It looks like we'll be heading for California instead of Texas. We were really torn between California and New Zealand, but in talking with trusted friends and prayer partners, we think that God is leading us to the base in California. There were a number of reasons why this seemed to make better sense to us. We weighed the extra cost of flying the entire family to New Zealand (between $5,000 and $10,000) and driving cross country, and realized that that extra money could be spent in a much better way. We would get to visit some friends in Colorado on the way. We would also get a chance to see more of this great country that we live in. We really didn't get the knock over the head realization that this is where we should go, but a number of friends reminded us that sometimes God doesn't specifically tell you where to go. Sometimes He lets you start down a path and if it's not where you're supposed to go He'll redirect you, like Tyler. That door was closed for a reason, we may never know why, but God does and that's good enough for me.
We continue forward with the expectation that God will guide us and provide for us.
God is good, all the time!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
?
Well God has told a resounding NO to Tyler TX. We got a call today telling us that the CDTS there has been canceled due to lack of applications. So we are asking for prayers for a new direction. We are currently looking into a few different places for CDTS, and trusting that God will open a new door for us to enter into. It's hard not knowing what we are supposed to be doing. We covet your prayers as we listen to God speaking, and we hope that He will guide us.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Break me Lord
Robin recently found a blog describing a CDTS Outreach that was taking place in Guatemala (link here). The people were ministering to a couple of different areas in Guatemala City. One of the areas was located near a garbage dump where scores of children and families live, yes they live in the dump. A friend of mine who has seen a video of this area told me that the children will fight with the seagulls to get food. It just breaks my heart that people have to live this way. I feel so spoiled here in America. I can hardly wait to get away from here and hopefully make a difference in the lives of people like these. We are so easy to complain and grumble when we are inconvenienced just a little. It almost makes me sick to my stomach to think of all the time and money and resources that are wasted in the U.S. while these people have to fight birds just to get something to eat.
I have also been reading a story (link here requires Adobe reader) in a World Vision magazine that we receive about a reporter and her camera man living with a family in Turkana in northwestern Kenya. The writer and camera man lived with the family and ate what they did for five days. The area hasn't seen significant rain in 18 months. The people have been forced to go long distances to feed and water their animals which puts them at risk to be attacked by raiders looking to steal the animals. The family she is staying with was just attacked and lost a significant portion of their flock to the raiders (they lost 312 goats, 38 camels and 10 donkeys, leaving them with just 7 goats and 2 camels.) Please read the rest of the story. These people are starving and yet any little thing they receive they see as a gift from God and praise Him eagerly for it. We take for granted that our grocery stores will be full. We squander and waste so much we aught to be ashamed.
God has blessed this nation, but we are not fulfilling our responsibility to pass that blessing on to others. I realize that we do a lot to help, but are we doing enough? I challenge you to examine your life to see where you can change to help impact the world and make it better. If it means not getting that gourmet coffee, or giving up some entertainment choices (movies, TV, etc...) even something as simple as lowering your internet service to a slightly slower speed, or cutting back on your food choices (eating at home rather than eating out.) I am writing this to myself just as much as to any of you. The choices I have made when looking back at them sometimes disgust me. To think of all that could have been done with the money that I have wasted. I just pray that God will forgive me and guide me to better choices, and that He will break me and show me the things that break His heart. He sees those starving kids in Guatemala and in Africa and He weeps for them. I want to feel the way He feels and do something that makes a difference. I believe that is what He is calling our family to do. We will continue to listen to His calling and follow where He leads us.
I have also been reading a story (link here requires Adobe reader) in a World Vision magazine that we receive about a reporter and her camera man living with a family in Turkana in northwestern Kenya. The writer and camera man lived with the family and ate what they did for five days. The area hasn't seen significant rain in 18 months. The people have been forced to go long distances to feed and water their animals which puts them at risk to be attacked by raiders looking to steal the animals. The family she is staying with was just attacked and lost a significant portion of their flock to the raiders (they lost 312 goats, 38 camels and 10 donkeys, leaving them with just 7 goats and 2 camels.) Please read the rest of the story. These people are starving and yet any little thing they receive they see as a gift from God and praise Him eagerly for it. We take for granted that our grocery stores will be full. We squander and waste so much we aught to be ashamed.
God has blessed this nation, but we are not fulfilling our responsibility to pass that blessing on to others. I realize that we do a lot to help, but are we doing enough? I challenge you to examine your life to see where you can change to help impact the world and make it better. If it means not getting that gourmet coffee, or giving up some entertainment choices (movies, TV, etc...) even something as simple as lowering your internet service to a slightly slower speed, or cutting back on your food choices (eating at home rather than eating out.) I am writing this to myself just as much as to any of you. The choices I have made when looking back at them sometimes disgust me. To think of all that could have been done with the money that I have wasted. I just pray that God will forgive me and guide me to better choices, and that He will break me and show me the things that break His heart. He sees those starving kids in Guatemala and in Africa and He weeps for them. I want to feel the way He feels and do something that makes a difference. I believe that is what He is calling our family to do. We will continue to listen to His calling and follow where He leads us.
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