Awesome story

Awesome Story

Author: Ken Gaub



At the time I was driving on 1-75 near Dayton, Ohio, with my wife and children. We turned off the highway for a rest and refreshment stop. My wife, Barbara, and children went into the restaurant. I suddenly felt the need to stretch my legs, so waved them off ahead saying I’d join them later.

I bought a soft drink, and as I walked toward a Dairy Queen, feelings of self pity enshrouded my mind. I loved the Lord and my ministry, but I felt drained, burdened. My cup was empty.

Suddenly, the impatient ringing of a telephone nearby jarred me out of my doldrums. It was coming from a phone booth at a service station on the corner. Wasn’t anyone going to answer the phone? Noise from the traffic flowing through the busy intersection must have drowned out the sound because the service station attendant continued looking after his customers, oblivious to the incessant ringing.

“Why doesn’t somebody answer that phone?” I muttered. I began reasoning. It may be important. What if it’s an emergency? Curiosity overcame my indifference. I stepped inside the booth and picked up the phone.

“Hello,” I said casually and took a big sip of my drink. The operator said: “Long distance call for Ken Gaub.” My eyes widened, and I almost choked on a chunk of ice.

Swallowing hard, I said, “You’re crazy!” Then, realizing I shouldn’t speak to an operator like that, I added, “This can’t be! I was walking down the road, not bothering anyone, and the phone was ringing....”

“Is Ken Gaub there?” the operator interrupted, “I have a long distance call for him.”

It took a moment to gain control of my babbling, but I finally replied, “Yes, he is here.” Searching for a possible explanation, wondered if I could possibly be on Candid Camera!

Still shaken, perplexed, I asked, “How in the world did you reach me here? I was walking down the road, the pay phone started ringing, and I just answered it by chance. You can’t mean me.”

“Well,” the operator asked, “is Mr. Gaub there or isn’t he?”

“Yes, I am Ken Gaub,” I said, finally convinced by the tone of her voice that the call was real.

Then, I heard another voice say, “Yes, that’s him, operator. That’s Ken Gaub.”

I listened dumbfounded to a strange voice identify herself. “I’m Millie from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You don’t know me, Mr. Gaub, but I’m desperate. Please help me.”

“What can I do for you?”

She began weeping. Finally, she regained control and continued, “I was about to commit suicide, had just finished writing a note, when I began to pray and tell God I really didn’t want to do this. Then, I suddenly remembered seeing you on television and thought if I could just talk to you, you could help me. I knew that was impossible because I didn’t know how to reach you: I didn’t know anyone who could help me find you. Then, some numbers came to my mind, and I scribbled them down.”

At this point she began weeping again, and I prayed silently for wisdom to help her. She continued, “I looked at the numbers and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a miracle from God, and He has given me Ken’s phone number?’ I decided to try calling it. I can’t believe I’m talking to you.

Are you in your office in California?”

I replied, “Lady, I don’t have an office in California. My office is in
Yakima, Washington.”

A little surprised, she asked, “Oh, really, then where are you?”

“Don’t you know?” I responded. “You made the call.”

She explained, “...but I don’t even know what area I’m calling. I just dialed the number that I had on this paper.”

“Ma’am, you won’t believe this, but I’m in a phone booth in Dayton, Ohio!”

“Really?” she exclaimed. “Well, what are you doing there?”

I kidded her gently, “Well, I’m answering the phone. It was ringing as I walked by; so, I answered it.”

Knowing this encounter could only have been arranged by God, I began to counsel the woman. As she told me of her despair and frustration, the presence of the Holy Spirit flooded the phone booth giving me words of wisdom beyond my ability. In a matter of moments, she prayed the sinner’s prayer and met the One who would lead her out of her situation into a new life.

I walked away from that telephone booth with an electrifying sense of our heavenly Father’s concern for each of His children. What were the astronomical odds of this happening? With all the millions of phones and innumerable combinations of numbers, only an all-knowing God could have caused that woman to call that number in that phone booth at that moment in time.

Forgetting my drink and nearly bursting with exhilaration, I headed back to my family, wondering if they would believe my story. “Maybe I had better not tell this,” I thought, but I couldn’t contain it. “Barb, you won’t believe this: God knows where I am!”

