It all started on June 22nd of this year. I was in the midst of preparing for our annual vacation to the beach. I received a call from our good friends in Canada and was given the following details:
Sheila speaking: Now this particular morning I was awake at 5 am and heard in the Spirit, ‘Set up a trust fund’— named “To serve” … Ha! That’s funny to the natural mind. It came again, ‘Set up a trust fund’. How would we do that? It would probably cost more than we have to get it set up! A further thought came by the Spirit … ‘talk with Bob Henley. (we did just that).
They suggested that I travel to Canada and meet with them and another couple to discuss a Canadian branch of Servias Ministries. I suggested that we discuss the trip once I returned from vacation. I was in the midst of unprecedented repairs & maintenance at the house. With each new project, I simply spoke gratitude to Our Heavenly Father for having a place to live. The repair process was to last all summer and I was in no mood to make a trip anywhere but to Home Depot.
After vacation, Canada was not on my priority list, repairs were. I love my Canadian friends but a trip to British Columbia was a notable commitment, both time and money. Our Heavenly Father needed to get my attention away from the repairs and HE did with the following excerpts from another email:
August 15th. Last Friday we went to the local library. As I passed the shelf of used paperbacks for sale at 25 cents each, I stopped to have a quick peek and one book stood out; it was entitled ‘The Judas Factor’. I was interested because in some of our research reading, our thoughts were challenged whether Judas was a traitor or an obedient servant doing exactly what Father had asked of him !?!?!? (Wow!).
So I picked up the book but found it had no interest to me other than it was a spy story by an author I had read in earlier years. Within a day or two, I was again prompted to pick it out of my pile of books waiting to be read. I was surprised and lightly questioned it when I read the word ‘serveus’ — used in the story as a password. I finished reading the book the following day and moved on to other things.
Two months have passed and I have not forgotten the ‘Word’ to open a trust account called “TOSERVE”— but have not heard anything further … until just before settling down to sleep on the evening of the14th. — I heard ‘serveus’ (‘servias’?) is the password. I asked the Lord to remind me of this in the morning.
This was the spy’s password to access all of the wealth. This necessitated my inquiry to Our Heavenly Father about making the trip. Yes, as soon as possible. I knew now that I had a mission from GOD. Where did they live? Kelowna, BC,,, never heard of it. I googled the place to get familiar with it and found it was in the midst of Canada’s wine country. The motto of the city is “fruitfulness in unity” and the name means “grizzly bear”. In the meantime, a friend in Michigan called and mentioned he had just returned from Canada. I mentioned my upcoming trip and he asked the final destination. Kelowna. “What? I was just there a couple of days ago". His cousin took them on a wine tour and the one winery he compelled me to go to was Ex Nihilo Winery. The ice wine was the premier wine from that valley. The Rolling Stones are investors. “Ex Nihilo” means out of nothing… the beginning of creation.
Our Heavenly Father put on my heart that I must buy the ice wine to be inspected on the eve of the Day of Jubilee (aka Atonement) in St. Louis. This was to represent the grapes carried back from Canaan by the spies for inspection prior to entrance into the Promised Land. Do you think the spies brought back mediocre fruit for inspection? Nothing but the best!
On August 17th, I notified our friends that I would travel to Kelowna to meet with them and the other couple on August 26th and spend a few days in the valley of the fruit. I arrived in Seattle and rented a car. I knew that I must visit Vancouver’s city center and then travel on Highway 1 to Kelowna. My GPS routed me through Hope, B.C. even though it was a slight detour.
I arrived at the winery and bought two bottles of ice wine to be used for inspection. On one of the bottles, the inscription was “Journey of Hope”. On the other was “Sympathy for the devil”. After all, we must show compassion for all of Our Heavenly Father’s creation, even the devil. After I left the winery, I arrived at our friend’s house on the lake. The other couple arrived and we spent the weekend sharing our hearts. I am convinced that both couples I met with would be integral in what Our Heavenly Father has called us to in handling Kingdom funds and establishing a presence in Western Canada. The Canadian connection to Servias Ministries is materializing. I expect our expansion to occur there next.
After much spiritual warfare, I was able to get the “fruit” back to Oklahoma in preparation for the trip to St. Louis. We then traveled to St. Louis for a conference held by Stone Kingdom Ministries. Upon inquiry of Our Heavenly Father, we were to inspect at 2 P.M. with a total of 12 people selected for the task. Each of us “inspected” the fruit and found it good. We all agreed that by HIS anointing we were well able to take the Promised Land. The inspection was completed before 3 P.M. on Friday, October 7th. Thus what Our Heavenly Father began on June 22nd at 5 A.M. was manifested to complete this leg of the journey HE has us on.
On Saturday, I was led to go to the Arch in St. Louis. This is where the grizzly bear on prominent display in the Visitor Center connected the dots to Kelowna, B.C. You just can’t make this stuff up!