad got a team of people together to fly to this country and to contact the people group

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that we were going to reach and minister to.

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Actually it grew to be a very wonderful meeting with these people and developed wonderful

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contacts so that we could go back yearly and host a teaching conference where there was

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worship, where there was opportunities to pray for the people, not only for their needs,

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but for healing.

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It was a great opportunity for many years to develop this relationship and develop believers

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or help develop believers so that they could evangelize their own people.

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And it was amazing because on that first trip when you went to just first see how it would

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be possible to connect with this people group, the Lord provided some believers in that nation

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who had a heart for that people group.

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And you were able to partner with them so that not only was their ministry going on

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through your immediate trips, but there was also the opportunity to provide radio through

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Galcom and some other ways to reach this group of people who, you know, they were kind of

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apart from the general population of the country.

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And God started moving.

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I mean, after you worked in that country for many years, and God did start a movement among

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that people group where a lot of them came to know the Lord.

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That's true, Jody.

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Actually, we were also able to have a believer of that particular people group read the Bible

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in a language that he knew that was in that country and then translate it into his own

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language.

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So he recorded the Bible for us so that we could get it put onto an audio chip to provide

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the believers there with audio players, that Megavoice audio players so that the people

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could listen to the Bible in their own mother tongue.

439
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That was a people group that was largely non-literate.

440
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Yeah.

441
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They had an oral tradition of storytelling and of passing down their beliefs.

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So having the Bible in their language was very powerful.

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Each year that we went to this particular country, we felt like we needed prayer support

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while we were there.

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So I would again contact intercessors in the area that I knew of and invited them to support

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us in prayer while we were gone.

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And then I provided them with specific prayer points that we asked them to consider praying

448
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about as well as just being led by the Lord in their prayers for us.

449
00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,680
It was important to have that prayer coverage when we went.

450
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:30,680
Absolutely.

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00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:35,720
You know, friends, there are widows and orphans all over the world who need to experience

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00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,160
the tangible expression of God's love.

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00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:41,920
Many have special needs that we as a company of women can meet together.

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Would you join us with a special gift to help?

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00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:49,000
Just go to hergodstory.org and click on the widow and orphan tab at the top of the page.

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00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:53,680
Well, mom, several years ago, you and dad felt it was time to leave Florida and move

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00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:54,800
closer to family.

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00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,280
David had grown up, joined the military and moved away and the rest of us were scattered

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00:31:58,280 --> 00:31:59,280
around the country.

460
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:01,160
So the Lord led you to Virginia.

461
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,400
It's a very different season of life.

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00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:07,280
It's much slower and again, very family focused.

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00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:11,640
And yet your desire to see God move in our nation has only grown more intense.

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00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,080
How has the Lord been directing your prayers lately?

465
00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:22,480
Well, Jody, we had always participated in prayer points that Intercessors for America

466
00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,480
published.

467
00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:32,800
So we continued praying according to these prayer points, as well as other prayers for

468
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,880
the prayer points that Intercessors for America would publish.

469
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:43,640
And then in recent years, Dutch Sheets has a 15 minute program on YouTube to pray for

470
00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:46,400
the nation called Give Him 15.

471
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:51,200
So we listen to that and then pray over the prayer points that he shares and pray with

472
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,100
him during that morning time.

473
00:32:54,100 --> 00:33:01,080
So we continue to pray for our nation, pray for our city and pray for our poor family

474
00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:06,420
and grandchildren, as well as our children and spouses.

475
00:33:06,420 --> 00:33:09,920
So we continue to pray for just a move of God.

476
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:18,240
And we're just so grateful to the Lord for the fresh vegetation of God that has started

477
00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:19,960
on the campus of Asbury.

478
00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:24,680
Yeah, it seems to be going to other colleges as well.

479
00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:32,480
And you're also beginning to see some signs of an awakening in the Virginia area that

480
00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:37,120
we live in the Charlottesville area as pastors are beginning to come together and some early

481
00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,280
signs that God's doing something here as well.

