From
Los Angeles to Greenwood
31,000 pesos or just under US $ 20,000. But it might as well have been $ 20 million because they had nothing.
That same night they sent a cable to Mrs. Cowman, requesting the money. But they knew with the war going on, the possibility of delay or never arriving was high. And even if she received it— and agreed— it would probably take weeks for the money to arrive.
Yet, the very next day, a letter from Mrs. Cowman arrived in their mailbox, which she had posted 10 days before.“ In it were four $ 5,000 checks. With the rate of exchange in 1944, that translated into 34,000 pesos, leaving 3,000 pesos for moving expenses.”
Mrs. Cowman had requested that all the accumulated royalties from her Streams in the Desert devotional be sent to Colombia. She had no clue why God had prompted her to send the funds, but we thank God that she was obedient.
Today, the Biblical Seminary of Colombia trains many of the top Christian leaders in Colombia.
For many years, the OMS World Headquarters was located in Los Angeles, California. But in the mid-1960s, with 75 percent of the OMS constituency living east of the Mississippi River and existing facilities needing major, expensive updates, OMS leadership sensed God directing a move for OMS.
The story of the move and the new OMS headquarters was told in the December 1966 issue of The Missionary Standard( now OMS Outreach). The story gives all credit to God:“ A monument to God’ s provision and direction, it stands as proof positive of the promised‘ exceeding abundantlys’ which frequent the paths of those who love Him. God’ s fingerprints were evident from start to finish in securing the site, furnishing laborers and materials, controlling the weather, selling the former headquarters and moving the staff.”
While God provided miraculously in several ways, the most well-known and often-shared story tells of the land purchase. When the relocation committee visited the 30-acre farm in Greenwood, Indiana, as a possible site for the new headquarters, they unanimously felt an urgent divine direction to make an offer to buy it immediately. What they didn’ t know was that on the same day, another group of men was meeting and making plans to construct a large brand-new shopping center just blocks from the property. Overnight, the value of the land that OMS had just committed to purchase drastically increased in value.
God continues, today, to bless OMS as we steward well what He provides.
photo page 20: Biblical Seminary of Colombia trains many future Colombian Christian leaders.
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