Our History
Oasis International began in 1989. After I was laid off at our church, I went to a park with my Bible and prayed and asked the Lord what he wanted me to do. I said, “I don't want to leave here without an answer.(NIV)
I was lead to Psalm 131, “1 LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I concern myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. 2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul within me, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. 3 Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.”(NIV) The weight of losing my job was great, but God was helping me calm and quiet my soul so I could put my hope in Him.
Then God showed me II Cor. 8:11-15, "11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack." (NIV)
The Lord also showed me II Cor. 9:10-15, "10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for your food, will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (NIV)
God was putting a desire to help people in my heart. I said, “God I will go any where you want me to go and do anything you want me to do.”
Then one early morning as I was praying, a vision came to me. I was laying on my couch praying and telling God how much I loved Him. I had a vision of the world spinning in front of me. I heard a voice in my heart that said, “Will you go anywhere I want you to go and do anything I want you to do?” I said “Yes”. Then the world went away. As I laid there thinking about what I just saw and heard, I asked God, “Is there anywhere in particular you would want me to go?”
Immediately the vision of the world came spinning in front of me again, but this time, stopping where I could only see many islands. A light shone on them. I recognized Borneo. Then I saw Sumatra, Java, Irian Jaya, and all the islands in between. I also saw a hand spell out L A O S. Then the hand pointed to the middle of the island of Borneo and drew a line to the end of the west coast. After the vision was over I went to my book case and took out an atlas. I looked up Borneo and at the exact place I saw the finger point was the Kapuas River that started at the top of a mountain and ended at a city called Pontianak.
After the vision I began to have a desire to be a help to Pastors and Missionaries on the mission field. God began to open doors for me to take various kinds of supplies to Central America and Mexico.
My first mission trip in 1989 was to Belize, Central America where Joani and I joined a group from our church to take supplies (medicines, Bibles, toys) and ministry to the people of Belize.
The next year I drove to Belize with a missionary who was moving there from Tupelo, Mississippi in January. That summer Joani and I led our first team to Belize where I preached my first revival as well as taught a Vacation Bible School. God provided to help us take hundreds of toys, shoes and sandals for the people. That year we also lead a team to Morelia, Mexico.
In 1991 we lead another team to Belize, CA. God was using us to lead a Children’s Crusade, a Vacation Bible School, and a revival in an El Salvadorian refugee camp.
Our main thrust at that time was suppling seed to the sower and bread for food (II Cor. 9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for your food, will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.(NIV)) by supplying medicines, toys, Bibles, Clothes and shoes to those in need. We took those supplies on the mission field as well as gave them to missionaries in the U.S. on leave. I continued to believe that God would lead me to Indonesia and I would often say, “ Someday I’m going to Borneo!”
That Someday Came! In 1998 God opened the door for me to go to Java where I taught in my first Pastors’ Conference. At that time I still didn’t know that all the islands I saw were called Indonesia. (A nation of 13,500 islands, the largest Muslim population in the world, the island of Bali is the second largest Hindu population, and it has the most unreached people groups in the world.) Then in September 1998 I taught in the first Pastors’ Conference in Pontianak, Borneo. The exact place I saw the hand point to in 1989. In 1990 I taught in a Pastors’ Conference in Ahameneggar, India, and in Java, Indonesia twice as well as in Recefe, Brazil. In the year 2000 we went to Kenya and Uganda, Africa and back to Belize Central America.
My wife, Joani, is now going on more trips with me, teaching and ministering to the women pastors and relating to them much more than I could. We are still willing
to go anywhere God wants
us to go and will do
anything God wants us
to do.
Isaiah 28:12 says, “This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.” What is the rest and the refreshing? It is the message of the cross. It is the demonstration of the Love of Jesus Christ, willing to give His life so we may live." (NIV)
Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? “The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the Word of faith we are proclaiming. That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raise Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (NIV)
