We now had a building in which to establish God's church, a place of contact, our established location, but it was a building without electricity, bathroom facilities, heat or water. The church building was also in need of renovation. We didn't have any monies to establish the ministry. We just stepped out in faith, and over time we had electricity, heat, air conditioning, water and bathroom facilities. We painted and had new carpet installed, and we moved forward with the Lord.

God burdened my heart to become the "Preacher" of his word, the "Preacher" of our newly established church. I gave God all kinds of excuses not to accept his call, but my heart continued to be heavily burdened concerning God's will for my life. I accepted the call to become the Preacher at our church, and God has led my footsteps all the way.

We began the ministry which God initiated, and we worked diligently. The work mostly revolved around the "street" people, and we began using the church building to provide shelter. We also provided food, clothing, counseling and spiritual guidance, but there were so many people and their needs were so great that we soon felt an endless urge to provide a home for the homeless. We prayed, prayed and prayed for a home.

Then one night, while in prayer and supplication, God gave me a vision. The vision was as clear as if I were watching it on television. In the vision a friend and I were shaking hands with people as they came in the door. The people had their coats on and some of them had pocketbooks in their hands. They were coming into a building that had a metal bar going across the middle of it. Then I looked and saw that I was actually standing in a balcony, and that the people were coming into the balcony. I looked down at the stage and saw four microphones. Someone said that one of the microphones did not work, and the vision ended.

I thought the vision meant we were going somewhere to sing. I shared the vision and what I thought it meant with the church. However, unknown to me, God gave a vision of reality that night, a vision of the home for the homeless.

During the time we were working in God's ministry at The Word Church, I was also working full time at Barry of Goldsboro. One day my boss, Ed Wiggs, sent me to a business in downtown Goldsboro to buy tablecloth material for our cafeteria. I purchased the material and, as I started out the door into the hallway of that 40,000 square foot building, I saw a door which opened into a balcony. I entered the door and, immediately, I saw a metal bar going across the room. As I walked into the balcony, I began weeping. My vision was being replayed for real. I was seeing in the physical what I had seen in the vision.

You may recall that The Word Church is located on the corner of Park Avenue and William Street in downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina. Well, the building in which I was shopping that day and which housed the balcony that I saw in the vision is also located on the corner of Park Avenue and William Street in downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina. It is located directly across the street from our church. You see God had a plan and he shared a portion of his plan with me in a vision. I knew at that time that this building was intended to become a part of our ministry. God gave me a jump start when he gave me the vision of what I encountered when I went to purchase the tablecloth material. God had the material arranged at that business so I would pass by the balcony door; he gave Barry of Goldsboro a need to purchase the material; he had Ed, my boss, send me to purchase the material; and he had the door open for me to see the balcony and recognize the vision.

I shared with our people that the building which I had seen in the vision was located across the street. That Sunday night, while the lights were on at that business and while people were there working, we went over to the building with a bottle of oil and anointed it. We talked to the building and told it that it would serve the Lord Jesus Christ from that hour. We walked around the building and claimed it just like Joshua did (See Joshua 6). We claimed it while only having $10.00 in the bank and while normally having less than twenty people in church on Sundays. Since the building which I had envisioned was being used for a business operation and since we had prayed for a home for the homeless, all I knew to do was to run an ad in the paper offering to buy or rent any house in downtown Goldsboro regardless of its condition. We received one telephone call in response to the ad and the house they were offering to sell us was in such bad condition that the roof was caving in. We knew that wasn't what God wanted. We began riding around town after every service in search of a home or building to rent or buy so we could provide a home for the homeless. We found a house on Oak Street that would cost us about $6,000.00. We got out of the car, and Praise the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, "Don't take less than the best that I have for you." We never looked at the house. We got into the car and left.

We continued praying about buying a home. Later a friend/real estate agent called and said that she had founda house on Walnut Street in downtown Goldsboro that contained about 3,000 square feet. She said that the house was carpeted, had chandeliers, was painted, and that it was a nice home. Interestingly enough, she also said that the man who owned this house owned the building across the street from the church. I told her we would pray about it.

We did pray about purchasing the house. Shortly thereafter, on my way to work one day, the Lord spoke and said that I was to go and talk to Mr. Ace Fordham that very day. Mr. Fordham was the owner of the nice house on Walnut Street with the chandeliers and the building housing the business where I had purchased the tablecloth material. I arrived at work and told one of my bosses, Jim, that I had been instructed to go to see Mr. Fordham that day. Jim immediately said that he wanted to go with me.

