I began to have second thoughts when faced with the cost of all that lay before us, despite all the LORD had confirmed to us. I was faced with giving up my job and income and faced with the prospect of more training as well travelling around the world. The only way I could see out of the predicament was to sell our house and use the money to cover the expense of all that God had shown we would do. On the second Sunday in Sept. 1981 we went to our pastor, Dick Hemming’s house to tell him how I was feeling and to seek someone to whom I could pour out my burden. But Dick had John Massam, the guest preacher, as a guest for lunch. As they began talking after lunch, all Dick could do was to excitedly tell John about the exciting things that had been happening to Ian & Tania and how they were soon going to Bible College and afterwards to work with Wycliffe. All I could think of was the cost of all this commitment and how I would have to sell my house to pay for all that we faced. John shocked me by ‘out of the blue’ saying, “Ian, I feel the LORD is telling me, if you are thinking of selling your house, not to”. That comment although amazing and timely, sent my mind reeling as to how we would cover the costs if I didn’t sell my house. Finally John left and I had the chance to tell Dick how hard this all was and how burdened I was financially over all we faced ahead. As I started to pour out my feelings to Dick, another guest arrived, Mike Shaxton, who had been a missionary in West New Britain, PNG. Again Dick began to excitedly tell Mike what the LORD had been doing in our lives. Again my thoughts turned inward as before and once again I was thinking the only way out of this was to sell our house. The LORD spoke through Mike this time when he in turn, ‘out of the blue’, without any prompt from the conversation said, “Ian I believe the LORD would say to you, if you’re thinking of selling your house, don’t.” Dick almost fell on the floor laughing. Twice in a short period of time God had said, “Ian, don’t sell your house; I will provide for you.”
