The past month since I arrived has been a sinuous road of unforeseen events! I hope to write a few other stories to share with you all, trusting they will be a blessing. But for now, I will share how amazing God’s timing and leading in my SM experience has been! May you reflect on how God has led each of you thus far, remembering in difficult times that God reigns, and praising Him for His providence! (Please bear with my imagination)

November 19, 2013 The Control Center of the Universe:
“So the AFM Central Thai Project has begun processing paperwork to establish a government-approved music school in Khon Kaen, Thailand.” —1st angel
“Ah, indeed, well that will be a good avenue for them to make friends in the community since their team is quite musical.”——2nd angel
“True, but the Commander in Chief says they’ll still need some help. I just received orders from Him today.”
“Hmmm… It says we are to find a musician! Hmf!! Since when do musicians make good missionaries! They have sooo many “special needs” to be practical in a foreign country!”
“Oh, just listen: ‘Go to Chattanooga, TN, USA, and arrange circumstances so that a musician named, Breanna Thornton, will have the space to consider going to the mission field next year. Then the Holy Spirit will begin sending her the idea, and follow that up with some providential circumstances, and then add some conviction. Work diligently, because she’s tenaciously set with her own plans!’ ”

January 16, 2014 Chattanooga, TN:
Sniffle…wimper… shock “Now what My plans are all messed up! You haven’t been giving me any clear guidance as to where to audition for graduate school even though I’ve been praying about it! And now this too!! I’m miserable! I have no motivation to work on homework right now! I have no idea what the next step is!”

January 17, 2014 Collegedale, TN:
“Breanna, I’m so sorry this happened, but it will all work out,” Mrs. Burrus said as she wrapped me in a warming hug. Let me take you out for lunch! “I really do think you should consider taking a year off! No need to rush through college. Experience all the unique things you can right now before you have to take care of other life responsibilities. You should just go to the Student Missions (SM) office at SAU and see if there are any possibilities; then if not go ahead and look into Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA).” The idea sounded most reasonable over a nice meal of salsa and creamy potato flautas. As I bounced ideas off of Mom and Dad, everyone seemed to be agreeing that it sounded like a good plan. However, I was most incredulous that there would be any SM options that met the conditions that I had set.

January 18, 2014 East Ridge, SDA Church, TN:
“Hi, Breanna! You have one year left at Southern Adventist University, right? So, what are your plans?”
“Well, David, I’m thinking about the ACA program or possibly checking if there are any SM opportunities. But I just have never really considered being an SM, because it just wouldn’t be conducive to being a musician! Here’s what would have to happen: 1) I need a climate that my professional violin would be safe in; 2) I need to have the flexibility to still practice every day because I will be preparing for graduate school auditions soon and so I can’t go without practicing for nine months; 3) If I had my pick, I’ve always wanted to go to Asia; 4) The opportunity would have to arise really soon, because I need to start applying for the ACA program.”
“Hmm…Well, I just read an article in the AFM magazine about a project that is starting a music school. You should look into it.”
“Hmm…Maybe.”

January 19, 2014 Chattanooga, TN:
Flop, flop… “Ah, here is the magazine….Hmmm…It doesn’t really sound like they need any help at the music school. But I guess it won’t hurt anything to send them an e-mail just in case.” The next day I received a reply from one of the missionaries involved with the music school, but it sounded like a dead-end. That week I timidly shuffled into the SAU SM office too to see if there were such things as music SM positions. To my amazement there were! So the director e-mailed a couple of them for me. However by the next week, I had not heard anything from them, and the AFM missionary had confirmed that having had their music school open house January 26, they realized that they did not need any help. They had just started teaching two violinist that month, but had not even had the official opening of the music school yet.

January 28, 2014 The Control Center of the Universe:
“Hehe! So we fulfilled our job! Breanna’s now in a place to consider going as an SM next year. Isn’t that great!?”—2nd angel
“Uh, oh!… Wait a second! Yet another hurdle is appearing! Now we have to go arrange circumstances for the missionaries, so that they realize Breanna is supposed to go there. What are our options?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hmm…not that…no not that… Aha! Facebook!”
“Do what!? Why would you use that?”
“Hey, I’ve got only a little time left to complete this assignment before Breanna runs off with other ideas, so I’m going to use anything that might work and work FAST! Hurry, up!”

January 29, 2014 Chattanooga, TN:
Musing to myself, I decided that since the SM doors had closed, it was time to stop waiting and start looking into other options. Groggily I dragged myself out of bed, and yanked on the light cord. Devotions-check. Get dressed-check. “Oh I don’t feel like doing things today.” Check my e-mail-… “What in the world?…Wait a second?…I thought they said ‘no’: ”
“ ‘I just looked you up on FB and was excited to see that your instrument is violin! And it looks like you have been a Suzuki student! Here’s where we are right now: …. If you think this opportunity is something you might feel called to/enjoy doing, let me know. I won’t try to work it out with AFM unless you are pretty sure you’d like to do it.’ ”
“Wow! Maybe this is what God wants me to do!? Let me pray about it”

February 1, 2014 Collegedale, TN:
“Why don’t we go over to the special prayer center set up on campus this Sabbath afternoon,” commented Aubrey.
“OK. God and I need to settle this SM opportunity.”
With the lights dimmed and complete silence, I sat listening for God. I wanted to make sure this was God’s will because then all along the way I could rely on Him for strength to complete it: “How much more clear can I be?” whispered God. “I packaged you with all the exact skills and experiences to perform my will at every step in your life and now I want to place you in Thailand next school year. I even fulfilled your little list of SM conditions exactly, even though I didn’t have to, just to make it extra clear that I am calling YOU!”
“OK. I believe it’s your will. Give me the strength to complete it”
February 4, 2014 Khon Kaen, Thailand
“So that violinist has agreed to come to Thailand if we get everything approved through AFM,” commented Alicia. “Usually we have to send in SM calls one year in advanced to get the call approved through AFM. Let’s contact the field directors to see if they can help.”
“Hi Don, this is Alicia. What do you think of putting in an SM call this late?”
“Well who is it?”… “Oh, Breanna Thornton! Oh yes! We can make that work! I know her family—her father was a professor at the same college I was at a few years ago.”

February 5, 2014 :
Record breaking time! AFM says that it will be no problem to approve the new SM call. Shock! Time to start filling out AFM student missionary applications.
Still only two students. Still the music school would not officially open yet until June 2014.

The rest of the story: In June, I felt like it would be impossible to finish fundraising before the deadline for training, plus somehow I had never received a large portion of the fundraising packet in the first place. Having fasted and prayed, I felt impressed to continue trying to fundraise. After that, God poured out the finances through each of you in astounding ways! Thank you for making it possible for me to be here—fulfilling God’s call!
This week, Ricardo and I were talking, and he commented on how great a blessing it was that I was at this project. Everyone has been exclaiming how perfect God’s timing is with the sudden influx of students since I’ve arrived. Furthermore, I’ve been using all my experiences being in music institutions and having my own studio to completely organize and document from scratch this new music school. In our conversation, it was said how perfectly God packages people with all the right skills and experiences and sends those packages to just the right places.
Truly, God leads each one of us and equips us so very carefully for His plans! Truly “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). “Praise to the Lord, Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth [!]” (Joachim Neander, SDA Hymnal #1)

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