The Call

God has been calling me for a long time. I met and married my wife (Michelle) in 1994. A God decreed appointment. Leaving home and becoming the head of my family was the start of God teaching me to trust Him. I believed God wanted me for something so I met with my pastor at the time and he had me go before the Church to ask for prayer as I sought God. Life went on and this was soon forgotten until recently. I continued to grow and seek Him and always looked to be useful.

We moved our membership to First Baptist Church of Fenton, MO in 1995 but I did not tell anyone of God's call on my life as it wasn't foremost in my mind at the time. Michelle and I just knew that God had something for our lives and would often remark "We don't know what God will have us doing in a year, 5 years or 10 years from now but we know it won't be a 'normal' life". I have always had a desire to hold Bible studies and as time went on the desire to see men grow in Christ emerged.

In 1998 I started my own business and we became foster parents (from which we have now adopted 6 wonderful children). Right from the start God had set the ground rules. You are to trust ME. I went full time in my business in October (a bad time of the year for construction and Michelle had just left work to stay home with the children) and by December I had very little work. My stomach was hurting and I was very anxious. I said to God "I can't do this You have to take this from me". I looked to Him to provide and He saw us through that winter.

The talents that God has given me in the construction and repair field have developed tremendously during the 9 years that I ran my own company. I started out doing 1 project at a time by myself to being able to manage several projects at once. In 2001 I expanded my knowledge a little more and started rehabbing houses. Over the course of several years I have rehabbed 6 of my own, not to mention all the ones for other people. In 2005 I was given the opportunity to build my first house. I knew these skills were given to me by God and over the years have looked for ways to use these talents to help others. In 2003 I went on my first (of 4) construction mission trips with my Church. God has given me many opportunities to learn and to trust Him.

The following year I began realizing that there was more to this Christian life than what I was living. I also knew with my children getting older that my responsibility was to teach them the Bible, but I was quickly realizing that I didn't know enough for this huge task. So I started taking classes at Missouri Baptist University extension program that we have at our Church. I took 3 theological classes as well as several others. I did not graduate, but did receive a firm foundation on which to build.

The more I learnt about God, the more I became unsettled and wanted to do more. I thought that maybe God just wanted me to train my children well so that they would be equipped for the mission field if that is where God would lead them. I certainly did not think that I had anything God could use on a mission field. I am not highly educated and have no desire to preach, but God was about to reveal to me that He had given me talents I could use for Him. He led me to study about such men as George Mueller and Brother Andrew. I read about how George Mueller, a pastor of a church in Bristol, England, founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institute for Home and Abroad, where he distributed Bibles and tracts, formed Sunday Schools, day schools, adult schools and supported many missionaries (including Hudson Taylor). What Mr. Mueller is most noted for was his work with the orphans in England. What intrigued me greatly was that never did he ask people for money, instead he took all of his needs entirely before the Lord and watched as God provided everything George and the ministry needed. He believed that all men's hearts are in God's hands and that He could stir them to give. He believed Matthew 6:33 Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. (This is a passage that God has, and continues to take me back to since about 2004 because He wants me to understand it's meaning). George Mueller did the work God had for him to do, he stayed on his knees before God seeking His kingdom and His righteousness and had faith in God that His word was true and that God would meet his needs. And God did - every time.

In May of 2006 Michelle was talking to her Dad on the phone who asked if they found a 5 bedroom house would we move to England? Michelle said "in a heartbeat" - thinking that this would never happen - there was no way we could afford a small house in England - let alone a large one. A couple of weeks later her Dad called and told us they had just bought a 5 bedroom house and offered it to us if we decided to move to England. Wow - what an offer. We discussed it and prayed about it and realized we didn't want to move to England just to 'live', in fact we didn't want to move anywhere just to 'live'. If we were to move it would be because God would lead us there for a purpose. I had long thought that God wanted us in England for some reason and all this set a greater fire in my heart so I continued waiting upon God and doing what was before me and looking for what God was doing.

A few weeks later I read the autobiography of Brother Andrew who lived in Holland and took the Bible behind the Iron Curtain. He (like George Mueller) lived in dependence upon God, trusting God for all of his, and the ministry's needs. Brother Andrew received his training from WEC in the 1950's and had mentioned (in his book) that WEC used people in the construction field. Now this intrigued me because they were headquartered in England. I wondered if WEC was still in operation today and if so do they still need construction people and could it be close enough to the house Michelle's parents had offered us. I found their website and discovered they needed a maintenance person at the headquarters just outside London.

We applied for the position but were turned down at the end of 2006 as they had no room for our large family at the training facility in Pennsylvania and they definitely wouldn't have room for us in England. So the door was closed. We also had some things to finish such as: Deanna's adoption, closing the business etc. So we thought the Lord must be calling us somewhere else. Also around this time the Lord began to impress it on my heart to close the business and get out of debt. It seemed to me that God was saying not to use the talent He has given me for my gain anymore and to close the business. I wanted to try and close the business by the end of the year but I knew I had too much debt for me to close the business until I sold the rental property that I owned. God gave me the gift of faith to believe by Christmas He would provide us with a contract on the rental property, He did. But that contract did not go through. God was again saying trust Me. Once more God gave me the gift of faith to believe by my birthday (February 3) He would provide another contract, He did. It seemed that God wanted me to close the business sometime toward the end of March. The Lord brought about the sale of the property in the month of March and paid off a lot of the debt. The end of the month came and went, but the work continued to arrive. I was thinking that God was providing us with more work than ever before. But He was going to use this to teach me more about Him. So life continued here for several months, but I wasn't settled. I continued to try and build the business and provide for my family while serving the Lord as best as I could, looking for opportunities for service. By this time we had both forgotten about closing the business.

