MISSIONARY FOR LIFE

One of my precious former students will soon be here. For a few years I taught at a Missionary training School for those who desired to be missionaries and she was one of them. She worked extensively in Old Mexico then had health issues which kept her off the field for a time. After that she went to Africa. Now she is back in my area and is coming over and we will have lunch together.
Another former student of the same school and friend of both of us is ill today. She has had a real battle in her body also. She definitely has the ministry of helps and drives for me when I go to Mexico and helps other missionaries. She is such a blessing to so many. I wish all of my students would be working like those. Some more are of course.
When I first received the Lord as my Saviour I knew i was to be a missionary and thought I had to go overseas to do so but found out the water doesn't make you a missionary. Every time a missionary came to my church I would tell my wonderful wise pastor I wanted to go with them. It didn't matter where, I wanted to go. He would pat me on the shoulder and tell me it is not time yet. I would be a little angry with him.
All of the time I didn't realize I was already a missionary. I pastored some rescue missions in the city I lived in, helped start childrens works back when there was nothing but Sunday School for them, then went into full time. I quit my job, burned my bridges behind me, sold my furniture, gave up my apartment, put everything I had left in my old car and took off. My pastor wanted to know where i was going. How did I know? I knew God said to go and I went. I had never been out of my home state. I took off to some friends house and we went to a convention, then I went to another one alone, found a lady who offered me her home for in between meetings. I had my own special room. This was in Oklahoma. For 1 1/2 years I evangelized very small churches living by faith and I mean faith, for three years I pastored a split church and continued living by faith and again I emphacize real faith . See all of the missionary training I was going through. I was a missionary and didn't know it. Back then I was in my 20's. After pastoring for 3 years (and I could tell you so much more) God spoke to me to go to the Spanish speaking people. I told my pastor thinking he would say it wasn't time yet but this time he said, THAT'S GOD, and he recommended a missionary in south Texas on the Mexican border.
I worked there for 3 years, learning the language and helping in the missions and the Christian school they had, then went into the country of Mexico where I lived for 20 years.
After some personal problems I returned to the border where I continued teaching in Bible Schools, building churches, etc. So since 1984 I have been here. My latest project is the building of a two story church and a parsonage. The parsonage is not completed yet but is coming right along. The pastor is doing most of the work as he is a block layer.
I will be preaching the 4th anniversary of the church the 9th of November.
God bless all of you in your missionary endeavors.
Irene