482
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:45,240
Yes, Jody, there actually is really a sweet group of people, large group of Christians

483
00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:46,960
in the Charlottesville area.

484
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:53,880
And actually, there is now a men's evening Bible study called Community Bible Study that

485
00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:55,320
Dad goes to.

486
00:33:55,320 --> 00:34:00,560
And I go to a women's Bible study here, Community Bible Study as well.

487
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:04,560
So we were meeting people that way that love the Lord and pray for our nation.

488
00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:10,040
There are other people here in the city that are praying for the nation and actually praying

489
00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,680
for people in the Virginia area.

490
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:13,680
Yeah.

491
00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:19,200
So when you move to a new place, you were initially just saying, wow, we kind of live

492
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,520
in a rural area, how are we going to connect?

493
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:27,560
But your heart was to connect with other believers and the Lord started providing introductions.

494
00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:33,760
That's right, they're very unique and unexpected ways that we've met people.

495
00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:40,840
One day, as we were driving on the highway, I saw a sign for a tent meeting with a telephone

496
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:41,840
number.

497
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:45,800
So we took down the telephone number and called the number to see who it was.

498
00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:52,360
And it was a pastor who had joined together with other pastors to have tent meetings,

499
00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:59,780
to share the gospel outdoors, under the lights and under the stars in an open air tent.

500
00:34:59,780 --> 00:35:06,720
So they have started doing this a couple times this summer, which is thrilling to see and

501
00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:09,920
be a part of what they're doing.

502
00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:15,480
So Mom, in my eyes, of course, I'm biased, but in my eyes, you really exemplify a godly

503
00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:21,880
and righteous woman because you have always pursued knowing God and following his leading.

504
00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:26,200
What do you see is essential in keeping your walk with the Lord vibrant?

505
00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:33,400
I continue with my daily devotions, which include reading the Bible daily, and I pray

506
00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:34,800
as well.

507
00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:40,560
And every morning, Dad and I just sit and visit together with a cup of coffee in our

508
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:46,680
Bibles and we talk about what God has been showing us and we pray for our family together.

509
00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,920
That's really a sweet time of fellowship together.

510
00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:56,440
And we're also part of a church here in Earleysville where we live, and we're also associate home

511
00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:57,440
group leaders.

512
00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:05,680
So it's important for us to have close fellowship, and we love that kind of fellowship with our

513
00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:07,920
church and home group.

514
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:12,040
And then, of course, I mentioned that I go to community Bible study, and Dad and I are

515
00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,040
still involved with GalCom USA.

516
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:20,520
He is the CEO of the ministry now, and I'm on the advisory board, assistant advisor to

517
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:21,520
the board.

518
00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:26,240
I also pray weekly with women that I had prayed for for years that were part of the Just Give

519
00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:29,280
Me Jesus intercessory prayer team.

520
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:32,800
We pray together for one another's families.

521
00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:34,800
We pray for churches.

522
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,260
We pray for the pastors.

523
00:36:36,260 --> 00:36:38,120
We pray for Christian leaders in the nation.

524
00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:39,120
We pray for revival.

525
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,600
I mean, we've done this for many, many years.

526
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:42,600
Yeah.

527
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:47,920
It's interesting, you know, as often as COVID was for many, many people, it really opened

528
00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:52,520
up a whole world of connecting digitally across the nation.

529
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:57,240
So these women you started praying with back in Tampa years ago, but you now that you live

530
00:36:57,240 --> 00:36:59,960
in Virginia, you're still able to pray with them.

531
00:36:59,960 --> 00:37:00,960
It's like you're still there.

532
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:06,240
And not only that, during talking about technology during the COVID area, sometimes our home

533
00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:08,920
group was not able to meet together as a group.

534
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:14,560
So we would meet together on Zoom, which turned out to be a great way to connect.

535
00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,120
I want to just share one funny little incident that happened.

