Last Sunday (Jan. 4th) our pastor and his wife invited us to their house after church to have lunch with a missionary couple from Belize who were visiting over Christmas. We were glad to go, yet had no idea how God would use that afternoon to build up our joy, faith, encouragement, etc.!! This couple just "happened" to have moved their 2 teenagers across the ocean to Russia 10 years ago when God called them into missions. They just "happened" to grow up in the same town/area as Jarrod!! On and on I could go. But the point I am making is that God knew how much we needed the words of encouragement, the laughter, the "you can do this" and "you WILL do this!" that we received from Tom and Alida Sharp. TEARS OF JOY came over me as I realized that God is so true to His promises! We needed those hours of laughter, tears, smiles, understanding. And in the end, we have 2 new friends!!
As we are witnessing God at work in our family this verse comes vividly into mind:
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." Phillipians 2:13
Then this past Sunday (Jan. 11th) we went to church as usual. I had been praying for God to just give me some encouragement. This whole Preview Trip we are taking to Swaziland in July had me a bit down because we need to raise around $15k, PLUS we are preparing to raise our support for actually moving over there. I've known all along that it is God who will provide, yet in my humanness I still struggle with what I cannot see. Our church has been taking up an ongoing love offering to help us with our preview trip. It was announced yesterday that they have raised $2100 to this point!! Wow! I audibly gasped when this number was announced! WOW! Thank you, God!
We invited our church to come with us last night to see the African Children's Choir. They were performing in Albuquerque and because we have seen them and the Watoto Children's Choir we knew what a blessing it would be. Around 20 of us sat together and of course, I cried through most of the concert because my heart is so there!! I love those children and cannot WAIT until I step foot on African soil again. Anyway, before the concert our pastor came and sat with us and told us, "Your support is now at $10,000"!! WHAT?!?!?! We have been blessed with an additional $8000 towards our trip!
God is never late, rarely early, but ALWAYS on time!! There are plane tickets to be purchased now and we feel like we now have the encouragement (that I prayed for) and the momentum to move forward with the millions of details that lie ahead! Thank You, God! You are so good to us!!