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” –Jeremiah 33:3

“Roep My aan, en Ek sal jou antwoord en jou bekend maak groot en ondeurgrondelike dinge wat jy nie weet nie.” –Jeremiah 33:3

Kidnappes missionaries in Nigeria free

Update on Nigeria Hostage Situation
Dear Ones,
Thank you for so faithfully warring in prayer for Simon and Ikumi in
Nigeria. Our prayers are availing much. I have been in regular touch with
Josh and the team throughout the course of the day, here is basically what
has happened .
1. Last night the situation seemed pretty dire, with the kidnappers
making threats and outrageous demands in regards to releasing Simon and
Ikumi.
2. Today the Lord really turned the tide in answer to prayer. The
kidnappers have understood and accepted that Simon and Ikumi are
missionaries and not oil company or government employees, which was their
target. Simon and Ikumi have really been winning their captors over,
witnessing, singing songs in Igbo, etc. They started referring to them as
their friends in their calls with Josh, saying they had gotten the wrong
people and they were sorry they had gotten people of God. Josh has spoken
with Simon and Ikumi a few times during the course of the day and they are
in high spirits and doing well.
3. This afternoon things were very close to a handover agreement.
4. In working out the handover details things started getting late.
They were still going to attempt the handover tonight, however the
kidnappers then got a little difficult and demanding so they had to back out
of the handover tonight to work out these details.
So, the Lord is really doing it and has largely turned the tide in the
spirit, but we need desperate prayer for the final leg to victory and Simon
and Ikumi's release. Please pray that all the details can be worked out asap
tomorrow, that the kidnappers won't hold out on their increased demand, but
that they'll honour their word and proceed with the handover.
"He that hath begun a good work, will complete it until the end!" so let's
really claim the full victory and release with the same fervency that has so
far availed so much on behal of our dear brethren.
Thank you so much! Much love .

Now they are free and back with their loved ones
and the medical help project continues...
God is wonderful!
Thank you for your prayers!!!!

Another miracle....

S. and her family have been here since August, looking for good housing, and so far staying with friends and relatives here and there. Many here are looking for housing and it is difficult to say the least. But difficulty is the first stage of a miracle isn´t it?
Now it came to a deadline as the owners of the house that they are staying in are coming at the beginning of April, in about 2 weeks. We had been looking but not found the right thing.
So we asked for prayer and prayed ourselves a lot and desperately. And the other day I had to get ahold of some tourists who are staying here, and here they came up to me near my house and asked if S. had found housing yet."Not yet, but we are praying,“, I answered.
They said that someone was moving out next door to where they stay. So I went and found out by a neighbor who the owners were and realized that I know them!
When I left a message asking if they will rent out the house she called back very soon and said yes, and explained about the house, which sounded good, except that there was only one toilet on the ground floor, which would mean that they and the daughter have to at night go all the way down to the toilet when needed.
When I called again to arrange to see it, the owner said that they will build another toilet upstairs and paint all the walls!
So today we went to see it and it is wonderful! It has plenty of space, 2 bedrooms, a salon with mezzanine, a terrace, a fire place in the kitchen/ dining room, a good atmosphere even a bathtub, sweet neighbors and a good price and it will be ready to move in at the beginning of April! The owner is super sweet and also understanding that S.'s paperwork is not all worked out yet and said it will all be okay, and that she trusts us, because she knows me.
We were soooooooo happy and are still on clouds as it is really such a miracle to find something like this so quick and so good and not expensive here, where so many are looking for housing! S's partner couldn´t believe it, he was so happy and overwhelmed, and kept asking "How? Why? Why us?" and S. explained that it is because of your and our prayers and because of God´s love for them, and he agreed, which is good, as he doesn´t have much faith yet. But this is sure making it grow. We are so very thankful and praise God for His wonderful care and for your prayers. Now we are praying that the paperwork will all come through and that D. will find good work. His wrist is almost healed. The other day the doctor who operated this complicated fracture asked, if he could document this case, since it is so special and such a success. "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" John.16:24

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear
Oh what priviledge to carry, everything to God in prayer,
Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer....

Thank you so much for your prayers, they helped right away.
The same day that our car broke down, after desperate prayer
(we really need a car!) Michel´s sister brought him to
his music class. There he saw on his teacher´s car a sign: "For Sale"
just the day before his teacher had put it on.

We got the car today (we had to borrow some money,
but it is a good car in good condition) and we are absolutely amazed!

So thanx again for your prayers.
" When we pray, things happen and things will be different."
Let´s also pray for all those poor peopl ein the cold in Monglia and other places, and the
traumatised ppl from Haiti, all the ppl in orphanages and prisons,
hospitals, refugee camps and old folk home etc., all those in need.
Our prayers can help!

Thanx again.
Much love, Manuela