536
00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:24,760
A couple of years ago, we needed to put a new net on a raspberry blueberry enclosure

537
00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:28,800
that we have here next to our house.

538
00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:37,520
Dad purchased a industrial strength netting that we cut to put over this enclosure.

539
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:43,520
It was about a 50 foot by 30 foot piece of netting that we laid out on the yard, measured

540
00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:48,920
it and cut it and then fitted over that enclosure and secured it.

541
00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:50,800
We were doing this to keep the birds out.

542
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:51,800
They were eating all your berries.

543
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:53,040
They were eating our berries.

544
00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:54,040
Yes.

545
00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:58,880
So one morning after the berries were starting to form on the bushes, I happened to look

546
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:04,760
out the window when I was making a bed in the bedroom overlooking this blueberry patch.

547
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:09,720
I saw birds in the patch eating our blueberries and raspberries.

548
00:38:09,720 --> 00:38:15,520
This is a new enclosure, but they had chewed a hole in it and got in and were just eating

549
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:16,520
to their heart's content.

550
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:19,360
I thought, oh my gosh, what are we going to do?

551
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,960
We'd repair it and try again.

552
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:27,480
So anyway, a couple of days later, I was reading during my daily devotions and I was in Proverbs.

553
00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:33,960
I just started the book of Proverbs and I got to verse 17 and just had to laugh.

554
00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:38,680
The scripture reads, surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

555
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:41,080
And I thought, isn't that funny?

556
00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:45,520
The Lord let me know that they were sitting up in a tree watching us as we diligently

557
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:51,960
cut and re-framed that enclosure, waiting for us to finish so that they could get back

558
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:52,960
into it.

559
00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:56,880
The Lord's words were just true yesterday, today and forever.

560
00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:04,880
I thought of that song about God's eye is on the sparrow, but his eye is watching us.

561
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:10,960
It just made me think of how wonderful the Lord let me know through that berry patch

562
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:13,040
that he had his eye on us.

563
00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:15,480
He knew exactly where we were and what we were doing.

564
00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:19,880
It was encouraging to me because it was kind of during that COVID time this was happening

565
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:26,440
and we felt inert in a way, not able to do a whole lot of things.

566
00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:30,400
The Bible was, well, not eliminated, but it was hard.

567
00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:31,400
Hard, right.

568
00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,680
Well, before we close, I'll ask you to share about another woman.

569
00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:38,760
In the last episode, you shared about the wife of Manoah, but share about another woman

570
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:41,800
in the Bible who's inspired, encouraged, or taught you something.

571
00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,400
Actually, there are two women.

572
00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:46,740
The mother and grandmother of Timothy.

573
00:39:46,740 --> 00:39:52,680
When I was reading about them through the years, that scripture resonated to me.

574
00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:59,280
In 2 Timothy 1:15, Paul was writing and he said, I call to remember the genuine faith

575
00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:05,200
that is in you, Timothy, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.

576
00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,440
I am persuaded it's in you too, Timothy.

577
00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:14,160
Then in 2 Timothy 3.14 to 16, it says, but you must continue in the things which you

578
00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:19,880
have learned and been assured of knowing from whom you learned them and from childhood.

579
00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:25,640
When you learned to know the scriptures, which were able to make you wise for salvation through

580
00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:27,320
faith which is in Jesus Christ.

581
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:32,640
It says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it's profitable for doctrine,

582
00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:39,320
reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness that the man of God or woman may be complete,

583
00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,000
thoroughly equipped for every good work.

584
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:49,320
My desire through the years was to pray for you children and our grandchildren and to

585
00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:55,360
pray that you would each develop your own personal close relationship with the Lord.

586
00:40:55,360 --> 00:41:02,360
So I used to pray these scriptures that you would indeed find those scriptures from God

587
00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:08,560
to be profitable for you for doctrine, reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness.

588
00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:10,480
And God is faithful.

589
00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:11,480
He is faithful.

