Information Related to "God Works in Mysterious Ways"
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Have
you ever wondered, "Why did God choose me?" Or if you are not yet baptized, "How
do I really know that this is my calling?" Let me tell you a little story
that may help you to think about both of these questions in a slightly
different way. This story takes place in the far-off land of Burkina
Faso!
First, where in the world is Burkina Faso? That's what I said eight
years ago when I was sent an invitation to join the Peace Corps. I
looked at a globe and, to my amazement, Burkina Faso did not even appear
to exist! How could I go to a place for the next two years that didn't
even exist? I called my recruiter and she calmly explained to me that
the name of the country had changed from Upper Volta in 1987.
Burkina Faso is located in West Africa. It's a landlocked country of 12 million people bordering Niger, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin and Togo. This little country was where I first heard about the Church of God.I met the one woman out of 12 million people who was part of the Church there, and she later became my wife.What are the odds? Clearly, to me, God made this happen.
I left my home in Boston, Massachusetts, in June of 1997 to join the Peace Corps. At the time, my spiritual life was in shambles. I was a member of a major Christian denomination but was not a good "practicing" Christian.
Growing up, I had attended church every Sunday with my family. On graduating from high school, however, I was spiritually thirsting for more. A few years passed, and I decided that I wanted to be a priest. I know, pretty crazy, huh? After deciding against the priesthood (since I wanted to get married and have kids), I still didn't know what to do with my life.
In the fall of 1996 I heard about the Peace Corps. I would have a chance to travel the world, learn about a new culture, live with this new culture for two years and truly get to know a different people. How was I to know that God was steering me halfway across the world to learn of the true faith? In fact, it was also available in my own backyard, but God has a sense of humor.
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