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I know I told you about the time in 2003, when I was experiencing true revival in my life, but there is more to the story that I feel is time to communicate to you my dear beloved reader. My story is hard to believe. But isn't everything we believe about God based on little reasoning and lots of faith? It has taken me months to get to this point that I can finally share with you some things that have transpired in my life since last February. Here is my story...believe it or not!

It was on Thanksgiving Day, November 27,2003 when the Lord directed me to the Old Testament book of Haggai. Since I had never been a student of the Old Testament, my curiosity was up—what does God want to say to me? I never read any of Haggai and did not have the slightest idea what was in this book. I got up to Haggai 2:19, where it says “From this day on I will bless you”. The book ends with the words, “For I have chosen you”, declares the Lord. Christ spoke to me on that day telling me to claim the words. I wrote in my Bible: 11-27-03Thanksgiving Day – God spoke this verse to me. I can’t wait to see what God does so that He can receive glory and honor through me!

After writing this promise in my Bible, I asked God if there was anyone else who could hear His voice as I was hearing that morning. And He answered, “Yes, a black missionary in Africa”, and when his ministry ends yours will begin”. I shared this with only a couple of people, for who would believe such a wild story. I often looked at my words that I wrote in Haggai and wondered what that was all about in 2003. The years passed and the audible voice of God diminished, and now the leadings I was receiving were just gentle nudging by the Holy Spirit. But I could not forget the words that I heard on that day. Then on February 20th of this year I receive an e-mail from a missionary in London England. I have copied it below:

Hi, Pat, my sister in Jesus, This will be a weird letter. My wife Becky and I have wracked our brains - and I've written other friends in the US - trying to jog my/our (diseased!) "little gray cells" as to how we know you and how I came to be on your” Heart to Heart" list. Did I sign up somehow? I can't remember. (Hey, at 65, I can't remember LOTS of stuff.) Anyway, we've come up totally baffled. Maybe you're in one of our supporting churches? Please do clue us in. As it is, not knowing who you are or how I came to be on the list (and it's GOOD STUFF, but I'm on too many good things already!) I tried to "unsubscribe". BUT, since the e-mail you used is my forwarding service (johnwadelong@bigfoot.com ) - not really my active e-mail - and not a real ISP, the listserve software won't do an unsubscribe. So, please write and let me/us know our connection. Becky and I are all over the UK and Africa all the time, and have 32 supporting churches and 30 Individual donors in the States from CA to PA to FL and all in-between, we've got more "connections" than we can possibly keep up with, SO, please don't be offended at our confusion. Thanks & blessings! Johnny

I never met Johnny in my life, and wrote him back and let him know that. I do not know how he got on my distribution list, but I removed him, and let him know. Then came this e-mail:

Thank you, Pat. Yes indeed! When we get to heaven, let’s sit down under a fruit tree by The River and have a long chat. "Have a fresh mango, Pat?" :O) How sweet will heaven be? Last week we lost Dr. Berhanu Habte, my dearest friend and our ministry colleague in Ethiopia - a prince of a man - a "St. Paul" for the Gospel in Ethiopia - primary evangelism, pastor-training - AND - through his teaching of Grace4Africa(in Amharic) has seen countless hearts of Christian leaders there feed from the grip of dead legalism into the freedom of a new obedience to Jesus from grateful joy - vs. - cold duty, guilt & spiritual pride (the desire to produce a reputation). "And so dying to that which once bound us, we serve in the new way of the Spirit, not in the old way of the written code." - Romans 7:6

I have been heartsick, and yesterday one missionary friend who just lost his dearest Ugandan friend, Dr. Jonah Kule in December's ebola outbreak, wrote, "I hurt with you Johnny, and we know that heaven will be sweeter now".

So, Pat, until we see His face!

