April 7th, 2016 makes officially two years since the Lord spoke to me and told me to pray that I come to China. Having lived in China for almost two years now and preparing to return back to the United States at the end this month, I reflect on God’s faithfulness. This story begins during the summer of 2011 in Baton Rouge, LA, while driving my car and seeking the face of God, when the Lord spoke to my heart and said: “Arnold, you are going to go to China and you are not going to have to pay a dime for it.”
Those who know me well know that I have a passion for languages. At about the age of 16, the Lord began to stir up the gift of learning different languages in my heart. I have since learned Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, and Mandarin. Now at the age of 24, the Lord has called me to use this gift of learning languages to bring people around the world to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
During the summer of 2011, at about 20 years of age, I felt a strong call to go to China and the Lord had finally spoken to my heart in this regard. After having received this word from the Lord, it would be three years later (in 2014) when an opportunity as a Global Mission Fellow would come. In the interview process with Global Ministries, I could see the Lord moving me towards China, so much so that I was asked if I would consider going to China. I even had an opportunity to speak Chinese in my interview.
After receiving my acceptance letter on April 1st, 2014, I was praying in my room on April 7th when the Lord told me these exact words: “Arnold, I want you to pray for China. I want you to touch and agree with My will.” After I got accepted into the Global Mission Fellow program, regardless of the fact that I had been asked about China in my interview, it was still not definite that I would go there. I could be placed anywhere. But as soon as I said: “Ok, Lord. I will pray for China. I touch and agree with Your will,” the peace of God instantly filled my heart. Although I already knew that I was going to China, I wouldn’t receive confirmation that I was going there until three months later.
Here is a picture of what I wrote in my journal on April 7th, 2014, after the Lord told me to pray that I come to China:
What has God promised you? I pray if you are a born-again believer that you don’t stop believing God, for I am a witness that God fulfills all of His promises. I also pray, if you are a non-believer, that the Spirit of God has and is opening your heart to the power and truth of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, every person has a divine purpose in life, but this divine purpose can only be fulfilled once you give your life to Christ. Jesus Christ is your fulfillment.
Of course, in between the three year period, before I even heard of the Global Mission Fellow program, I had my share of discouragements, so much so that almost two months after the Lord told me that I would go to China free of charge in 2011, an opportunity came, but this opportunity was taken away from me. Because of this, not only were there moments that I didn’t know how I would come to China, but also moments where I didn’t want to pursue the will of God in this regard anymore. But because I have given my life to Christ, because Christ is my purpose and is my fulfillment, I died to myself so that Christ could live and act in and through me. Because I submitted to Christ, the will of the ‘Father’ came to pass in my life.
I will end with Luke 9:23 (KJV), “And he (Jesus) said to them all, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’”
Touch and agree with God’s will.
God bless!
Arnold Brown
The Amity Foundation, China
GMF International, Class 2014
The Book of Fellows 