I did not know Mr. Fordham, but I had been told that Carlton Daniels, who was doing electrical work at Barry of Goldsboro, piloted Mr. Fordham's airplane. I told Jim that I would get Carlton to schedule the meeting for us. Jim said that Carlton had completed his electrical work at Barry, that he had been paid, and he had already left. Just as those words came out of Jim's mouth, Carlton came back in to get a tool he'd left behind. Jim laughed and told Carlton we wanted him to schedule an appointment with Mr. Fordham for us. Carlton called Mr. Fordham and scheduled the meeting for 10:00 a.m. that morning. We thought we were going to see Mr. Fordham to purchase the house on Walnut Street because a business was still being operated in the building across from the church. We discussed the purchase of the house on Walnut Street. Mr. Fordham said the price was $57,000.00, and I said "We'll take it." We did not have any idea how God would pay for the house. We didn't even have a down payment. Mr. Fordham asked what we were going to do with the house. I told him we were going to have a home for people who didn't have anywhere to live. As I began to share, God granted me favor with Mr. Fordham. He said, "Well, to tell you the truth, the time is up with the real estate company, I can give it to you for three or four thousand dollars less than the asking price." He then said, "You can have it for $53,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." Praise the Lord that Jim was in the meeting with me. I believe it was God's intention for him to go with me. Mr. Fordham and Jim were talking about politice, ball games and everything else. The only time Mr. Fordham talked to me that particular day was when we talked about the price of the house. Mr. Fordham was talking to Jim and all at once he turned to me and said, "Linda, I am going to let you have the house for $49,000.00," and I said, "We'll take it." He talked to Jim again, and then turned to me and said, "You can have the house for $47,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." He turned to Jim and started talking again, and again he turned to me and said, "You can have it for $45,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." Then he said, "You can have it for $43,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." Then he said, "You can have it for $41,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." At that time I said, "To tell you the truth, we really don't want it. God is going to give us the building which you own on William Street."

After that, Mr. Fordham just sat and looked at me for two or three minutes. Then he said, "I'll sell it to you for $125,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." I thought to myself, "What's the difference, I don't have the money to buy either property." However, I knew if God wanted us to have the building on William Street, he would provide the finances. In a little while he said, "Linda, I am goin to let you have the building for $100,000.00." I said, "We'll take it." At that time, Jim said that we had to go back to work. We had been there for a couple of hours. On the way out the door, Jim stated that he thought Mr. Fordham would call us, and I said, "So do I." After getting back to work, I went to the bank to make a deposit.

Jim was standing in the door with tears in his eyes when I returned form making the deposit. He said, "Guess what." I asked, "What?" He said, "Mr. Fordham called and said we can have the building on William Street for $75,000.00." I laughed and said, "We'll take it." By the time we closed the sale of the building, the price had been reduced to $69,000.00. Since that time our slogan has been, "We'll take it."

We went to the bank to get a loan to buy the building. The banking officer asked how we planned to back the loan. I told him by faith. He told us that they did not loan money on faith. I laughed and told him it was no wonder the banks were in trouble.

We needed money to buy the building; we didn't have the money; and therefore, we needed to get the loan. By this time we knew that part of God's plan was for us to purchase the building on William Street. As always, we prayed believing that God would honor our prayers and provide the monies to purchase the property. Pretty soon a person came to me, and he told me that the Lord woke him up and stirred his heart to offer his home to be mortgaged to back up the loan we needed to purchase the building. He and his wife went to the bank and mortgaged their home. They mortgaged their home because they knew God was calling them to do so and because they had faith. The loan was made, and we were walking in faith and believing that we'd be able to make the payments as they became due.

God had given me a vision, a vision of the building which we were to purchase. After purchasing the building, we continued in steadfast prayer for strength, forbearance and financing. God has answered our prayers and the House of Fordham--House of Miracles is the fulfillment of the vision given by God many years ago.

The last word I received from God concerning the House of Fordham before this book was published was that the House of Fordham would become a School of Ministry. That all people who became associated with our ministry would learn to pray and be powerful in the Word of God. We look forward to reaching out and bringing in the harvest.

"A Vision Fulfilled" was taken from the book "House of Fordham--House of Miracles". "House of Fordham--House of Miracles" will be published soon.

Linda Burroughs, a missionary from Goldsboro, North Carolina can be scheduled for speaking engagements world-wide regardless of the cost. The ministry can provide people delivered from crack, heroine, cocaine and alcohol to speak and bring hope for the change that Christ can make.