Throughout the Spring I kept saying I don't want to miss what God has for me. But by the Summer I had a burden that I had missed what God wanted me to do. I spent one of several nights up with the Lord, seeking His will and the Lord brought back to my mind you were supposed to close the business and I will show you what I want you to do. I fought with this for several weeks. I told Michelle that I don't think He will show me the next step until I am faithful in following Him in this first. So I spent several weeks seeking the Lord and His plans for us - but the answer never changed - close the business before I show you the next move. So over the next few weeks I made plans to hand the business over to a friend, but still had trouble taking that final step, so I prayed that God would give me the mind to close the business. He did. The very next day I had a customer disagree with me on an invoice to the point that I was out $2,500 that he owed me - now that did give me the mind to close the business, but I still could not bring myself to do it. I was talking to Michelle one evening about it and she said "if God wants you to close the business then why are you not doing it". My answer was " I guess I am scared of the unknown", but I agreed to finally close it. So on August 1st 2007, I handed the business over. My friend needed some help for a few weeks because I had given him a lot of work, so I stayed on as a subcontractor. Before long I began to think - did I go far enough? As I was still working and using the talents God has given me for my gain.

Meanwhile we continued to look for the opportunity that God had for us. We searched and were amazed at how much need there is for someone with the skills the Lord has given me, out on the mission field in a supporting role to missionaries. We sent enquiries to several organizations and I thought I needed to get in contact with WEC again. As we continued to seek the Lord I became convinced that we were to serve in England. Every time something came up about England my heart would just ache and burn. I told Michelle to seek the Lord for an answer as to where we are to go. I prayed that the Lord would tell her too - I didn't want to - I knew how she would respond. So I kept asking her "Has the Lord shown you where we are going yet". "No" would always be her reply. Therefore I knew I had to tell her that I was convinced we were to be in England. She did not want to go (For several reasons, that I will come to later). So for a few more weeks I continued to work as a subcontractor, as we waited for a response from these mission organizations - but none responded. All of a sudden, we started to lose big jobs. On one job my friend was underbid by 50% and on another we were told to stop work half way through stripping wallpaper because someone had put a contract on the house and wanted no more work done on it. Just a few days after this I realized that there was less than 1 weeks worth of work for 1 man - I knew I needed to quit. If I didn't the work would run out and my friend's family would suffer too. Michelle and I likened it to a 'Jonah' situation. We knew that if I didn't 'jump ship' everyone on the boat would drown. Sure, as I left we struggled with that 'drowning' feeling - especially me - how would I provide for my family - but we know that it is God who provides (Matthew 6:33), not us. I needed to be on my knees before Him. He would show me what He wanted me to do. With no money in savings we have been watching God meet our needs. I have been busy - working on the house that we are renting and taking care of others needs, all without pay, but God has been faithful and has provided.

Now, remember it had been several weeks since we had inquired with the mission organizations and we had heard nothing back, but just one week after I stopped working as a subcontractor, we heard from WEC, apologizing for not getting back to us sooner but they were very busy. They had forwarded my request to England was waiting to get a response from them. We were encouraged but expected it to be a long time before we heard anything else. Instead, the very next day we received another e-mail stating that the Director in England was very favorable but needed to pass this through the right procedures - so we thought we had another wait. Only a few days later we received another note encouraging us and that they were hoping to make a decision by the end of the week. That Friday I spoke to our liaison person in PA who informed us that we were being invited to join WEC International in their mission work in England. This time there was no question about the size of our family - although they are fully aware we have a larger family that most houses or vehicles could ever fit in England.

So the Northcutt's will be leaving our home here in Missouri to go where the Lord is sending.We will first go to PA for 3 months training starting in Feb. Which is where the Castle is located. Then in the summer we will be headed out to England. We will be living on campus at the headquarters of WEC's Radio Worldwide, just outside Leeds, North East England. My primary responsibilities will be property management and partial redevelopment of this property. My first assignment will be to make the accommodations actually big enough for our family.

A Note from Michelle
There were many reasons I didn't want to go to England. I had given up on the hope of being close to my family a long time ago. While I love them very much and miss them terribly at times, I knew (or thought I knew) I would never live there again. I don't believe God is calling us to live in England permanently, just as long as He wills, it will be so painful to have them closer and one day to leave again. Also, God has given me a great life here. It is going to be hard to leave. I have a church family here that I treasure greatly. The children are happy here - why would I want to take them somewhere else? Spiritually, we will be challenged as England has moved very far from God. But my biggest fear is not doing what God wants us to do. So, despite my fears and concerns I am so grateful for the peace I have that this is God's will and He is bigger than my aching heart and bigger than my fears for my children, and He will provide our needs as we do our best to trust Him. This is the theme of our lives in the Lord, Trust Him.

UPDATE - JANUARY 2nd 2009
We did attend training with WEC in Fort Washington from Feb to May last year. Apparently it was not the Lord's plan for us to travel to England last Summer as we are still waiting for visas. Lord willing, these will be approved within the next month. Once we have approval we have just 28 days to leave Missouri and enter the UK. Currently we are sorting through our things and preparing to leave.

Please check back on the blog often as we will post updates on our visas/travel situation as soon as we know them. Thank you.