Sample chapter Your Calling Dear Ones, As I mentioned in a previous letter, when God called us to the mountains of the Philippines to work among the Igorots, we believed it meant right away or soon. But it didn’t. It was ten years before we finally left the USA for the Philippines. Did we wait ten years before we followed the Great Commission, as it is called? No, no, no! We were going. We were already on a journey, an exciting journey, a journey that was just as important as the destination. So often you hear believers wondering out loud what God has called them to and when that calling will materialize. This is wrong thinking. Your calling is not a place or even a position; it is a journey; “as you go” is the meaning in Greek. One only needs to look at the life of the apostles to see that the journey was just as much the Great Commission as any destination or ministry. We are the salt and the light as we go. Let me assure you, you will never be without opportunity to share the good news that Jesus has paid for our sins. Early in my graduate studies I received a grant from the Minnesota DNR to do a study of the zooplankton, tiny animal life, of Shagawa Lake in northern Minnesota. It was a baseline study to document the species present and the abundance of these tiny creatures, which are part of the food chain. My study would help document the changes in this polluted lake after installing a tertiary sewage treatment system designed to minimize the nutrient load to the lake. I used this study as the basis for my master’s degree. Because of this experience, a scientist at the EPA’s Fresh Water Research Laboratory recommended I apply for a job as a contractor through the University of Minnesota, Duluth Campus. The EPA needed a researcher with my experience, and they selected me for the job. This contract with the EPA gave our research team the opportunity to use the facilities of this large lab to do our research. There were over 100 researchers at this laboratory. As you might imagine, there existed only a small number of Bible believing Christians among these scientists. I could have seen this situation as unfriendly towards the gospel and kept my Christianity under cover. But that is not what God called me to do. We are to be salt and light wherever God has us. I would share with anyone who desired to listen to the truth of God’s words. I knew I was an odd duck. You aren’t supposed to believe in creation or other such unscientific thoughts if you are a real scientist. As a scientist, this contradiction did not go unnoticed. Over time, enough interest was generated to initiate a noon hour Bible study in one of the vacant lab rooms. We did a study almost every noon hour. Weather permitting, we would go down to the shore of Lake Superior to have our study. My reputation as a Bible thumper grew. I never liked that term. God’s sense of humor shone one day in that large three-story research lab. The facility had an intercom system for important messages necessary for the entire staff to hear. Well, one nice summer day, an announcement came over the intercom system. “Joe Richter, please come to the front desk. Jesus is here.” Not knowing what to make of this announcement, I made my way down to the front desk, and there he was! He had long flowing brown hair, a robe with a rope belt, and was barefoot. The guard was quite agitated and asked me to deal with this Jesus. He explained that the guy wanted gas or money for gas for his stranded bus, loaded with his followers, located just down the road. The staff tried to explain to him that this was a federal lab and that they couldn’t help him. He wouldn’t accept their answer, so they called me down. I attempted to engage in a conversation with him, but he displayed a significant level of belligerence. He pointed to a no smoking sign in the lobby and said, “That sign is unscriptural. The Bible says, ‘Beware of those that forbid the eating of meat’.” Then he added, “Marijuana is my meat.” I had already guessed that! Then he began a rant about my leather shoes and the killing of animals. I asked him a few questions about the Bible, but he said he did not believe in the Pauline epistles I was quoting from. We finally got him to leave with a couple of gallons of government gas. At this same lab, the administration reached out to me about a chemist on staff who exhibited strange behavior. They told me he was often at his desk talking like a mad scientist. They also added that they had recently seen him lying on his lab floor talking to himself. The situation had escalated to the extent that the administration was contemplating terminating him due to indications that his mental condition was worsening. In desperation, they asked me if I could talk to him. They didn’t know what else to do. I said, “I will see what I can do.” I went to his lab, but he wasn’t there, so I left him a note asking him if he would join me for lunch that day. Later, he found me and said, “Sure, but why?” I replied that I just wanted to talk to him. Now, let me explain something here. I did not relish the thought of confronting him, but I knew I had to. It made me very uncomfortable. There will be many times in your life that you will face things you’d rather avoid, but it is always best to face these situations with faith in Jesus. We met for lunch at our local Perkins restaurant. As soon as they seated us, he looked at me and asked, “What do you want to talk about?” I looked at him and said, “I love you, and Jesus loves you. I know you are having some problems, but I want to pray for you.” He looked at me with tears. There was a breaking. I can’t explain it, but the word “love” seemed to have opened his heart. We prayed, we ate, and we went back to the lab. Jesus healed him! He never again had any such episodes. Not long after this, he gave his heart to Jesus. He was a changed man. Praise only to our Lord Jesus, who teaches us never to fear. There were many questions put to me over the years by those I worked