Hello Everyone,
Emmy and I were both individually feeling led to start a blog to keep everyone updated on our journey, as there are far to many people to try to keep updated via e-mail. So, because of the grueling schedule we have for this internship, we thought it a better idea to do one together.
So I thought I would give everyone a starting point for those who have not heard all of the story, as it has all unravelled quite quickly. Emmy and I travelled to Kansas City around the end of May with Myles and Kaylee Collins, Myles has been drumming for {UNITE} Ministries for the past year. Emmy and I went merely to see what IHOP was all about and help Myles and Kaylee find housing and what not as they were to attend the July internship at IHOP. Neither Emmy, nor myself, had any thoughts of attending an internship at that point, we were merely along for the ride and enjoying a weekend getaway. While in Kansas City God spoke to us in numerous ways, but nothing directed towards moving to Kansas City for a season. Throughout the time there, Myles and Kaylee were offered a two bedroom apartment rent free in exchange for some lawn mowing. It was cool seeing God open up doors for them. I think it is easy for us to forget that God can still do this. I did anyways. On our trip back to Wisconsin, we received a text from Mark Hendrickson stating that the lady helping Myles and Kaylee out also had a three bedroom home that she wanted to offer to Emmy and I if we ever thought of attending an internship. She was interested in offering for us to stay in this home for the three month internship in exchange for some remodeling. It wasn't until this that the thought even crossed our mind of attending an internship at IHOP.
So we began praying and asking God to see if that was His doing or just a coincidence. After some e-mail correspondence with this lady in KC, the offer fell through. So we dismissed it for awhile. But God kept putting the internship on our hearts. So we laid a couple of things before the Lord asking Him to answer them if this was truly His will for us. One of them was that He would provide free housing for us while in Kansas City. It was about two weeks after our visit that God moved on this request. While visiting Richland Center, Mark and Debbie Hendrickson offered for our family to stay with them at their house if we decided to attend an internship. After this, Emmy and I felt like we needed to step out in faith and apply for the internship, which started in only a couple of weeks. We actually submitted our applications on the last possible day they would accept them. So we put before the Lord that if this was truly His will that we would be accepted for the program and there would still be openings. Well as you have already guessed, we did get accepted and there were still openings. So the next thing we put before the Lord was the tuition cost. Our desire was to have the whole family go through the program, not just myself. This meant that our tuition cost would total in the amount of $4,000.00. Again we brought this need before the Lord and asked that if He wanted us to attend, that He would have to provide. Mind you, there was only a little less than two weeks for this to happen. It got to be July 1st and we had still not received any funds for the internship. With only a week to go before the start of the internship, we began feeling God prompting us to pack up enough stuff for the three month internship and drive to Kansas City in faith that God was going to provide the tuition. Many different times throughout the past couple years, God has laid different things on our hearts asking us to move on. The bulk of the time we did not receive the major confirmations until only after stepping out in faith. God had also given me a couple of verses in devotions telling me that we were to be ready for His movement in this situation even if it was up to the last possible second, the eleventh hour.
So on Tuesday, July 5th, we packed up the bear necessities, loaded the kids in the van, and drove to KC. We felt like we were to spend as much time in the "Prayer Room" as possible before that Friday. So we spent most of Wednesday there. God revealed some things to us, but nothing in regards to the tuition.
On Thursday John Hendrickson, a drummer on staff at IHOP & friend, gave me the opportunity to attend an IHOP worship team briefing before their 2 hour set in the prayer room. John is a drummer for Misty Edwards, one of IHOP's main worship leaders. His team was scheduled from 2-4 and 6-8 At the end of the briefing, John asked if I was interested in playing acoustic guitar for the session. Of course I said no way..... Okay I jumped at the opportunity. It was a blast!!! God really moved throughout the session. After the session John and I grabbed some supper and went back to the next briefing for the 6 o'clock session. Upon arrival, Misty asked me if I would be willing to play acoustic again, and if I would be also willing to sing. At this point, I'm pretty sure the Titanic couldn't have brought me down off of cloud nine. I was extremely honored and humbled as the talent level around me dwarfed my meager offerings. Again the spirit was moving and we had an amazing time of worship. After the set Emmy, the kids, and I went back to Hendrickson's house. Obviously our spirits were quite high after the whole experience. As the evening started to wind down, Emmy and I began to talk about the internship and the lack of finance for it. We had both come to the point in which we were okay with the provision not coming through. We knew that if it didn't come, then God obviously didn't want us to attend this internship, at this time. We had already felt like the trip was a great success. God had done much in our hearts and had opened some really cool and fun doors. Around 10:00 pm that evening, someone arrived at the Hendrickson's house. They stated that God had impressed upon them, even before we came down to KC, that they were to help us in financing the internship for us. They handed us $500 in cash. We obviously were greatly surprised and extremely thankful for the blessing. But this put us in somewhat of a difficult place. Here it is, 10 o'clock pm, the night before the first day of the internship and we have $500 to cover our $4,000 tuition. Now what??? Do we give the money back, or do we put it in a savings account and hope the resources come for the Sept. internship??? At that point God reminded me of the verses He had given me telling me to be ready even if up till the eleventh hour. So Emmy and I prayed and decided we would get up at 6:30 am to check e-mails and our bank account to see if God had provided. We woke up, checked everything, and found nothing had changed. So we went back to bed. At 8:30 am, I received a phone call in which the caller stated that God had told them they were to take care of the balance needed to pay the tuition. Just to make it clear to everyone, the orientation for the internship started at 9:00 am that same morning and God brought in the majority of our funds just a half hour before the start of the internship!!! So, we woke all of our kids up, fed and clothed them, and raced off to the internship. Yes, we were 15 minutes late for the first day. God is truly amazing!!!! He is faithful and His timing is always perfect. Never to late and never to early. We are so extremely excited to see all the God has for us in this season. We promise to share with all of you what God id doing. We hope and pray that God will encourage each of you and deepen all of our faith.
Start asking that His highest goals for your life become reality!!!!
In Christ,
Owen
