Always Trust God for the Next Step
Let me introduce myself. My name is Rowena Peters and I am from India. If there is one thing I have learned in the last few years, it is this: If God has you in His grip, anything is possible. Anything! Just make sure you hold on tight to Him. Because when you realize you have no strength left to give, He gives you His. And it is enough. Maybe that is the whole point of the Christian faith. The purpose of the cross — to know that you can never make it on your own except through Him.
Let me back up a step. A few years ago I learned to swim. Quite challenging at my age. I went from toe in water, to foot in water, to leg in water, to body in water to swimming. And all that culminated in me jumping 10 feet into the deepest part of the pool and swimming the length of the pool.
So what does swimming have to do with ending Gospel poverty? Because that was God’s training plan for me to trust Him. He was preparing me for what was to come. You see for me, discipleship ministry has always been in the real world, with real-life kids, in real-time. That is why the only social media platform I was on is WhatsApp. For me, real-world ministry is doing real life together. So the virtual world just did not have any appeal to me.
That was about to change In February 2020, when thanks to COVID-19, my Bible study moved online. My first response to “Are you on Zoom?” was “Zoom? That is the sound my car makes.” February 2020 found me on Zoom as a participant figuring out the mute and camera on buttons. (Toe was in the water.)
Come April 2020, our Vacation Bible School ministry went online. The first time I “shared screen” – I replied – “Ok. I am sharing my screen. What does this mean?” Only then did I realize people could actually see my screen. Gulp! (Foot was in the water.)
In June 2020, my entire Sunday school went online. Our curriculum had to be adapted and changed to an online format. Suddenly PowerPoint became my new best friend. Kids were joining in – from all over India, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States – places I would have never dreamed my small ministry would reach. (Leg was in the water and I was swimming.)
I shared the Gospel with over 300 people online and several accepted Christ as their Savior. I received thumbs-up reactions after this altar call in September 2021. And Ethel, who was my roommate at the Haggai Faculty Development Seminar, asked me if next, I would share something from a Haggai international session. It was mainly to inspire non-Christians struggling due to the pandemic, but I was able to include a segment where I could share the Gospel. (I had officially dived off the deep end of the pool.) Again, there was a wonderful response to the Gospel.
Looking back, what astounds me is God’s patience and grace. If God had told me about an online ministry and reaching an international audience, I would have dived into bed, pulled up the covers, and not emerged. He could have done that. After all, He is God. What choice do I have but to obey? But He remembers how frail we are, that we are but dust. Step by step, He led me – just asking me to trust Him for the next step. How wonderfully kind and merciful is He! It just astounds me. If you had told me my mission field would go global – from my home – I would never have believed it.
So now you see why I have learned that if God has you in His grip, anything is possible. Anything!
Written by Rowena Peters
Always Trust God for the Next Step
Let me introduce myself. My name is Rowena Peters and I am from India. If there is one thing I have learned in the last few years, it is this: If God has you in His grip, anything is possible. Anything! Just make sure you hold on tight to Him. Because when you realize you have no strength left to give, He gives you His. And it is enough. Maybe that is the whole point of the Christian faith. The purpose of the cross — to know that you can never make it on your own except through Him.
Let me back up a step. A few years ago I learned to swim. Quite challenging at my age. I went from toe in water, to foot in water, to leg in water, to body in water to swimming. And all that culminated in me jumping 10 feet into the deepest part of the pool and swimming the length of the pool.
So what does swimming have to do with ending Gospel poverty? Because that was God’s training plan for me to trust Him. He was preparing me for what was to come. You see for me, discipleship ministry has always been in the real world, with real-life kids, in real-time. That is why the only social media platform I was on is WhatsApp. For me, real-world ministry is doing real life together. So the virtual world just did not have any appeal to me.
That was about to change In February 2020, when thanks to COVID-19, my Bible study moved online. My first response to “Are you on Zoom?” was “Zoom? That is the sound my car makes.” February 2020 found me on Zoom as a participant figuring out the mute and camera on buttons. (Toe was in the water.)
Come April 2020, our Vacation Bible School ministry went online. The first time I “shared screen” – I replied – “Ok. I am sharing my screen. What does this mean?” Only then did I realize people could actually see my screen. Gulp! (Foot was in the water.)
