Our Journey of Saying Yes
Guest Post Written by: Nate Turner
It seems so simple doesn’t it? Saying Yes. God is gracious and take us on a journey and its an adventure of a lifetime. All He is asking is that we just say ‘yes’ to the call and we are marked for eternity. This begins with salvation and allowing Him into our hearts. He has called us out of darkness and into His glorious light. We know that this is just the beginning of something great and extraordinary. I want to share a bit about our story…or our journey…
I am 31 years old and married to my beautiful wife, Megan of 11 years. We have two children, Elias and Alexis. Two years ago my wife and I along with our children moved overseas to the United Kingdom to do full-time ministry. His call was made very clear to us. When my wife and I got married we always prayed that God would send us wherever He needed us. Be careful what you pray for…He hears it and takes it seriously! We have been on a journey of saying yes for several years now. It is quite intriguing and amazing to see how God turns things around for His benefit just by simply saying, ‘yes.’ Shortly after getting married we went straight into full-time youth ministry. We had already been serving in our local youth group and knew that God was calling us deeper and into the ministry.
We were blessed and fortunate to have godly parents that gave us a good biblical foundation, not knowing all that God would have planned down the road. Those first years of ministry were hard, yet fulfilling. This is when the real shaping began. We just kept persevering and seeking God with all that was within us no matter how tough it got. We knew that when we said yes to Him it was ALL or nothing. The next several years we continued working in youth ministry in the states of Ohio and North Carolina.
By 2014 God really began tugging at our hearts. We began to fast and pray about this stirring in us. A few months later I was attending a conference with my youth group begging God for an answer and direction. It was there lying on the cement floor that God clearly was speaking to me saying over and over…Europe, Europe, Europe. He was speaking things to me that I had to take notes. He told me to prepare my ministry to leave when I return because I would be gone in six months time. So I did what He told me. I returned back home and didn’t tell my wife a thing! We continued to pray and fast and before too long God spoke to her. Here began the journey of saying “yes” yet again. This was a more difficult yes. It took a lot of faith and patient waiting. Before too long we came to the realization that we would need thousands of dollars to move to Europe, we had debt, we just bought a house, had two vehicles, along with lots of other things. Not to mention we would be leaving our closest family and friends. How do we do this God? Our visa paperwork took a long time to complete and had to wait over a year before we actually moved. (This was NOT the plan as we thought it would only take 3-4 months).
Through it all, God continually brought confirmation through those months that this is what we were supposed to do. We received all the money to move, paid off our debt, sold our house and vehicles all within five months through generous giving from churches, family, and friends. Praise God! His promises NEVER fail.
Since June 2016 until now we have lived in Preston, England and serve as the Directors for Preston Youth for Christ. This was a pioneering role. We work with schools and churches in our city. Our vision is to see hearts awakened, empowered and to see the local church actively engaged with youth. Our mission is evangelism and equipping young people, youth leaders, and encouraging pastors to become involved with youth and making it a priority. In the UK, 13% of young people describe themselves as practicing Christians who attend church. They do not know that it is through a relationship with Jesus that can rescue them. Most believe that they can just believe in one of many faiths or non-faiths and they will be fine. Their view of God is negative and irrelevant. All schools in the UK are required to teach the six major religions: Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Judaism, Hindu, and Buddhism. We started last year bringing mission teams over in the Summer to serve and help us get out on the streets and in schools to speak truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Seeds are being planted and a great harvest is ready. We have seen several come to know Jesus and are seeing more healings take place than we have ever before. You then begin to realize the importance and significance of saying yes to God all over again. It has allowed us to go deeper in Him and not be afraid to walk in the miraculous gifts that He has given each of us. As ministers, we need to be seeking more after this. Not just the gifts in itself, but walking just like Jesus did. We as believers can sometimes be so fearful or skeptical of walking and believing in the miraculous, but these are the very things Jesus did. John 14:12 (TPT) tell us, “….The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father!” We believe that He stills sets the captives free, has the power to heal, speaks to us words of knowledge for others, and can prophetically speak to situations. His power STILL works today. He wants to use us, as in the body of Christ, to help bring back the lost sons and daughters back to the Father. His plans always succeeds our own.
We are still at the beginning stages of the ministry in Preston, but God has been faithful and are praying for more fruit and increase in the glory of God and all areas that have been mentioned. “The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!” Romans 8:19 (TPT) The universe is waiting on us to unveil Jesus to them! They are longing for something and freedom (v.21)! It is our destiny as followers of Jesus to show them Jesus! Not to just preach at them but to love, set them free and heal them through Jesus name! “all creation longs for freedom from its slavery to decay and to experience with us the wonderful freedom coming to God’s children.” Romans 8:21 (TPT) The world doesn’t need a person that just calls themselves a Christian. The world needs a follower of Jesus that is willing to allow the power of the Holy Spirit shine through them by whatever means He desires!(healing, deliverance, freedom, salvation and etc) This generation needs to know Jesus for who He really is and that He is actively living in and through us. We believe our mission is to bring freedom to the captives, see people healed and set free, and to encounter Jesus. 1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we have discovered love’s reality: Jesus sacrificed his life for us. Because of this great love, we should be willing to lay down our lives for one another.”
What we have discovered even through the difficult transition of moving “across the pond” is that it is all about bringing Glory to His name and if we keep that first we will see the lame walk and the lost will be found.
If you would like to keep up with us you can follow our page at https://www.facebook.com/TurnerMissionsInc/
Preston Youth For Christ website is https://www.prestonyfc.co.uk
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PYFC Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pyfcuk/ Instagram at @prestonyfc.
Please join us in prayer for the United Kingdom and to see people’s lives changed by the Glory of Jesus Christ.
Serving together,
Nate and Megan Turner
