Tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow starts my survey/scouting trip to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua!
I Chronicles 16:9 “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.”
My trusty traveling companions (i.e. suitcases) are once again packed & ready for action. It is a pleasure to report that I was able to downsize this time. Though my minimalist friends will still get a laugh at my expense, as “downsizing” for me means 1 suitcase + 1 backpack J. But considering this is a 14 day trip, that’s pretty good given my record.
One of my goals is to take a lot of pictures and video clips so when I return I can make a full blown short DVD presentation to show at churches and to potential supporters. Those of you who know me, know that making little videos with pictures & music is my “relaxation therapy” :-). But this project will be much more involved.
News from this past week:
Did I mention God provided a tutor to help me with Spanish? Very exciting to have someone to help me keep on learning the language.
Yesterday I had fun going to my old office to have lunch with my boss and co-workers. It was great to see them all again and hear what everyone is up to.
Praise God for two new supporting families plus two potential supporters. And last Tuesday I learned that two churches are willing for me to come share in October! It was a joy and privilege to meet with several of you this week to share in more detail about the work in Nicaragua. I also enjoyed hearing about what God is doing in and through your lives. For these partnerships are truly a two way street: you being directly connected to what will go on Nicaragua and I being connected with what happens with you through prayer.
II Thessalonians 1:11 “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
A line from “Anne of Green Gables” that I like is “high falutin’ mumbo jumbo.” Have you ever encountered people that when they pray, it is like they just walked into God’s living room, sat down on the couch and just directly talked to God simply and earnestly both about happy & hard things? No “high falutin’ mumbo jumbo” there, but real straight conversation? Well I am grateful to know people like that, and even more grateful to have them as friends. Praying with a few of them in the past 8 days has been great.
Final thing I’m grateful for: Had an adventure this past week, while battling cold/allergies. Something happened that hasn’t occurred since I was 15, I had a near “black-out” incident*. I’m so thankful people were home when it happened and that God had pre-orchestrated that I had a few days of very little on my schedule to rest. And now I’m feeling so much better.
(*”black-out” = blood pressure drops, feel hot, clammy & shaky, vision blurs, and then you pass out. I’ve found a shot of cold orange juice, and wet towels on the back of the neck do wonders!) These incidents used to be associated with teenage hormones – no wise cracks from the peanut gallery - I know I look young, but I’m not that young :-)
Tough but Tremendously Necessary Moments: Sometimes God prompts you to do or say things that are very hard to do and say. But He asks you to trust and obey. Fear & anxiety can well up and be almost overpowering, especially if it involves someone you know. And yet you are reminded God wants you to take the step because He has a bigger plan & that real love for the other person’s welfare means taking that action. So you ask God to cleanse your heart, fill you with grace, and give courage, and then even with the anxiety you step up and do or say what He told you to do or say. Then you can wait and watch what God will do with it. Perhaps you may not see any results, but sometimes God does let you see the results, but either way you hang on to obeying Him. Grateful for God’s help in these times. Other times you are on the receiving end and God sends someone to point something out to you, so you have an Iron-Sharpens-Iron moment. Then you must ask God for humility and grace to be open to what you need to change. Sometimes situations involve people who know the LORD and sometimes it involves unbelievers. Either way it is a major opportunity to grow. I must view these moments as lessons in trust and lessons in grace. So grateful for the friends who I’ve given permission to hold me accountable and who call me out on things.
Well time to wrap this up, so I can be ready to catch the plane early in the morning. Thank you all for your prayers.