God provides

Today is the day I send my eldest to the Honor Academy.… well okay he doesn’t really belong to me.

Though Tony has only lived with us for 2 weeks I somehow feel a responsibility for him. As I was pushing my way through the school supply aisle the other day at wal-mart I felt an overwhelming sense, like I am sure most moms feel, of pride and yet sadness to see him go.

Tony grew up in Baghdad, Iraq and doesn’t remember most of his childhood. In his early teens he helped American soldiers with translation, as a messenger, and much more. Because he served the soldiers he and his family began to get death threats from terrorist. He fled to Amman, Jordan where a friend brought him to our partners that work among Iraqi refugees there. It was the first time Tony ever heard about Jesus and he immediately recognized God’s love for him and ask Jesus to be Lord of his life. He began to attend our partners school. They saw Tony’s passion for God and helped him get to the states to finish highschool education. We meet Tony in Amman and have been connected to him ever since. We know he has God’s grace is on his life.

He came to our house a turning point in his life, not sure what God had for him next. He has always felt like God would have him in a ministry of some sort and has a servant’s heart. He talked about getting a job to get some money or joining the army but he knew neither of them is what God really wanted. We had been praying for him and prayed with him. The following days we began to share with him about the Honor Academy. He had heard Ron Luce speak at a Creation Festival and met him. The Honor Academy is a one year internship with Teen Mania Ministries, I went there when I was 18. It like have 4 years of spiritual and emotional growth packed into one with Bible, life, business, and mission training. It cost $8,400 for the class, room, food, and travel.

We have all watched a miracle of God unfold as in a little over a week God has provided… $4,330 plus a $1000 scholarship, miracles with his paperwork, shots, health insurance and a doctor appointment. It is no doubt that this is God’s doing and God wants Tony in Texas!

To read a story a local paper wrote about Tony:http://fcobserver.com/183/news/never-afraid

To watch a video about the Honor Academy:http://vimeo.com/10877368

If you want be on Tony’s prayer email update let me know. If you want to give go here and enter Tony’s code: 2624300