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 .
21