Our Story
For many years now, Linda and I have been involved with a ministry called The International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, MO. It is a missions base whose main purpose since September 1999 has been to do the work of 24/7 (24 hours a day/ 7days a week) night and day intercessory prayer. By “being involved” I mean we have been fed spiritually through teachings, books, conferences and personal retreats to IHOP for times of strengthening and refreshing. Through this ministry our spiritual lives have been enriched and transformed in deep ways that are beyond our explaining. For the first time this winter I was able to take our oldest two boys out there for a young adult conference. The impact it had on their lives far exceeded anything we could have asked for or imagined! My heart burned with vision that this is a place in the Kingdom for me and for each one in my family.
Three years ago it became very clear to me that I had the calling of an intercessor and that someday (most likely when the kids were gone), Linda and I would “sell the farm” and join staff at IHOP as Full-time Intercessory Missionaries. While out there this December however, God revealed that the timing was not in 15+ years but now and that it had just as much to do with our kids and their gifts and callings as it did with us! On the second day of the conference, I called Linda in tears and shared with her how I felt God was leading, only to find out later from her that from the moment the boys and I left for the airport, she was burdened with the prayer, “God, if you want us to move out to KC, then I pray that YOU would speak to Craig while he is out there. My lips are shut.”
Since then, as you can imagine, we have sought hard after God regarding this and after much prayer, fasting, counsel, and a “scouting” trip out there for Linda and I in February, we are convinced that this is a door that God is opening for us and a call He is extending to us as a family!