with in the scientific community. All those questions gave me an opportunity to share my faith. One question I will never forget came from my supervisor as we traveled to a research site in southern Minnesota. He turned to me and asked, “How is it that a scientist like you believes in a God? That is so hard for me to understand.” He had his doctorate and was the assistant director for the lab, an accomplished scientist. I pondered how to answer his question. I replied with a question, “How could a scientist like you, seeing the marvels of creation, not believe there is a creator?” He may still be pondering my question. We kept in touch after I left to do mission work, and he even supported the work. God is bigger than any of our fears. Several at that research facility came to know the Lord during those years; others became bolder in their sharing of the truth. Those were exciting times. There were some trials, but God was gracious. It was 1983, and the Holy Spirit’s urging to both Pat and I was unmistakable. It was time to resign from my contract position with the EPA and prepare to go to the mission field. Ten years had gone by since Pat and I received the call promising our return to the Philippines as missionaries to the Igorot tribes. During those ten years we kept asking God, “Is this the time?” The answer was always, “Not yet.” Working at the EPA Water Quality Lab was a great experience. I enjoyed research and developing new ways to test for toxicity of various pollutants on algae and zooplankton. The work was challenging, and I enjoyed the challenges. Nevertheless, God made it clear to Pat and me that the time to resign my position had come. It was an inner voice, but it was clear; there was no mistaking it. The assistant director of the lab and I had submitted a proposal for a large research grant in 1983. I believe it was for $1.5 million. It came through. I was going to be one of the principal investigators on the project, a tremendous career opportunity. Yet, I resisted the temptation. This necessitated immediate notice of my resignation. The team would have to find a replacement for my position. Sadly, I dragged my feet, fearing what the reaction of my fellow researchers might be. The fear of man causes many of our problems in life. During my time of procrastination, I developed a very painful condition in my chest. The pain was especially intense when I tried to go to sleep. I could not lay down and usually fell asleep sitting up in bed. I thought I had a heart condition, and this worried both Pat and me. After about two weeks of struggling with the pain, Pat, in her normal direct manner, asked, “You handed in your resignation letter, right?” I responded with a sheepish, “No.” “Well, you better!” she replied. I did it the next morning. That evening, when we headed to bed, the pain had disappeared! It was gone! The fear of man had been manifesting itself as chest pain. I had feared the ridicule of my fellow scientists. But Jesus said, “If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you.” That is a sobering thought. Fear can paralyze you. I know the feeling well. Thoughts well up in your mind, negative thoughts, painful thoughts, many “what ifs.” It affects your emotions and even your health. I imagined what people would say, and it was not something I relished. Surprisingly, what I thought would be the response was nowhere close to reality. Several fellow researchers asked me to come to their offices to talk. The common theme of all their reactions was positive. One man even said, “I wish I had the courage to do something meaningful like you are choosing to do.” The support and encouragement shown by my fellow researchers blessed me beyond measure. Even more surprisingly, the administration asked if I would present a noon hour seminar on what my mission plans would entail. They reserved these noon hour seminars for updates on research being done at the lab. I gladly accepted the offer. How often do you get to present mission work at a government facility? I had several slides on fish farming, some from our Peace Corps days, and some from Alex Bocek, a Peace Corps volunteer, that depicted fish farming in the mountains of the Philippines. I knew the topic would interest many. They appreciated my presentation. Before I closed, I added words I felt God would have me add. “Growing fish is important,” I said. “The added protein to their diet will benefit those mountain people, especially their children. However, if just a healthier life were all I gave those people, my work would be in vain. My central purpose in going is to share the love of God and how Jesus died for their sins so that they may have eternal life.” You could have heard a pin drop in that seminar room. This was not a message you often hear in a federal government lab! After the talk, two men came up to me and asked if I would accept a donation for my future mission work. One gave $100, and the other gave $50. These two gifts were the first donations towards our mission work. God is amazing, so amazing! Pat and I had a definite calling from God to the mountains of the Philippines. But it was ten years before that materialized. So, what does a Christian do in the meantime? When you read the words, “Go ye into all the world…” there is a broader meaning. If you research the word “Go” in the Greek as used in this verse, you will find it has more than a simple meaning, e.g., “Go to Thailand.” It implies a journey, not just to get somewhere, but also includes the activity along the way as you are passing through. You may feel a calling in your life, such as being a youth pastor. You would do well to be mentored and trained before this call becomes reality. Also, I believe there may be many calling throughout your lifetime, not just one. So, take one step and then see what God has for the next step. Never be in fear for God is with you and will guide your steps. Just as He has done for me he will do for you. With much love in Jesus, Grandpa Joe