It was October, 2012, and I was on my first missions trip to North India with Mark Geppert and SEAPC. Richard and Linda Salley were part of that trip and we connected in the spirit, enjoying great times of prayer together over India. We stayed connected over the years, with visits in each other’s homes (different states). The Salleys have such beautiful hearts for missions, and great authority in prayer for the nations. They have an incredible ministry of networking people together to make a difference in the Kingdom. We met numerous missionaries through these visits and our hearts continued to knit deeply together. WHO KNEW where this would lead?
For years, the Salleys would talk about a ministry project they were involved with in CA via Good Shepherd Ministries called ISOM (International School of Ministry), and I even met someone who had worked on the translations into Hindi in India. The Salleys had heard of thousands of believers in third world countries being filled with the Holy Spirit and trained to evangelize their own people through ISOM. They invited me in 2017 and 2018 to the annual conferences. However, I did not feel this was something I was called to pursue for what God had me doing in India over these years. It was a wonderful Bible College on a flash-drive, but I didn’t “connect.”
Fast forward to February, 2019 – I was once again invited and this time felt compelled to attend (or maybe a little “pressured” as this time they purchased a ticket in advance for me and talked it up quite a bit). I was going to fit it in after a missions trip to Cambodia, so not only coming in after conference had begun, but pretty jet-lagged! WHO KNEW this would change everything? I think GOD KNEW (and the Salleys)!! I was able to meet with Dr Berin Gilfillan, the director, the Salleys purchased the program, and plans were made to get this going in North India. It has been an incredible and amazing story of what God has done since I met the Salleys in 2012. This story is JUST BEGINNING!
Today ISOM is exploding in India. My dear friend, Josh, has implemented ISOM training throughout his network of 15,000 house churches. We began with 39 of his top leaders coming to Delhi for 5 days of training in August, and have now just finished their second trimester. Those 39 have trained 700. Those 700 have now finished the first trimester and are prepared to teach it to their next level of leaders. By the time you read this those 700 will have multiplied into 3,500 people being trained in the Word of God! WHO KNEW God would take this to amazing levels so quickly?!
