Miracles of a 5 Minute Meet

Loren and Darlene Cunningham

We live in a world where we meet people every day.

It’s astonishing to think that the existence and significance of one person can help another make important decisions that shape the direction of their life.

What kind of life must one live, and what character must one possess to have such an impactful presence?

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One weekend, I was reading the book "Is That Really You, God?" and diligently writing a book report.

The lectures in English were already challenging, and having to read this required book and write a report on it each week was a heavy burden. After finishing the report, I looked at the author's photo on the back cover—Loren Cunningham—and, muttering to myself, I prayed.

"God, did this person really experience and live through what he wrote about?

How could he live such a life?

If I could meet him even just once, I would want to work with this organization for the rest of my life. I want to live a dynamic life of missions, just like he has experienced."

I quietly closed the book and gazed at his picture for a while.

Then, suddenly, not even ten minutes later, my husband opened the door, took my hand, and said something about going out.

He spoke so quickly that I didn’t understand, but I followed him, almost slipping along, as he pulled me with such urgency.

Leaving my small room and crossing the living room filled with desks, I saw four foreigners standing at the front door of our apartment.

Two of them were the Singaporean couple representing our organization,

and the other two, who seemed American, looked vaguely familiar.

My goodness!
It was none other than
Loren Cunningham and his wife, Darlene Cunningham,
the very people I had just wished to meet.

My husband introduced me to them.

I was so shocked that I stood there, staring at them, momentarily forgetting to greet them.

Loren Cunningham said something, but I couldn’t hear it.

All I could manage was to say thank you repeatedly while shaking hands. His wife, Darlene, gave me a hug and said a few words to me, but even now, I only remember one sentence:

"I heard your story. You did a great job!"

Those words pounded into my heart.

I was on the verge of tears when suddenly, I remembered the two large Korean pears that a church deaconess had given me a few days ago.

"Just a moment, " I said, and hurriedly ran to the kitchen.

I quickly packed the pears in a bag, but when I returned, everyone was gone, and only my husband was standing there.

"Where did you go in the middle of greeting them? They dropped by to meet us, and I worked hard to bring you out to introduce you... Oh, they’ve left."

"I just wanted to give them those delicious Korean pears we got a few days ago, but they can't have gone too far, right?"

"Just let it be. They’ve gone to catch their flight. Why burden them with more?"

"Oh...!"

I was really devastated. Sometimes, I can be so silly.

Why did I think of those Korean pears at that moment?

Wanting to give them something nice ended up being a clumsy gesture that ruined the moment, and I felt so upset and full of regret.

Loren Cunningham, the founder of a large mission organization, is someone who travels a lot and is not easy to meet, especially for someone like me, who is just a small person... My ignorance of the situation caused me to miss such a precious opportunity.

However, I was happy all afternoon.

This was because my prayer, that I could experience the dynamic life of missions like he did, had been answered within fifteen minutes.

What was even more amazing was that they heard our story and took time out of their busy schedule to come to our classroom where our room was located.

And I am convinced that their embrace and the words of encouragement they gave me were God’s way of conveying His heart through them.

I felt that all the marks of anxiety and fear from the past three years in Pakistan had been completely washed away.

I realized that God had been watching over all my circumstances, right from above.

That brief encounter brought about a profound change in my life.

The fact that God answered my prayer and used Loren and Darlene Cunningham to convey His heart to me strengthened my faith.

Their encouragement wasn’t just words; it was a special message from God, showing that He deeply understood my heart and circumstances.

I am in awe of how God orchestrated everything, bringing these distant people to Singapore and arranging for me to finish reading the book and praying just in time for their arrival.

Since that encounter, my life has been filled with new light.

As I continue to face challenges, I’ve come to see that even pain and suffering are precious pieces of my life’s puzzle, and I am convinced that every moment of life carries deep meaning within God’s plan.

In this way, our couple met Lauren and Darlene Cunningham, the mission masters who led a generation of missionaries.

The miraculous five-minute meeting was an invitation to participate in a huge wave from God.

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