His 'n yours, Johnny

I immediately went to the internet and googled Dr. Berhanu Habte, and learned that he had a World Wide Ministry with World Vision International. Everything that I was reading about him indicated that he had touched thousands around the world with his self-sacrificing ministry. I wrote Johnny back after reading all of this, and he responded with the following e-mail:

Hi, Pat. That sounds like him - Dr. Berhanu Habte. His widow, Almaz, wrote me - and all the folks on Berhanu's mailing list - a cryptic e-mail on Monday which said (see below). Since, I have talked on the phone with his close Ethiopian colleague here in London, Pastor Getachew - who has invited me to speak at a memorial service to be held here next month. I wonder if he didn't have a heart attack (or aneurysm). Word has come that the road on which the accident happened was perfect, and that no other vehicle was involved. He was buried the next day - Ethiopian custom - so no autopsy would have been performed. That's the 3world for you - they would just assume the visible injuries were the cause of death. Thanks for sending along whatever links you can find. I've found nothing in my searches here. Blessings, Johnny

Here is the email that Johnny received from Dr. Habte’s widow:

We are forced with deep pain and sorrow to inform you all, that your brother Dr. Berhanu Habte has passed away on the 15th of February and went to his Lord as he has longed for the Kingdom since ever. Pray for us, let God bless you. Almaz and the family

Johnny then sent me a picture of Dr. Habte and himself. As I stared at the picture, I knew that this was the black missionary Christ had told me about in 2003 when he said, “When his ministry ends yours will begin”.

Johnny and I continued to correspond a little, and later I even joined his prayer team. But I never told him about the revelation that I received from the Lord. Mostly because I did not know how to communicate this to him, without sounding like a nut case. Then a month later after being off my distribution list, Johnny writes:

Hi, Pat my Sis, Johnny here from London town. Somehow the removal of my name from the HeartToHeart list has not worked. It seemed to for awhile, but now they have started coming again - this time to my new johnwadelong@gmail.com address (before it was to the johnwadelong@bigfoot.com address.) Can you fix that? I tried using the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the one that arrived today, but all I got was this message: The address is not valid Most likely causes: There might be a typing error in the address. If you clicked on a link, it may be out of date. Thanks & holy hugs, Johnny

All of this was not making any sense to me, and it was puzzling to Johnny also. I once again removed him from my devotional distribution list still very confused how he was added again. And this time now under a different e-mail address.

I have been pondering all of this and more now for months. I have shared these e-mails only with a few close friends, only to get a puzzled look from them. What does this all mean? I do not know at this point in my life, but I guess that is all right. I have decided to send this writing to Johnny and also to Almaz, Dr. Berhanu Habte’s widow. I grieve for her and for her two daughters. How sad to lose your husband and father without any warning given. I learned the Dr. Habte was on his way to a ministry appointment when God had called him home. I’m sure he never expected that kind of an appointment when he left his home that morning.

As I contemplate on what kind of ministry God has for me, I can’t help but get excited. Can God really use me to do great things for him? I draw to the conclusion, Yes, Yes and Yes. Just like God used Dr. Habte, he now wants to use others. It’s going to take a lot of people to fill the shoes of Dr. Habte. But I am confident when the time comes, God will direct me and guide me, just like He did back 2003.

Are you hearing the same words? “For I have chosen you”, declares the Lord. I hope you are. So let’s work together, hand in hand, and heart in heart, and continue the work that this black missionary in Africa started. And one day we can hear the words that Dr. Habte heard on that early morning on February 15,2008. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

It doesn’t get any better than that!

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;

I will turn the darkness into light before them, and make the rough places smooth.

These are the thing I will do; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16

Note: Here is the response from Johnny in London after he read this devotional:

Hi, Pat. Johnny here. WOW... now THAT is interesting! I wondered why you were so gung-ho to find out about Berhanu! :O)I haven't the foggiest what this might mean, but IF in God's providenceHE hooked us up, and it has something to do with a ministry that Hewants YOU to begin, then if you look deeply into the ministry that Berhanu and I had together - what his passion was - then you may very well be onthe right track.

And then he closed with giving me ideas of what kind of ministry God might want me to begin. Please pray for me as I go to God in the next few weeks asking Him to lead me, teach me, and instruct me.

p.s. If any of you knew Dr.Habte, please e-mail me and tell me what you knew about him? I know his ministry took him all around the world. - Pat

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

The Saints Who Slept