Right now, I am standing in the doorway of an open door. I have stood in front of many such doors before, and God willing I will stand in front of many more. It has taken me a while to get here, 20 years in fact, but now one week stands between me and crossing that threshold. In one week, Bree and I will be flying out, headed to the Czech Republic to do an internship with a mission team in Olomouc. One week really isn't that long, but right now it seems forever away...
We started this blog to keep our supporters, or other interested parties, up to date on what is happening in the Czech Republic (Hopefully, everything is working like we want it to, and you can go from one blog to another without much trouble. The likelihood of it actually working, however, is slim... Sorry!), and decided it would be good to post something before we went, so those that don't know us can get aquatinted. Unfortunately, I am really bad at sharing about me, unless I am given semi-specific questions to answer. Usually I either give too much information, or not enough. If either happens to be the case, please forgive me.
I was born in Parsons, Kansas, but my family moved to Prairie Grove, Arkansas when I was almost 4. Recently I have been able to visit the church in Parsons, and was blessed to find that their love for my family and me still abounds. Their example shows that there is still a lot about God and love that I have yet to understand, experience, or implement in my life.
When we first moved to Prairie Grove, we spent some time searching for a good church family, and found one close to home. The church at Prairie Grove took an active part in raising me up to be the Christian I am today. Through their love, care, and guidance, I made it through public school.
Evidently, God wasn't very happy with where I was. After graduating, He put a series of opportunities in front of me that have caused me to grow more in the past two years than at any other time in my life. The summer after I graduated, I was elected to FFA state office, where I learned a lot about myself, leadership, and service to others. That fall, I went to the University of Arkansas, pursuing a Civil Engineering degree. I got involved with the Razorbacks for Christ, a campus ministry sponsored by the Mt. Comfort church of Christ, which I attend during the school year. Where state office has helped me a lot with leadership and service, the RFC's and Mt Comfort pushed me to grow spiritually, in ways I had previously only imagined. I guess God became more than an obscure idea- He became real. As my freshman year went on, I continued to grow more and more, until I no longer saw who I had been as a Christian. I could say and do the right things, but not because of love for God. And so on April 5, 2012, I was baptized.
Since then, God has continued to work through me. I retired from state office in June, and left later that month for a month long mission trip in the Czech Republic. It is hard to explain exactly how much God worked in me while in the Czech Republic. Simply put, God continued to open my eyes to who He is and what He wants from me. It's a little confusing at times, but I trust that He will make it all work out.
I made it back to the US, but things weren't quite the same. While I enjoy civil engineering, it is no longer what I want to do with my life. So my plan changed. I am going to finish my degree, but am still not sure where I want to go after that. Maybe I will go into long term mission work. Maybe I will pursue a ministry related degree, in preaching, collegiate ministry, or mission work. I don't really know. Hopefully, this internship will help me explore my options, and give me a better grasp of where in God's Kingdom I will fit. For now, I am watching and waiting in anticipation...
Too much? Quite possibly... But that is me for you.
Please keep us in your prayers, and pray for those we will interact with, that they may recognize the power of God in our lives.
God bless,
John Coffey
