A year before this Ordination Event, Life Exchange Ministries asked to ordain me. I did not really truly believe that I needed to be ordained to do God’s will, and I was content with HIM ordering my steps. However, they were walking in complete obedience to the LORD and knew what I did not know, could see what I could not see and understood what I could not understand. A few months later, I was invited to minister in Japan. When they learned that I was not ordained, the invitation was withdrawn. Ordination is a word that means different things in different languages, cultures, churches, denominations, religions, and places of academia. When it was first offered to me, I viewed it as a “title” that I was not seeking or needed. Yet, because I had not traveled internationally, I did not realize what it might mean in a different culture. Therefore, when Life Exchange Ministries, called again, saying that they had heard from the LORD again, I graciously asked forgiveness for my naive ignorance and accepted their invitation. I am the same person with or without the title of ordination. Yet, five months later in 2002 when the LORD ordered my steps to Peru, the simple word, “ordained” opened up the way for me to preach seven nights even though I had never really preached before. God was preparing the way for HIS message of salvation, truth, light, love, redemption, joy, kindness, restoration and healing to be released in Peru, long before I had any clue about what HE was planning. In some cultures, the word ordination literally opens doors for serving God and HIS people.
05.31.2002, Friday ~ It was a sweet joy and cherished opportunity, that both of my sons, Shawn and Jeremy were joining me on this journey. My beautiful daughter Angela was expecting my first granddaughter, Sarah Joy in just a few weeks and was not positioned to make the long drive. On the way to La Grande, Shawn asked if I had heard about the climbing accident on Mt. Hood that took the lives of three men yesterday. This took my breath away as seven nights earlier, he and his brother were making a night climb up the same mountain. They had called about 11:30 PM, to let me know they were beginning the ascent and asked for prayer. My spirit was very agitated, so I called a good friend and asked for additional prayer support. I stayed awake the entire night praying. It was as though when my prayers ascended to heaven, they safely ascended the mountain, simultaneously one prayer and one step at a time. My sons called a few hours later informing me that they had turned around because of no visibility from a bank of thick fog and were descending the mountain early. Thank GOD for cell phones! They had turned around at 10,000 vertical feet, less than one hundred yards from the place the accident occurred exactly seven days later. Gratefully, my sons are both Eagle Scouts, strong, brave, courageous, experienced and educated climbers that have reached the summit of many Northwest America Mountains. And gratefully, the LORD answers our fervent prayers and protects our children with HIS mercy and grace (Psalm 91). La Grande is known as the Valley of Peace resting between the Blue Mountains and the Eagle Cap Wilderness. B Street in La Grande, Oregon is one of the few cities in Oregon that has the history of being a portion of the Oregon Trail before it became B Street. I am a fourth generation Oregonian with a very strong pioneer heritage. My ancestors were among those that traversed America in wagon trains. It was not a surprise to me that the LORD chose this land as the place for my ordination service and celebration.
The Ordination Service was held at The Place, a local community even center which reminded me of the following scripture: You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, THE PLACE, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling, The sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17, NASB).
The evening was filled with divine appointments, prophetic blessings, an abundance of prayers and hugs, the joy of the LORD, sweet intimate worship of our KING, miracles, signs, wonders and the rich blessings of friends traveling many miles to bring support and encouragement.
Thank you so much to Charles, HGRM Pastoral Advisor; HGRM Intercessors: Terri, Karol, Lucille, Tom, Stephanie, Stephenie, and Betty; and my sons, Shawn and Jeremy for honoring me with their presence and joining the celebration. And heartfelt thanks to so many friends from the Pacific to the Atlantic that shared in the fullness of this pivotal celebration.
Pheap, a native-born Cambodian, and one of my spiritual daughters’ in this season, traveled many hours to bring an expression of her love. I was blessed beyond words. There were people from nine States and two continents representing a very diverse portion of the body of Christ Jesus. Many shared, prayed, blessed, and were ordained.
06.01.2002 - Saturday I arose early and read the many blessings written the night before in my Ordination Journal with tears streaming down my face. Who am I that I could possibly be so blessed by so many? I do not know how to fully comprehend the grace and mercy of the LORD.
We gathered again in the morning at The Place to continue the ordination celebration of prayer, impartation, prophetic blessings, worship, fellowship and more divine appointments as we rested in the Eagle’s Nest. Followed by an evening BBQ with great food, fellowship and fun. The day closed like the last chapter of a good book complete with a happy ending, followed by an extravagant and mesmerizing fuchsia, amethysts, goldenrod, and lavender colored sunset painted for us by our Creator.
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A few months later someone called asking if HGRM provided ordinations. It was not something we had previously considered as a ministry. The Board of Directors gathered and we acted in faith, believing GOD was extending the tent pegs of HGRM and therefore, following Biblical Scriptural research we developed an Ordination process for HGRM. As they say....the rest is history.
