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Taking small steps - my story about choosing India and Bangladesh


Small Steps Lead to a Big Step


I have a doctorate degree and two master's degrees, have written two books, and spent twenty years as a missionary among Muslims in South Asia. To some, this list is impressive and impossible to mimic. However, the truth of the matter is that God deserves the praise. All I did was to continually take small steps of obedience and be extremely persistent. 


Here is my story of small steps.


After struggling through high school, I went to a university to become an accountant. But I quickly learned that I lacked the aptitude or desire to do that job. So, I switched majors to business management and, upon graduation, spent ten years in the field. I was a good manager because I worked hard and liked to be around people.


In 1996, I joined a church in southeastern Pennsylvania. The church was small and active in missions. Over time, I became active in the church but felt like something was missing. I worked hard at my job, spending extra hours whenever necessary. However, all that extra work did not accomplish anything. At the same time, I read in 1 Corinthians 3:13 that our work would be tested by fire. It seemed that my hard work would go up in smoke because I was doing so little for the Kingdom of God. That day, I started to search and pray for a different job. My first small step.


I looked into ministries in Philadelphia and rural Pennsylvania, but neither place seemed right for me. Somewhere in the process of searching, I learned about Bob Ward and his ministry called “Partners International Ministries.” Bob used to lead Christian groups to Romania five times per year. In total, I took three trips with Bob, but the first one was the most significant. During my first trip, God clearly told me to take His message to the world. Based on the theme of the blog, my series of small steps were searching for a role in ministry, going on a short-term mission trip, and being in a place where God was going to speak to me.



When I returned home, I shared the news with my wife, but she was less than excited. Her exact words were, "God did not tell me that!" Fortunately, she also said she would pray about it. She decided to pray for four weeks. The first week she prayed, God change Chris' mind because she did not want to go overseas. At that time, we owned a house, had three children, a good church, and a comfortable routine. She prayed for God to change His mind during the second and third weeks because she did not want to go. Finally, in the fourth week, she prayed, "God, change my heart." After four weeks of praying, she declared that it was a matter of obedience or disobedience. Everyone should take the step of obeying God every moment of the day.


My sending organization required me to earn a master's degree prior to serving with them overseas. Therefore, we had to sell our house, pack with the mindset that many items would not follow us overseas, enroll in seminary, and find a place to live. The sending company also requires a lengthy interview process, including sixty references, multiple background checks, a psychological evaluation, and strict medical guidelines. Step by step, my family and I worked through the process. 


Seminary was not easy, but I persisted. The interview process continued while I was in seminary. Near the end, my wife and I prayed about where we would like to serve. My seminary wanted me to go to Dar-es-Salam, but graciously granted my request to serve in a different location. I wanted to serve in a place where most people would not go. Initially, I chose India and later narrowed down my choice to the city of Lucknow. Interestingly, after I thought India was the country for us, my wife and I prayed separately, and both picked Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. By this time, I was halfway through my seminary degree, my house was sold, and I had almost completed the interview process. In other words, the next small (and logical) step was to pick a place and prepare to move to India.


Our family arrived in Lucknow on September 25, 2004. Our children were ages nine, eight, and five. We travelled with far too many suitcases but nothing larger than a printer. Within thirty minutes of reaching our hotel, we were touring empty apartments, and nine days later, we moved into one of the first ones we saw. In this case, the small step of obedience was to find a permanent place to live. And the next step was to start filling the apartment with furniture and appliances.


These small steps continued throughout my twenty years of overseas service. Perhaps the most satisfying part of the process was when God confirmed I was in the place He wanted me to be. He did this by giving me the ability to live in the country, a love for the people, and an aptitude to learn the local culture. He also confirmed my overseas work by allowing Godly people, both Asian and American, to confirm the impact I made in the areas I served.


Small steps of obedience lead to great things for the Kingdom of God. Don’t stop saying yes to God.











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