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?!

As you can imagine, the logistics and cost to facilitate all of this can be overwhelming. Thousands of USB’s that contain the videos. Thousands of pages of notes for each trimester in two different languages.  TV monitors for the larger groups to show the videos.  Cell phones and microchips for the smaller groups to watch. Copy machines to print out the notes in five different regions. Salaries to hire administrators to keep track of all the groups, their names and their grades…But God has always and will always provide everything needed to fulfill this great work.  This is His heart. This is His desire. This is His strategy and He will advance His Kingdom.  The Word of God will not return void!

What God is doing through this training is staggering.  People are growing in knowledge and wisdom.  Everyone receives the same teaching so there is no room for false doctrines to creep in and bring division.  Women are being educated, some for the first time.  In Indian culture, women are not valued as highly as men, especially in the lower caste system. Now, for the first time they have the opportunity to find dignity and honor by saying they are earning their Bible College diploma.  The Word of God is bearing fruit and will not only train workers for the Harvest but deeply affects the culture it is being released into.  God is breathing on this because He is preparing workers to be released into the coming Great Awakening that will sweep across India!

So, thank you, Richard and Linda. Thank you for pushing me and not taking “no” for an answer. Thank you for making me “go” to that ISOM conference. Thank you for introducing me to Dr. Berin who created ISOM.  Because of your intercession, your wisdom and your giving, a nation is being affected with the Word of God. WHO KNEW? GOD KNEW!