“Total transformation. That is what this place has been for me.
Total transformation.” Lily Penagos and her husband, Gustavo,
Graduated and have a flourishing ministry to children in Colombia.
Liz posted this: “Six years ago when I was on the plane on the way here
It was simply a leap into emptiness. I was exchanging all of my life for a
Stage that I knew nothing about.
Today traveling at my side is my husband, my biggest inspiration, my best friend and my best happiness..
As I get off the airplane I find friends, people who love us and are a refuge, comfort, and support and family.
Liz and her husband, Franqui, travelled through South America for six months and we able to train 500 children’s teachers.
How do youevaluateaneducationalinstitution?
One simple guidelineiswhatpercentage of thestudentsgraduate
And then, whathappenswiththosewhograduate..
I heard a minister in Singaporechallenge us with this:
“If your factory is supposed to be producing tires and it is
Actually churning out erasers, something is wrong.”
Someone asked us the other day: “Where are your graduates?”
Good question. A very good question.
One time we spent months finding the answer to that question—
Very instructive and very useful. But we haven’t done that for a while..
Where are those who spent so many hours at the altars
Weeping tears of contrition and availability?
So much sacrifice.
So many hours of study.
So many practical demonstrations of committed service
In their local church and here.
So many hours in the prayer room
So many trips walking to the train station or to the plaza
To share the God-given hope.
Are we a diploma factory?
I think not..
But we are seeing a lot of students graduate.
Are we just pushing them through to make sure they get their
Signed sheepskin and move on?
Move on to what?That is the real question.
Is our ministerial training effective?
Does it help shape those who can truly influence others?
We just saw 98 graduate on November 30th.
And what about last year’s graduates?
And the ones from the year before last?Where are they?
How about Nepal and Canada and India and Spain and Bolivia and El Salvador
And all over Argentina?
How about running feeding programs for destitute children and seeking out the homeless and the hopeless?
What about the one in that creative access country that quit showing up at the ATM?Most probably martyred..
Just because we don’t know exactly where each graduate is
Does not disqualify the school…God’s school…
The Potter’s House. His House of Prayer for all Nations..
Yes, some of them started out so well and then got derailed..
Those few do not qualify the whole..
We are not participants in a useless exercise to impress..
Who would we be trying to impress?
It would be such costly, sacrificial posturing.
It doesn’t even enter my mind..
Why not just accept that we are so busy with the present students
That we truly do not have time to keep track of every graduate..
But we are in touch with One who is.
And He sure knows.
He’s the Harvest Master
And He called them, and He shaped them and He sent them.
And He is using them..
So ask Him.
Just ask Him.
He knows.
(*) This article was published in January 2019.
