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| John and I with Sam Smith (the president of York) and his wife Lisa during our visit |
Recently John saw his college friend, Sam Smith, on Facebook announce that he is now the president of York College in Nebraska. He was coming to Dallas to host a fundraising dinner, so we took the opportunity to go and say hello. I’ve been getting to know his wife through social media and was excited to finally see her in person; we seem to have so much in common. It was a brief visit but quite energizing. We were pleased to hear that Sam is passionate about maintaining Christian principles as he prayerfully directs the future of the student body he now leads. Sam said he has been watching the progress of our ministry in Malawi and would like to hear more about it and even how we might partner on some level with York. We made tentative plans to come visit the campus sometime in the near future and promised to keep in touch.
Just days after that evening we got an email from Sam asking John to apply for the position of Vice President of Student Life at York College. Considering neither of us knew exactly what that was, it didn’t seem likely that he would get the job even if he did throw his hat in the ring. Besides, he wasn’t looking for a job. He’s been preaching for the Westworth Church of Christ for the past two years, and we’ve been working to further develop the school in Malawi—two fulfilling endeavors that have enhanced each other. However, after a phone call with Sam, John was convinced we needed to at least pray about the possibility. Sam was fully aware of John’s lack of experience in the institutional world but also optimistic about what his specific experiences would contribute to the school. He said John could learn the mechanics of the job as he went but that his consistent pursuit of the Gospel was something that could not be taught and exactly what was needed to propel more students into Kingdom work. Sam feels that our family would complement the plans he has for the spiritual growth of the students he has come to love so much. He admitted that it’s a team effort, and he wanted John to join that team.
The whole idea seemed to be out of the blue, but we agreed to really pray about it over the next month, at which time we already had a trip planned to Colorado to take John’s mom home. We decided to go through Nebraska to give God every opportunity to answer those prayers. We toured the campus and spoke with faculty, staff, and students. I was in every meeting with John and we included the kids in our conversations after each one. After the following weeks of questions and answers and back and forth about the details of how the college and the Malawi mission might benefit equally from such an unlikely partnership, we feel confirmed that this is indeed a good idea. John accepted the position and our family is planning a move to Nebraska this summer.
For those of you who know us, this may not come as a surprise. When we committed our lives to each other, we also committed them to Jesus. We promised to follow Him wherever He leads and to trust Him to provide our needs. This is no exception and we fully expect great spiritual blessings for our family, for the kids in Malawi, for the students at York College, and for you, our supporters and friends! We’ll keep you posted as this transition develops. In the meantime, we’re working diligently to finalize the paperwork required to make the Malawi ministry an official non-profit entity before we leave for Nebraska. As always, thank you so much for walking with us on this journey. May God richly bless you for your support and for your prayers!
