Proverbs 19:21 says - There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
How often have we seen this happen in our lives? What is more, for us as Missionaries, the ones sent out by the Lord to go and spread His word, we might think that we are above this principle, that our plans are always the same as God’s – we are praying in His will, aren’t we? But the Lord over the last few months has shown us at Hope Builders that we are not always so clever.
For many years, as I was getting older, I had been looking out for someone younger with the same calling and the same zeal to take over my position here at Hope Builders. A number of people through the years seemed to fit this calling and yet every time something else prevented them from stepping forward.
Then in 2024 as I was really praying, the Lord reminded me of a man I had met many years ago and during that time we spent many hours together trying to revive a failing ministry that he was involved with and I was asked to help with. Because I really felt this might be from the Lord, I called him and his response was: “I did not think I might get another chance to serve the Lord’s Kingdom.”
Soon after that initial phone call, the Lord confirmed to him that it was the way to go.
Meet Lawrence Gunnells: A dedicated, honest, reborn believer with a sincere heart for helping people and ministering to the needy, especially needy in their spiritual lives. Lawrence and his wife Vonda live in Clarksville, Tennessee where he is a Medicare Consultant hoping to retire from that position at the end of 2025.
Although Lawrence had been involved with other ministries over the years, he had never physically visited Africa or Asia – the two main areas Hope Builders functions in.
After many more prayers, we decided to travel together to Zambia in April for me to introduce him to the leaders in the Africa region as the prospective new leader of Hope Builders based in America. We had hoped to spend the next two years working together while I train and teach Lawrence the finer points of the ministry and how to work with our African brothers with their specific mindset and understanding of life.
Those were the plans of man…Then God determined other things to happen: After an extended time in Florida receiving treatment for metastatic Prostate cancer, I came home and within 4 weeks physically weakened incredibly to the point that I realized I cannot travel 19 hours by plane and then many hours by car: the (now) bone cancer was invading my body.
So the other option was to send Jeff Hawkins with Lawrence to meet the leaders from all the countries who were called together.
Was I sad to miss the last chance to sit down with them, listen to their beautiful singing, hear their inspired and heartfelt prayers, to teach them from God’s Word and to inspire them anew to make Disciples in the one-on-three way? You bet I was! Yet, I knew God had bigger plans and I submitted to that – He knows best.
After Jeff and Lawrence came back, we had a HBM Board meeting at which I officially handed the leadership over to Lawrence, and where we could pray over and for him for the new phase he will lead Hope Builders Ministries into.
As Hope Builders is now in the hands of new leadership, I want to thank all of you, our faithful supporters for many years, for standing strong with us through the years and I am asking you to continue on this road, strengthening the hands of the new leaders. Please pray for him – Lawrence still has to finish at his full-time job until December 2025. Support him as he comes in with a vision to expand the work the Lord called us all to.
Thank you for all the many prayers for Lida and myself. We are so aware that the Lord’s timing is always perfect. During April we were able to bring our other two daughters to the USA to spend some time with me. What a sweet, sweet time it was!!
If you do not hear from me again on this earth, then I know we will meet one another in glory. Until then, may I pray over you as the Apostle Paul did over the Thessalonian believers: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
To God be all the glory!
Johan Gous
