1995 – Chris and I are dating and in an amazing night of worship at a Black Stump music conference decide/promise each other/declare that we would use the talents God has given us for him. That we would be bold enough to do something...
1996 – Chris receives a prophecy that he would reach millions with the gospel…. We are not sure how this could ever come about...
Life is normal, we work, are promoted, have children (OK maybe 7 is not so normal! ), renovate the house, have a pet dog, homeschool, are involved in church, community, sports etc.
2010 – God tells us to sell the house we have just finished renovating. This was really very hard. We do it, not sure if we have heard right or not, but we rent the “not so renovated” house next door and await God’s next instructions.
2015 – We are still waiting – and we must admit are getting very impatient! We find ourselves losing confidence day by day in our ability to hear anything from God. Did we get it all wrong? We knock on doors of African mission societies, but there are no openings.
March 5th 2015 - A dear friend emails us some YouTube links to a hospital in Peru – I don’t watch them. Chris does and he was impressed with what God was doing there.
March later… The same friend phones me in tears one day telling me I just have to read this book, (Dr Klaus-Dieter John – Then and Now YWAM series), so I buy the book and put it on the bookshelf. I don’t have time to read a book!
My dear friend keeps checking if I have read the book yet! No is my constant answer.
We are frustrated at Chris’ job, hours stress, etc. – I seriously pray for a new start.
March 23rd - I need a toe operation, which is a totally silly chain of events but one that leads to me having to sit on the couch for one week - SO I finally read the book!!! Amazing story but the last page speaks to my heart – Dr Klaus-Dieter John is asked what his next project is after the hospital and school are now established, and he answers to set up a radio and television station to transmit the gospel across the Andes and information about the hospital, medical and education etc. It feels like God is saying that this is for us!
The text which called us to action
I check the publishing date at the front of the book, as surely it is old info by now, but is it was published in 2014 (just last year).
It is March 27th and I excitedly look at the Diospi Suyana website and to my surprise the latest newsletter on the first website page says that Klaus is putting out the call internationally, looking for an engineer to come and set up the radio/television station! Wow! – I pray with Mum, who is visiting us from Perth to help look after the kids (while I read books!!) and can’t wait for Chris to get home from work so I can show him!
Chris agrees! It seems like a perfect fit for our family.
We send an email with Chris’ resume attached to a general Diospi Suyana contact address, and can’t believe it when the next day Klaus himself emails us back! It is a basic email clarifying our interest and suggesting a phone call when he returns to Peru. We respond and say yes we would love to chat when he is able.
Then we wait, and it feels like God is testing us. It is a journey of our hearts. Could we really move to Peru? Do we really want to? – for once all the hard questions seem to have easy answers – “yes” and God cements it in our hearts. And then he gives us a chance to put our decision in to action…
Chris knew about the sale of Commonwealth owned television and radio test equipment on GraysOnline auction from a project that he has worked on for the past 2 ½ years. This was perfect for our broadcast work in Peru, but the auction ends in only two days. Multiple kits are each worth $250,000 but would sell for significantly less. We wait for Klaus to phone so we can confirm if we need the equipment or not. Klaus doesn’t call. The auction ends and we feel disappointed that we missed it. Then a week later there is a second chance auction for remaining unsold units, but still Klaus does not call!
So we decide that God wants us to step out in faith, in action, in decisively choosing this path for our family, so we bought the test equipment for a bargain price from our savings (God’s money really).
On the 7th of April, Chris brings it home, puts it on the floor, goes and makes a cup of tea to sit on the couch with Sandi and reflect on what we have done – and at that very moment the phone rings… it is Klaus John calling us from Peru to say he is interested in us being involved in this project!
Blessings, Chris & Sandi
Welch family with broadcast test equipment
Our "instruments of faith" viz broadcast test equipment
