How I Made it to New Zealand, Joy Hostetler
September 10, 2011
I want to share a testimony of how God brought me to New Zealand and joined me to the team of Albiston Family Ministries. Seven years ago, I went to the DOMATA School of Ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When I started there my thoughts were, “I am going to be a missionary to a Bible-less people group out in the middle of nowhere.” As I spent time in prayer the Lord put within me a deep call and heart to come alongside a mission family in ministry, like a Timothy to Paul relationship.
In the last week of school, God clearly showed me I was to go back home for a season of waiting before I would walk out what He had put in my heart. After two years of waiting, a door opened. I found out about two different families that were seeking help, one seemed really good. I even went to the point of flying to Tulsa, Oklahoma and meeting up with the one family. Yet the peace was not in my heart to join up with them right then. It seemed He said, "This is a great family and you would do well with them, but I have something better. But you must wait and keep growing in the things I want to teach you now."
Brendon and Deveri Albiston have been family friends for years now and there was always the pull to spend more time with them. Yet after every time of seeing them, God would speak to my heart, “PRAY, the time will come.” It never even crossed my mind to do ministry with them. The fall of 2009, when my sister-in-law told me that Brendon and Deveri were called to New Zealand, the lights came on. I still didn't fully know how my life would change.
WHAT? My first thoughts were “Lord, I wanted to go to Virginia and spend some time with them, but now they are leaving the country, we seemed to share the same heart for the things of God.” So I prayed and God blew my socks off so to speak. In that pray time it was like dynamite went off inside me that NOW IS THE TIME! “Joy - you need to do all you can to hook up with them in New Zealand!” “Lord, you want me to move to New Zealand? And come alongside of them in ministry?”
I had only ever been around Deveri in person two or three times. Brendon was like an older brother to me, but now he had a family. I started thinking “How is this going to work Lord?” They have not asked me, so do I have to bring it up to them? What if they don't want me? I just got a good job that I love and my family, I love being around my family.
After praying over it a few months, I took a step of faith and made the big call to Brendon and Deveri. I did not know what they would think or even if they wanted someone to come alongside them in ministry. I shared my heart with them about wanting to come and be a blessing to them in New Zealand. The rest is all history. God has worked everything out for my good and His glory!
The great outcome is that I am walking out what God put in my heart seven years ago and it is far greater than I would have ever dreamed. I serve in ministry with Albiston Family Ministries and have the honor of being the first staff member in Church Alive of Tauranga, New Zealand. God knew my heart even better than I did. What a great blessing to be right where God wants me and walking out what He put in my heart.
