~From Limp to Limber by Glenda Alphin, missionary to Finland

Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you? Left you to “cry in your soup” all alone? I can’t tell you how many times I have felt like that over the last eight years. It seems like God has been wringing “the old man” out of me at every turning! Life has gotten increasingly more interesting ever since Mark dropped the missions bombshell on me in 2002.

I can remember the day well. I had gone to visit my sister during a Spring Break weekend, one of those rare visits that are hard to fit into a schedule because of ministry responsibilities on both ends. I left on a Friday morning, feeling rather bad about missing an all-night prayer meeting at church, but knowing that I desperately needed the time with my sister. We were expecting to have great fun! She and I had four little girls between us, ages 5 to 8½, and it was always a rambunctious time whenever we got together. I was sailing along in my weekend, having the time of my life, when I received a phone call from Mark shortly after awakening that Saturday morning. “I have something that I need to tell you,” he said. Immediately, my mind went to a-wondering, as is the normal reaction for most wives when they hear a statement like that. Then, I hear something I had never expected to come out of Mark’s mouth. “God called me to Finland last night during the prayer meeting.”
Imagine for a moment how you would have felt, had that been you. I was raised in Pentecost. I am a minister’s daughter. I can even say that missionaries are a part of my family (Rodger and Margaret White, Indonesia-Malaysia), so I am not unfamiliar with the calling. And, I can’t overlook that our youngest daughter, Candace, has claimed a missions calling since the age of 5. Considering all of these things, maybe my response was inappropriate? All I could say was, “We’ll talk about that when I get home.” It was as if the Lord and the devil said, “Let the mind games begin!” Finland? Where in the world was Finland? How in the world… Why did he call me to tell me… How can we do this… The girls are too young… I cannot possibly be a missionary’s wife… I’m not equipped… He’s… crazy… We… No… But… God…!

It was at that time that God began to turn me from limp to limber. I understand submission. Mark and I have been pastored by Bishop William L. Sciscoe since January 1997, choosing to be sponges under his tutelage. I know that in order to have a “successful” relationship with God, one has to be willing to submit, no matter the request or task. So, I didn’t tell Mark “no.” I simply said, “Okay. You say you’re called to Finland, that’s fine, but God is going to have to hit me up side my head with that proverbial baseball bat Himself.” To you, that may sound disrespectful and it probably was. But having previously gone through nine years of turmoil in our marriage where I had been the spiritual leader for my girls, I was still learning to follow Mark, which made it necessary for me to hear from God myself. Well, God answered. Not in the way I had hoped, mind you, but in a quiet, gentle voice that would say the same words to me for years: “Trust me, daughter. Follow your husband. He has heard my voice.”

Limp steps began to strengthen over six years of hearing the Lord say, “Trust your husband. He does hear my voice.” Selling the house and moving year after year to a different place because it was less expensive…going from a six-figure salary to a missionary’s income because God said “Go.” Limp to limber. Serving as an AIMer in Estonia during one of the darkest, spiritually hardest eleven months of my life; I wouldn’t want to ever go back and redo that span of time, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world, as every trial continued to mold our character into what God wants it to be. Limp to limber. Trusting my husband. Waiting for full missionary appointment because we felt it was what God deemed necessary. “Your ministry is ¼ to the North American church,” a wise leader told us. Then, we began to understand that every relationship matters, every service matters, every time of ministry matters; We’re being shaped for the future. I even decided to give deputation another name: “Missionary Bootcamp,” Is it easy? No. Do we always enjoy it? No. Did we ever consider “throwing in the towel?” Yes! And then, what would we tell God? “Sorry, Lord. I know you really want me to do this, but ya know, it’s just a little too hard. My flesh doesn’t like it. But, I’ll be happy to pray for someone else to pick up that burden for you!” No way! Everything that we go through serves to turn us from limp to limber in the Spirit. It was during our first year of deputation that God finally, personally, called me to Finland. After six years of waiting for that special moment, I can take you to the exact place where it happened. On Friday night of Louisiana Camp Meeting 2008, God rolled an incredible vision through my mind as He told me exactly what role I would play in the spiritual awakening that He will perform in Finland.

And now, we’re waiting on residence permits while praying for God’s perfect timing. Limp to Limber. Do I always understand why it’s taken so long? No. Do I enjoy waiting? No. Do I need to wait? Yes. And as I write, the Lord brings to my mind the following scripture: “The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again. (1Peter 1:7, NLT)

In the midst of our preparation to leave for Finland, in order to serve our first term there as foreign missionaries for the UPCI, I’ve given God permission to work me over as He sees fit; mold me, shape me, train me, teach me.  Lord, turn me from limp to limber.

Glenda Alphin

Rev. Mark and Mrs. Glenda Alphin

UPCI Missionaries to Finland

c/o Foreign Missions Division

8855 Dunn Road

Hazelwood, Missouri 63042 USA

FMD Account #98894

Vonage: 614.437.2078

http://www.pursuetheprize.org/

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