Paul (aka Saul) was converted to the Lord while on his way to arrest christians who fled from Jerusalem (Acts 9). That was around 35AD, two years after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection and ascension. After a short stay in Damascus, he went to the Arabian desert for a much needed time of reflection (Gal.1:17).

After about three years of restudying the old testament (possibly in the desert for much of the three years), he went back to Damascus and then went down to Jerusalem to visit the apostles, only to be received by Peter and James the brother of Christ (Gal.1:18-19).

Then he apparently went back to his hometown Tarsus for a few years of obscurity until a certain good brother named Barnabas invited him to the fledgling mission-minded church of Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). That was probably around 45AD, 10 years after his conversion. Paul became one of the teachers there. During one of the fasting and prayer sessions, Barnabas and Paul were sent out for the first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-4). That was around 46AD. For the next 20 years, Paul would have been a foot soldier for Christ in much of the Greco-Roman world.

You see, Paul, the greatest missionary of all times, was an obscure man during the first ten years after his conversion. Why? The Lord was preparing him for the service in the next 20 years until he was put to death in Rome.

We can learn from Paul's experience and be content with and diligent about the preparation phase which can take many years. In Paul's case, it took a lengthy 10 years.

It just so happened that I went for my first missionary journey about 10 years after my conversion. Ten years is not a magic number. But adequate preparation is always needed. That is why I am now seeking seminary training in the next five years for full time ministry in my last 25 years if I will live to 70.

Galatians 1:11 弟兄们、我告诉你们、我素来所传的福音、不是出于人的意思。

1:12 因为我不是从人领受的、也不是人教导我的、乃是从耶稣基督启示来的。

1:13 你们听见我从前在犹太教中所行的事、怎样极力逼迫残害　神的教会。

1:14 我又在犹太教中、比我本国许多同岁的人更有长进、为我祖宗的遗传更加热心。

1:15 然而那把我从母腹里分别出来、又施恩召我的　神、

1:16 既然乐意将他儿子启示在我心里、叫我把他传在外邦人中、我就没有与属血气的人商量、

1:17 也没有上耶路撒冷去、见那些比我先作使徒的．惟独往亚拉伯去．后又回到大马色。

1:18 过了三年、才上耶路撒冷去见矶法、和他同住了十五天。

1:19 至于别的使徒、除了主的兄弟雅各、我都没有看见。

Acts:

11:24 这巴拿巴原是个好人、被圣灵充满、大有信心．于是有许多人归服了主。

11:25 他又往大数去找扫罗、

11:26 找着了、就带他到安提阿去。他们足有一年的工夫、和教会一同聚集、教训了许多人．门徒称为基督徒、是从安提阿起首。

13:1 在安提阿的教会中，有几位先知和教师，就是巴拿巴，和称呼尼结的西面，古利奈人路求，与分封之王希律同养的马念，并扫罗。

13:2 他们事奉主，禁食的时候，圣灵说，要为我分派巴拿巴和扫罗，去作我召他们所作的工。

13:3 于是禁食祷告，按手在他们头上，就打发他们去了。

13:4 他们既被圣灵差遣，就下到西流基，从那里坐船往居比路去。