In June 2020, my entire Sunday school went online. Our curriculum had to be adapted and changed to an online format. Suddenly PowerPoint became my new best friend. Kids were joining in – from all over India, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States – places I would have never dreamed my small ministry would reach. (Leg was in the water and I was swimming.)
I shared the Gospel with over 300 people online and several accepted Christ as their Savior. I received thumbs-up reactions after this altar call in September 2021. And Ethel, who was my roommate at the Haggai Faculty Development Seminar, asked me if next, I would share something from a Haggai international session. It was mainly to inspire non-Christians struggling due to the pandemic, but I was able to include a segment where I could share the Gospel. (I had officially dived off the deep end of the pool.) Again, there was a wonderful response to the Gospel.
Looking back, what astounds me is God’s patience and grace. If God had told me about an online ministry and reaching an international audience, I would have dived into bed, pulled up the covers, and not emerged. He could have done that. After all, He is God. What choice do I have but to obey? But He remembers how frail we are, that we are but dust. Step by step, He led me – just asking me to trust Him for the next step. How wonderfully kind and merciful is He! It just astounds me. If you had told me my mission field would go global – from my home – I would never have believed it.
So now you see why I have learned that if God has you in His grip, anything is possible. Anything!
Written by Rowena Peters
Always Trust God for the Next Step
Let me introduce myself. My name is Rowena Peters and I am from India. If there is one thing I have learned in the last few years, it is this: If God has you in His grip, anything is possible. Anything! Just make sure you hold on tight to Him. Because when you realize you have no strength left to give, He gives you His. And it is enough. Maybe that is the whole point of the Christian faith. The purpose of the cross — to know that you can never make it on your own except through Him.
Let me back up a step. A few years ago I learned to swim. Quite challenging at my age. I went from toe in water, to foot in water, to leg in water, to body in water to swimming. And all that culminated in me jumping 10 feet into the deepest part of the pool and swimming the length of the pool.
So what does swimming have to do with ending Gospel poverty? Because that was God’s training plan for me to trust Him. He was preparing me for what was to come. You see for me, discipleship ministry has always been in the real world, with real-life kids, in real-time. That is why the only social media platform I was on is WhatsApp. For me, real-world ministry is doing real life together. So the virtual world just did not have any appeal to me.
That was about to change In February 2020, when thanks to COVID-19, my Bible study moved online. My first response to “Are you on Zoom?” was “Zoom? That is the sound my car makes.” February 2020 found me on Zoom as a participant figuring out the mute and camera on buttons. (Toe was in the water.)
Come April 2020, our Vacation Bible School ministry went online. The first time I “shared screen” – I replied – “Ok. I am sharing my screen. What does this mean?” Only then did I realize people could actually see my screen. Gulp! (Foot was in the water.)
In June 2020, my entire Sunday school went online. Our curriculum had to be adapted and changed to an online format. Suddenly PowerPoint became my new best friend. Kids were joining in – from all over India, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States – places I would have never dreamed my small ministry would reach. (Leg was in the water and I was swimming.)
I shared the Gospel with over 300 people online and several accepted Christ as their Savior. I received thumbs-up reactions after this altar call in September 2021. And Ethel, who was my roommate at the Haggai Faculty Development Seminar, asked me if next, I would share something from a Haggai international session. It was mainly to inspire non-Christians struggling due to the pandemic, but I was able to include a segment where I could share the Gospel. (I had officially dived off the deep end of the pool.) Again, there was a wonderful response to the Gospel.
Looking back, what astounds me is God’s patience and grace. If God had told me about an online ministry and reaching an international audience, I would have dived into bed, pulled up the covers, and not emerged. He could have done that. After all, He is God. What choice do I have but to obey? But He remembers how frail we are, that we are but dust. Step by step, He led me – just asking me to trust Him for the next step. How wonderfully kind and merciful is He! It just astounds me. If you had told me my mission field would go global – from my home – I would never have believed it.
So now you see why I have learned that if God has you in His grip, anything is possible. Anything!
Written by Rowena Peters
