Hometown Brandon - Fall 2015

Grayson Orman believed God’s Word – even the verse in Jeremiah
where God asks, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” However,
like a lot of believers, he had a tendency to compartmentalize his faith.
Grayson knew that Christ met him in the church building for worship.
Every believer knows that, but does He meet us in our work place?
In a mysterious and miraculous experience while Grayson was writing
his final paper before graduating from Belhaven, he got confirmation that he
would indeed live out his faith on foreign soil. Slowly and methodically over
the next seven years, God would teach Grayson that Jesus was truly the
center of his universe, but it would be a gentle and unhurried process –
especially for Grayson’s wife, Karen. His mysterious experience would take
time for it to include her.
While Grayson continued working in the family jewelry store after his
encounter with God, the couple began to see that debt and the desire to own
“things” were robbing their freedom and denying them the abundant life
that God wanted for them. Even though Grayson and Karen weren’t sure
what God was doing, they felt compelled to downsize their lifestyles and
possessions so they could be freed up to be His servants when and wherever.
They even named their new venture: Mobilization for Christ.
The couple prayed, studied, and implemented their venture over the
next few years. Grayson confessed, “God worked miracles in our lives.”
They downsized in their accumulation of “things” and went from a large,
family-size home to a much more modest version. When they felt God was
about to relocate them, they decided to sell their home. A customer, looking
for an engagement ring, prompted Grayson to question the customer about
where he and his new wife planned to live.
The customer just happened to be looking for a modest home. Within
one week, he became the new owner of the Orman home without Grayson
ever putting a “For Sale” sign in his yard.
Today Grayson, Karen and nine-year-old daughter, Cali, make their
home in Southeast Asia where they live out their faith in the midst of a
foreign culture. They operate an art gallery near a college campus where
they also offer dance and art classes with future plans for music classes.
Nine different countries are represented in their art exhibits, and the
Ormans are excited to have entertained and toured visitors from over thirty
origins. They’ve also hosted Bible studies in their home that began with
three and grew to over 120.
In a city that makes Brandon look miniscule, this young family is
working and living in a foreign culture that desperately needs the Light. In
order to meet that need, the Ormans simply let their lights shine everyday
as all believers are meant to do. They would be quick to confess that Light
always prevails. ■
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The Ormans are presently on medical leave for extensive dental surgery that
Karen is undergoing. While here they are active in their former church home,
Crossgates Baptist in Brandon.
Hometown Brandon • 11