Tina Learned God's Will While Fasting
When Tina Nguyen was seven, her family moved from Viet Nam to the US where she attended Syracuse University and later worked. A friend told Tina about Jesus, and in 2009 when Tina was alone in her bedroom, God revealed Himself to her. She repented and accepted Jesus and later was baptized and committed her life to serving God.
God led Tina to fast and pray for seven days to seek His will. She heard Him say in a small soft voice within her heart, "Return back to the land [of Viet Nam] and show them the love that I have shown you." Then she "saw" an image of a small mountain girl with a naked baby sleeping in a sling wrapped around her shoulders. Her arms were opened wide toward Tina.
Tina replied, "But Lord, I don't know how to read or write or even speak Vietnamese properly. How can I go there and serve? Could you send me to India instead? So many orphans there need help!" Immediately, God's Spirit blessed her with the ability to speak, read and write the Vietnamese biblical language fluently!
Months later the Lord revealed Himself to her again--this time through His Word as she read Mark 10:21: "One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Tina said, "It was the most difficult decision I ever made in my life, to let go of everything and follow the call of love. But because of my love for God, I submitted in obedience and sold my house and car, resigned my job at Syracuse University and closed down my life in America. I bought a one-way ticket to Vietnam and with only Jesus by my side, my provider, my very all, we headed for Vietnam to deliver the Gospel to the unreached peoples."
God led Tina to fast again--this time for a period of 40 days. After that He provided dual citizenships for her and enough financial support to build a Pre-K school. She started Emmanuel Fellowship through which over 100 students have heard the Gospel. She also has a college ministry that gathers adults for Bible study. In addition, she started a feeding program for tribal people to serve the orphans and widows.
In a recent email she said, "For the past 4 years of living with Jesus on the field, I have come to realize how blessed I am to be able to cry with Him, to laugh with Him, to suffer for Him, to walk hand in hand with Him and labor for love."
We never know what gifts God has to give us if we faithfully respond to His call to seek Him through fasting and prayer.
Dear Jesus, we come to You fasting and praying believing that you often choose to reveal your will in times of fasting.
"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
Aletha
