The Call to Miami

Hello to All!

Well, back in March 2006, I met an amazing family at a church planting conference held at the Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center. The Salcedo's are a Latino family. Art Salcedo is from Columbia and Lizbeth Salcedo is from Nicaragua. They have two lovely daughters, Michelle and Cristine and two twins on the way. They have a mission which was launched in January 2006 located in Midtown Miami just off of Biscayne Blvd. Visit www.midtownministries.org to read all about the church.

They have been asking me to pray about the Lord's leading in my life concerning moving to Miami since I met them. We all felt a Godly connection when we met. At the time I met them, I was heading to Peru for the summer and knew then if the Lord would lead me to move to Miami, it would be after the summer. Once I returned from an amazing trip to Peru www.josuesarco7.blogspot.com I received another invitation to come to Miami and assist in multiple ways using the talents and abilities God has given me. I continued to pray for what the Lord would have me to do. The doors were also open for me to return to Peru for a stay up to 8 months, and to go to several Security Level 3 countries. Knowing my heart is for being on the "foreign soil", I began pursuing the trips out of the country. All the while, the Lord was calling me to Miami.

I had been praying for quite some time now for the Lord's direction in my life with my major in college and for the Lord to place me in international ministry while in school. Right now my major is Missions and I have felt uneasy about it. After communicating with several mission boards about the right major for missionaries, I knew why I felt uneasy about my major. It would be much more beneficial for me to earn my degree in a "secular" field rather than a "religious" field due to the issue of getting into countries that are closed to "missionaries and God." I also have to earn a degree in Bible for my master's work, so earning a degree in Bible for my bachelor's seemed non-ethical. I continued to pray...Wow God...so much is going on...what do you want me to do?

The finances for the overseas trips were just not there and I began to feel the Lord close the doors, but not lock them. The Miami position began to burn in my heart and I began to have a burning desire to minister to the people in that area. I also began to find out more about the ministry I would be doing. I would be assisting with worship, children's ministry, dance ministry and any other need in the church that I could assist. Also, I would be able to greatly improve obtaining fluency in Spanish. Every bit of the things that are there for me to assist with created a burning desire to GO and Do for the Glory of the Lord!

After fighting with the call I knew the Lord had placed upon my life, I accepted and contacted my friends in Miami to tell them of the Lord's calling - to take a huge Leap of faith and move to Miami. I now await to see what the Lord has for me to do and learn in Miami.

Please keep me in your prayers as I venture out into the city of Miami for our Lord Jesus Christ. I know it will not be easy, but I do know that all things are possible with Jesus Christ and I have him for my strength and guidance. Also, please keep me in your prayers as I begin school down there and seek for the job the Lord would have me to have. And of course, please pray for Midtown Ministries and the people in which we have and will encounter.

May God Bless You!

Because of His Grace,
Joshua Keever
josuesarco7@hotmail.com