Hi! I’m Joel Carpenter.  I’m a Family Practice doctor.  Have you noticed that it’s so easy to get into such a busy routine of life, that you hardly have time to think, let alone take time for daily devotions?  I’d like to share with you how God has been working and leading in my life.  Who is #1 in your life?  Is it yourself, or Jesus?

     I grew up in Naperville, Illinois. I am the 8th of 9 children. My parents are Christians, and we all grew up going to the Evangelical Free Church (EFC) of Naperville. I was a pretty good kid, overall, but I knew that I was still a sinner and needed Jesus to be saved. I had this “empty spot” inside me that I just couldn’t fill. Nomatter how well I did in school, or how good my grades were, or how I obeyed my parents or teachers and made them proud of me, or if I bought nice things, or spent time with my friends – I still felt empty inside.  Living my life to please myself or my teachers or parents – just didn’t fill that emptiness.  I didn’t have meaning and purpose in my life.  I couldn't be "good enough" for God to forgive my sins.

     Then, when I was twelve, I prayed and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior at a Bill Gothard Basic Youth Conflicts Seminar in Chicago.  Jesus came in and filled that “empty spot” inside me.  In Him, I have forgiveness, & purpose and meaning to my life.  I am confident in my salvation – that God sees me as “clean” because I have accepted Jesus, His perfect Son, who died in my place.

     Later, as a teenager, while I was at an EFCA youth conference led by Bill McKee, I dedicated my life to serve the Lord wherever, and in whatever way, He wanted.  I remember standing up in that football stadium and saying, “Here am I Lord, send me!”  Have you ever told the Lord that you are willing to do whatever He wants with your life, in whatever country or place that might be?!?

     I finished high school, went to college at The King’s College (in NY), then on to medical school and Family Practice residency.  I worked as a physician for the U.S. Navy for 6 years.  I had been on six short-term medical mission trips over those years, and felt that God was definitely leading me toward full-time medical missions work overseas – possibly in Central or South America.  As I was getting out of the Navy, I wrote to several mission agencies that work in Central and South America – asking if they had any openings for full-time medical missionaries.  The answer came back, “No.” (Short-term, for a few weeks, “yes”; but long-term, “no”.)  I was disappointed.  Didn’t the Lord want me to serve Him as a missionary?  What should I do?

     Well, I moved to Newport, TN. and worked at a small, rural clinic there for 3 years.  I joined Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, and sang in the choir.  Before long, I found myself working longer and longer hours at the office, and my life got more and more hectic. I was getting up early in the morning, seeing my patients at the hospital, going to my office and seeing patients there all day, then stopping to see patients at the hospital again on my way home. Then I’d try to sleep some, before I would get “beeped”/paged to come back to the hospital to admit someone from the ER or deliver a baby.  Then I’d try to run back home and sleep a couple hours before I had to get up and start all over again the next day.  I enjoyed being a doctor, but I was starting to feel extremely stressed and tired and unhappy.

     In October 1996 I went to a Promise-Keeper’s conference. That’s where I felt God gently remind me that I needed to put Him back into the #1 spot in my life. I had gradually let my job, and taking care of all of those sick patients, and all of my “busyness”, take my focus off of Jesus.  I felt God was saying that I needed to serve Him with my life.  I had to say, “Yep, God, You’re right. Please forgive me. I want to put You back into my #1 spot. I want to serve You with all of my heart and soul and strength and mind – not myself.”

     Well, I felt God was leading me towards full-time medical missionary work overseas.  But where? – and with which mission agency?   I gave my notice at work and went to the YWAM Discipleship Training School (9/’97 – 2/’98) in Adams, TN.   I read the Bible and prayed and memorized verses, and basically took time to grow closer to the Lord.  God truly loves us.  He wants us to grow closer to Him, to spend time with Him.  I read the book “Experiencing God”, and learned that I need to look around and see where God is working – then join Him in that work.  God can and will use me to work in the lives of other people – I just need to be available and willing and obedient.  I need to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him – with my life.  I want to be a “living sacrifice” – serving the Lord.

     When I finished the YWAM-DTS school, I looked at several different mission organizations. God put a burden in my heart for the people of the “10/40 window” – those who are in countries that are mostly Muslim, Hindu, &/or Buddhist.  I really liked the vision and doctrine of the Evangelical Free Church of America – International Mission (EFCA-IM).  Their focus is to glorify God by bringing others to know Jesus through evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.  I worked with EFCA-IM from 1999 to 2004, in the biggest city in Tanzania – Dar es Salaam. About two-thirds of the 4 million people there are Muslim.  I worked as a doctor & musician there, helping in the two church-plants EFCA-IM is starting there; one is among the African Muslims, the other among the Asian/Indian Hindus.

     Now, God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Dr. Deborah!  And starting in November 2004, we will be serving God together in a YWAM clinic just outside Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  YWAM’s focus is “Knowing God & making Him known”.  I will continue with my doctoring & musical ministry.  I hope to also have time to devote to HIV/AIDS ministry & village medical outreaches.

     So, that’s how God has been working in my life.  I pray that God will show you where and how you are to serve Him.  Is He leading you towards missions yourself?  Is He telling you that you need to share Jesus with one of your neighbors or coworkers?  Whatever He leads us to do, we need to obey Him.

     Thank you & God bless you!