BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

“I feel led to share a prayer request with you,” Ginger explained. “One of my friends is a missionary who runs an orphanage in China. A demonized man who lives nearby on the side of a mountain is torturing the children. My friend has decided to move the orphanage to a safe location and needs a certain amount of money to do it. Let’s pray and ask the Lord to provide the funds.” The hair on the back of Renée’s arms stood at attention when Ginger shared the amount of money needed to move the orphanage to a safe location. It was the exact amount she and her husband, Jeremy, had in savings. Are we supposed to sow that amount? The next morning as Renée drove to work at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, she listened to a sermon by a local pastor, Robert Morris. He taught on the importance of sowing into widows and orphans. Was the Lord trying to get her attention? Once she arrived at work, Renée called Jeremy. “Remember when Ginger mentioned the amount of money needed to move that orphanage in China?” she asked. “Yeah.” “That’s the exact amount of money we have in savings. Jeremy, I think we’re supposed to sow it into that orphanage and help those children.” The presence of God fell in Jeremy’s car with such power that he had to pull off the road. He knew beyond a doubt that God was confirming to him that they were to give the full amount. “You’re right,” Jeremy said. “Let’s sow it.” Neither of them stated the obvious. It would deplete their savings. Sowing Seed for Children “It was challenging to give away everything we had,” Jeremy admits, “but we did it. That was in 2003. By 2004, God had not only restored our savings, but we took a trip to Hawaii and paid for it with cash. “At the time, we were just obeying God,” Jeremy recalls. “We had no idea what we were sowing into. We’d only been walking with the Lord for a few years.” In the spring of 2000, while living in Chicago, a couple of friends asked Jeremy and Renée to attend a Bible study in their home. The couple had already introduced them to the message of faith through teachings by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. Shortly thereafter, Brother Copeland spoke at a church in the area near where they lived, and at that meeting Jeremy and Renée decided to become Partners with KCM. That same year, they decided to start a family. A year later, in 2001, Renée still hadn’t gotten pregnant, recalls Jeremy. The Lord directed them to move to Fort Worth, Texas, and attend Eagle Mountain International Church, on the grounds of KCM. “I was working with a pharmaceutical distribution company in Chicago, and was able to transfer to Texas. Then in 2002, Renée went to work at KCM,” said Jeremy. “Three years later, in 2005, we still didn’t have a baby. I was given a spiritual promotion when I was brought on staff at EMIC. As wonderful as that was, it had been five years since we’d started trying to have a family. We were so sad and frustrated that it almost stole our joy. That same year, we agreed to try artificial insemination.” The negative report from the fertility specialist left Renée feeling empty. They’d tried artificial insemination, certain that it would result in a baby. While it had been expensive, it had given them soaring hope. And now, crushing disappointment. After five years of an emotional roller coaster, she was ready to adopt. BVOV : 21

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