God’s Plan Observed in Dallas
This past week I took a trip to Texas for a brief visit. Two of our co-workers in Romania at Joy FM, Paul Balta and Adina Muntean, came to Dallas for a leadership conference at the invitation of the Media Alliance International. This was an opportunity for me to introduce them to some ministry friends in the DFW area.
On Friday Paul and I met with Troy Kriechbaum, the president of KVNE and KGLY radio in Tyler, Texas. On Saturday Paul, Adina and her husband, Lari, and I met for lunch with Tiffany Taylor Wines and Amy Norton from Orphan Outreach.
Dave, Paul and Troy at KVNE radio.
Proverbs 16:9New Living Translation (NLT)
9 We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.
It was while working at KCBI in Dallas in the mid to late ’90s that I first became aware of the plight of orphans around the world. My boss then was Ron Harris who was the station manager at that time. Ron had visited Russia and had become cognizant of the need for new shoes in those Russian orphanages. After beginning a Shoes for Russian Souls campaign at KCBI which was overseen by the then Promotions Director, Troy Kriechbaum, the program grew to such a degree that the radio station couldn’t handle it anymore. Buckner Orphan Care then took it on and expanded it nationally.
About that same time God had taken our family to the Quad Cities to manage the Moody Radio station there. We helped in the first national Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign in the summer of 2003. Buckner wanted to tell more of the stories of how this ministry was impacting the lives of orphans so they took a ministry trip to visit orphans and place new shoes on their feet. In order to tell the stories they invited a “radio guy” to go with them and my name was chosen. This became my very first trip to Romania and occurred in the fall of 2003. That trip was led by Tiffany Taylor Wines (Amy and Tiffany worked for Buckner at that time) and when we returned from Romania I was a different person. Beth can attest to the fact that God did something there that forever changed our ministry focus and lives. It was that same year that Paul Balta began praying for a radio ministry in Romania with the vision that we currently have at Joy FM. If you are tracking with me then you can begin seeing how God was moving pieces on the chess board in order to accomplish His purposes.
Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
It wasn’t until a decade later that Paul and I met and began our partnership in ministry. But God had been moving all along during that time preparing us and our families for Joy FM to come to fruition. He had us continue leading trips to minister to orphans in Romania every year while exposing us to other Romanian partners, including what is now Harvest Arad. The church in Arad originally wanted assistance with an online radio ministry which became our main focus in 2010 when we felt God leading us to full time ministry in Romania. Obviously looking back now we can see that our dreams and plans were too small!
God provided us with much more than an online radio station by making available a local fequency at just the right moment. And the man he used to bring us that news and to guide us through the process of purchasing and obtaining the license was none other than Paul Balta!
Just two years after going on-air in Arad the Lord has opened up another door for ministry by granting us coverage in Moldova! We will look forward to telling you all more about that story in another post coming in the future.
To wrap this up, though, picture this: Paul, Adina and Lari are in Dallas right now attending the Media Alliance International which is an organization founded and led by Ron Harris. And this past weekend, Paul, Adina, Lari and I met with Tiffany Taylor Wines and Amy Norton about promoting orphan care and adoption on Joy FM in Romania. Only God could put all these pieces in place, connecting us all and using our friendships and partnerships for His glory!
Tiffany, Paul, Dave, Adina, Lari and Amy
I hope that this glimpse into how God has orchestrated all of this in our lives will cause you to pause, step back and see what God has been and is doing in your life. Sometimes, it all seems random and without purpose but I can guarantee you that the Great Designer is fulfilling the design He has for your life.
Tell us how you have traced God at work in your life and ministry opportunities! It would be great encouragement for us to hear your story.
The Jollys' Journey 