590
00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:17,040
So those were my favorite ladies, Lois and Eunice.

591
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:18,040
Yeah.

592
00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:22,640
You really had an influence, had an impact on Timothy and Paul too.

593
00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:23,640
Yes, exactly.

594
00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:30,720
Well, Psalm 92: 12-15 is an encouraging passage about walking uprightly

595
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:31,720
with God.

596
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:37,360
The NIV version reads, the righteous will flourish like a palm tree.

597
00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:41,700
They will grow like a cedar of Lebanon planted in the house of the Lord.

598
00:41:41,700 --> 00:41:44,200
They will flourish in the courts of our God.

599
00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:46,940
They will still bear fruit in old age.

600
00:41:46,940 --> 00:41:52,080
They will stay fresh and green proclaiming the Lord is upright.

601
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:56,120
He is my rock and there is no wickedness in him.

602
00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,760
Mary has seen God's faithfulness to her throughout her life.

603
00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:04,840
Even now in her eighth decade, she's still flourishing and bearing fruit for the Lord.

604
00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:09,720
When we submit our will to him and we keep our eyes on him, when we walk in his ways

605
00:42:09,720 --> 00:42:15,600
and follow his lead, life stays full and rich and fresh.

606
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:18,840
Dear friends, I hope you've been encouraged by Mary's story.

607
00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:22,760
God invites each of us on a wonderful journey with him to be a part of what he's doing

608
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:23,760
in the earth.

609
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:28,720
No matter what decade of life you are in, just make yourself available to him and see

610
00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:29,720
what he will do.

611
00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:33,720
Mom, would you pray for everyone listening to this?

612
00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:39,240
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love for each person listening to this.

613
00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:43,320
And I ask you, Lord God, to comfort and encourage each one of them.

614
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:49,760
Lord, I pray that they would come to know that when we roll our cares upon you, you

615
00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:51,360
care for each one of us.

616
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:56,080
Lord, I pray for those mothers that are listening to this.

617
00:42:56,080 --> 00:43:00,680
I pray, Lord, that their children too would be taught by the Lord and that great would

618
00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,880
be their peace, according to Isaiah 54:13.

619
00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:11,320
Lord, I just pray that they would be able to entrust their children to you, to the Lord,

620
00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:13,520
because you are a good and gracious Father.

621
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:19,240
Lord, I thank you that your eyes are upon us and that your ears are open to their prayers.

622
00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:22,840
I pray now your blessing upon them in Jesus' name.

623
00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:23,840
Amen.

624
00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:24,840
Amen.

625
00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:26,120
Well, thank you for tuning in.

626
00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:31,320
Our show notes at hergodstory.org have scriptures and other information we talked about.

627
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:35,580
And you can sign up for emails and get a six-week devotional on Women of the Bible to download

628
00:43:35,580 --> 00:43:36,720
for free.

629
00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:41,720
Or you may want to purchase a 12-week devotional on Women of the Bible for just $12, knowing

630
00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:45,160
that all proceeds go to our Widow and Orphan Fund.

631
00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:49,060
We'd love to pray for you on our 24/7 prayer and text line.

632
00:43:49,060 --> 00:43:57,480
You can give us a call or text anytime at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer@ somebodycares.org.

633
00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:03,040
And now, dear friends, I bless you with an adaptation of Colossians 1:9, and following.

634
00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:06,280
May God give you complete knowledge of His will.

635
00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:11,720
May He give you spiritual wisdom and understanding so you will always honor and please the Lord.

636
00:44:11,720 --> 00:44:17,160
May you produce every kind of good fruit, all the while growing to know God better and

637
00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:18,160
better.

638
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:22,840
May you be strengthened with His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and

639
00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:24,360
patience you need.

640
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:29,040
And may you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father who has enabled you to share in

641
00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:32,960
the inheritance that belongs to His people who live in the light.

642
00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:37,000
Your God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.

643
00:44:37,000 --> 00:45:04,000
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.