Crusades in Gesusu, Kenya conclude with over 1077 baptisms and many blessings

Testimony from Judda H.

It was a day like any other, I had just finished my kitchen chores when my phone rang and the voice on the other end was my brother in-law (Craig Johnston) and he said, “Do you feel God calling you to step out of your comfort zone and do something for Him, like going on a mission trip to Africa?”  This request comes to me three weeks before time to leave.  I thought , yes I have been wanting to do something for God like go on a mission trip, but I didn’t plan on going that far away.  My sister (Peggy Johnston) had asked me many times to go on mission trips but I always had good reasons why I couldn’t.   This time, it really intrigued me so I asked if I could give him my answer later.  He said yes, but that he thought I should just go ahead and accept because he knew God was Ok with it.  Also, he needed to purchase the ticket really soon.

After I hung up the phone, Satan got busy putting fear in my mind and I began to give myself “the talk”.  You know the one that causes you to list all the reasons why you can’t go, like “you don’t have any money, you can’t be gone that long from work, you will miss a paycheck and no way to make it up and also isn’t that trip about 18 hours by air and isn’t most of that time over the ocean?  You know how scared you are of flying.  And didn’t you hear him say that you would have to be one of the Speakers?  You are terrified of speaking up front, don’t give it a second thought call him right now and tell him no, you are not going.”   Anyway, you don’t even have a passport, and there is not enough time to get one so see, you have every reason under the sun not to go. What if you can’t get anyone to cover for you while you are gone.  On and on the conversation continued into the night. 

It just happened that the following weekend was our “Women’s Ministry Retreat” and I would be spending time with my sister and one of her friends.  We would be able to visit and talk more in detail about the trip.  After all, both of them had been on mission trips before, even to the country where this trip was planned.  So I said, Lord if you want me to go (here I go placing stipulations on God) let at least two other women tell me it’s a good idea at this retreat.  You know God has a plan and I have a plan.  Well sure enough and two different times, two different women said they thought it would be a good idea if I went on the trip with my sister and a third person said she would donate to the cause.  They thought I would enjoy it.  Ok, I’m beginning to get a little nervous.  So I kept the thought in the back of my mind that money, time off from work and the passport would surely be a problem. 

Let me say, that it was already made clear that my plane ticket (the biggest expense) was already covered but that I would have to raise about $450.  Ok, here we have another problem, I’m not a fundraiser.  I don’t like asking anyone for money.  Lord you can’t be talking about me going anywhere, none of this fits my personality does it?

OK, ticket covered, confirmation from three not two ladies, but still there are other large hurdles to cross.  Before I presented  the situation to my supervisor, I called the person that usually covers for me when I need time off and it just so happened she didn’t have anything planned for those three weeks and she would be happy to fill in because it would give her some Christmas funds. Next, I went to work on and presented the situation to my Supervisor and his response was, “Wow, I think that is great he said I would not stop you for doing something so great.  Now, I’m getting scared and excited, but I know I still have an ace I’m holding.  It’s the passport.  I don’t have one and the time is really short, no way to have one back in time.  So I go to the post office to apply but the line was too long and the office closed before I was off from work, so the next day I go the another county office and present what I thought was my birth certificate only to be told that was just a form showing I was born.  She told me that I needed to send and get a legal birth certificate.  Now I’m sure the case is closed because she said it usually takes a week to ten days.  So I left the office and called the place of my birth and the person on the other end of the line said to allow at least three days to find the certificate and about another 7 days to get it back to you.  I told her that I didn’t have that much time; I would be leaving next Wednesday.  This happened on Monday about a week and a half before departure.   On Thursday afternoon my birth certificate was in my hands and Friday morning I was back in the county office with all the right papers and completed the paperwork for my passport of which I sent to Washington, DC and received back in my hands by either Monday or Tuesday.  During this time I also sent out e-mails soliciting  funds for the trip.   The morning we were to leave, I received a call and the remainder of the money needed was wired and I went and picked it up.

We boarded the plane with much prayer and I flew with my sister, brother in-law and three others to Europe where we met two more and we flew to Kenya, Africa. 

God answered every request I made of Him and stretched me to my limit.  I was sent to a site way up in the mountains to meet with people in their church and in an open field or cow pasture and share the beautiful word of God.   I can say with joy, I loved every minute of it and I am looking forward to doing it again and again. It is amazing what God can do if you allow Him to use you.  I almost let my fear keep me from one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences of my life.  I have heard it said that “there are people that God has for only you to reach”.  I learned that those people can be on the other side of the world and He will provide the means for you to accomplish the work He gives you.  It is very rewarding and exciting.

I want to say thank you to God first for giving me the ability to do what I thought would be impossible for me, for putting the thought in my brother in-law Craig’s heart to include me on this trip and a huge thank you to the sponsor and to my sister for her constant encouragement.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Phil. 4:13

"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." Jer. 29:11