I have always been sceptical about the true reasons for a "missions" trip, especially when it is to places like Hawaii or in this case, Sacramento California. Weren't the supposed "missionaries" simply pulling the wool over our eyes and using ministry as pretence for "having a jolly"? Being married to a man who was prone to being "led by God" to embark on missions trips didn't dissuade my scepticism. "He is having 2 holidays a year - sometimes more!" I would secretly protest to God. Because I missed having him around so much, I longed for an opportunity to go with him and also to see for myself what really happened on these trips. And the opportunity came. July / August 2003 saw my "missionary" husband, myself, our 6 year old son and our 6 month old daughter embark on a missions trip to the USA. We were, by coincidence as much as God-incidence, going to be speakers at a conference organised by my cousin and her husband who were both Pastors at Livingspring Christian Centre. I say "we" because by some miraculous arrangement to which I was not privy, my husband and Pastor Ty both felt led by God that I was to run a worship seminar and night of worship. When the idea was first muted to me, my response was brief and to the point - "Ha! No way!" and, as I often thought on these occasions, "Why didn't God ask me first before announcing it to these people?"

So what happened when we got there? A brief outline of our diary was as follows:

pm: Left England for Sacramento

pm: Arrived in Sacramento (spot the time difference? It was an 11 hour flight but we went back in time!)

am: Sunday worship at Livingspring Christian Centre

pm: Sola and Pastor Ty attend a relationship-building service at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church

pm: Pastor Dave Food arrives

am: Dave, Sola and Pastor Ty meet with Pastor Tim of New Covenant Church who were partnering with Livingspring in hosting the conference.

pm: Prayer meeting with leaders of both Livingspring Christian Centre and New Convenant Church.

pm: First day of conference. Sola speaks on "Rediscovering the Godhead".

am: Dave, Sola, Pastors Ty and Mo went on a relationship-building meeting to see Pastor Goudeaux of Calvary Christian Centre

pm: Dennis McNally of Lifelinks arrives especially for the conference to speak on "Rediscovering God for Purpose". This was followed by presbytery (prophetic ministry) mostly on the leaders of participating churches.

pm: Dave and Sola speak at Rejoyce Fellowship in Brentwood on "A Fresh Touch". God spoke directly and powerfully to individuals through prophecy during the meeting.

noon: "Rediscovering God in Worship" - I speak! Ha!

pm: Worship night at New Covenant Church

am: Dave speaks on "Rediscovering God for Community Transformation" at Livingspring Christian Centre.

pm: Sola speaks on "Rediscovering God for Community Transformation" at New Covenant Church. Conference ends.

Monday 04 August - Saturday 09 August: Family holiday for the Osinoiki's (allegedly!), interspersed by times of ministry to all sorts of people - unsuspecting clients of Pastor Mo, Pastor Mo and Ty themselves and other leaders of Livingspring Christian Centre.

What this diary does not show or convey in any way is how God used His ministers as vessels to portray His glory. There was a lot of prophetic speaking over people we've never seen or known before, accurate words to do with their desires, their heart situation, their dreams, God's purpose for their lives. I saw God use my husband and Pastor Dave to speak to people from all sorts of backgrounds with all sorts of destinies... people destined to stand before Presidents and other great leaders, people who were poets, evangelists, worship leaders, people who were going to travel the world for God, people who God was going to give great wealth, or people who God was going to use in worship, intercessors, ordinary folk, being called and encouraged by God to do extra-ordinary things. Sola would wake up in the morning, without a clue of what God wanted to say or do, and God would move in a sovereign way, putting in his heart words about people who Sola didn't know, words that Sola couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams. If there is anything I came away with from our trip, it was the certain knowledge that God knows us intimately, and cares about the minute detail in our lives. And that yes, God will send someone from hundreds of miles away to you, if He felt it would bless, encourage and build you up. And yes, God did want me to speak on worship and lead a worship night, to His glory.

For those of you who are interested, we have video recordings of some of the meetings and you are welcome to loan them from us. Needless to say, I want to do this again - God willing!

Blessings

Kunbi Osinoiki

Return to Josh Publications