USA 2007 - Prospective Student Testimony

Bob LaPrise from USA
In 2004 my wife Jeanne and I were able to spend 10 days in England and Scotland with our son Paul and daughter-in-law Stephanie, when they graduated from The Lost Glory School. I was pleased that they were excited about their new perspective. Jeanne was impressed by (even envious of) their confidence in Jesus’ desire for an intimate relationship with them, and their ability to hear from Him and know His heart. Paul and Steph stayed on as staff at the school. We returned to Naples, Florida. In 2005 the future of my job became uncertain. I felt I should move on, but the high salary and comfortable life style lulled us into complacency. I became increasingly discontent and began praying, “Show me what’s next, Lord.”

In February, 2006, my prayers were answered, but not in a way I would have chosen. I lost my job…I was fired. I began networking and sending out resumes, but to no avail. Surprisingly, I was not upset by the lack of response. I felt it was time to move on, but really did not have a direction. Again, I began praying for wisdom and direction. My son Paul called from London to say that he had been praying for us--for peace, faith and vision. The Lord had replied that He absolutely would provide these, and that He was teaching, training and growing us now and preparing us for our next move. We were indeed learning tough lessons about ourselves. We had been faithful to tithe and give to those in need, but we realized that we had become prideful and arrogant. Yes, we sent checks for feeding programs and hurricane relief, but our prosperity enabled us to distance ourselves from the reality of suffering and pain. As soon as I lost my job, my wife reported that she felt compassion again. Paul called with more insight: “Dad, maybe you had to be ‘knocked off your horse’ so you could be put in a position of faith and learning.”

With our financial resources dwindling and no job offers, we decided to sell our house and move to a more affordable area. The real estate market was bad…too much inventory…falling prices…nothing was moving. I was spending hours online looking for real estate and jobs, trying to control my future through my own efforts. During our time of uncertainty, The Lost Glory School was moving forward with plans for a U.S. site in North Carolina. Paul and Stephanie would be the teachers/pastors. We wondered if the school would be right for us, but the curriculum involved dealing with “baggage” from the past; the family dynamic might be inappropriate. We were conflicted, because we felt that God was calling us to a new level of awareness/purpose/ministry. We couldn’t make any plans because our house was not selling. One evening in August, I experienced a breakthrough. I realized that my focus on our earthly concerns was wrong, and that I should let the Lord lead me. I knew that I needed training/refining for service, and committed wholeheartedly to this. Two days later, our house sold!

I researched attending MorningStar School of Ministry, but the semester was starting too soon. Amazingly (or not!), the staffing arrangements had changed at The Lost Glory School. It was decided that due to Stephanie’s pregnancy, she and Paul would provide support services for the February 2007 session, and Graham and Pat Head from the UK would be the lead teachers/pastors. God had removed the obstacles. As always, His timing and ways are perfect. (In His service, Bob LaPrise)