Finally, Blog #2! This is actually my third attempt at Blog #2. Hopefully this one will be the keeper. I apologize for not updating more regularly. Please pray for me to be more diligent in blogging. And also please pray for the AT&T technician to be available to fix our internet during times when we are actually able to be home!! ugghh.
So, here we are at the end of March. That means it is almost April, which is the month we were hoping to be able to buy our tickets for Swaziland. Not possible yet, but God is still God and we are still pressing on toward this goal. We need Him to show up in a BIG way in order to be able to leave in June. I have no doubt that He is able, and so far, we have not heard him say any different, so we are just continuing on this path. Fund raising is so very difficult. It requires much humility, much faith, much patience, much diligence. Hard.
We have been so encouraged, though, by the response of friends and others that we have been able to share our story, and the story of the Swazi ministry with. We have been blessed by the people of Sixth Street Baptist Church in Alexander City, Alabama! They let us have a whole Sunday night service to show pictures, tell stories and express to them the love that we believe God is ready to pour out on the people and orphans of Swaziland! It was a great experience for me personally because God used it to draw me out of my comfort zone. I am not a fan of public speaking, so I was more than a little relieved when we got there to set up and the sound people said, “We only have 3 lapel mics”. I was so happy to be gracious and let Steve and the Clyburns have them!! Then, wouldn’t you know it, they found a hand mic for me. Drat. But once we got started talking, I had to keep myself from interrupting at times to tell the people my experiences. What a blessing of God to show up like that and give me not only peace, but excitement to speak.
More recently, our friends Weyman and Sandi Prater set up a dinner in order for us to speak to some friends of theirs (and some of ours!) at Mountain Brook Community Church. When Sandi and I had first discussed this dinner, I pictured a quiet, intimate time at the Prater’s home. Well, God had other plans and next thing I knew we were meeting at their church in order to accommodate the amount of people! Again, I was a little nervous to think about speaking to these people. But once we started visiting with these precious friends, old and new, I could hardly keep from talking! To be able to stand before them and share the story of these precious people and what we believe to be God’s vision for them and for their country was the greatest honor. We were so blessed that night by people just serving and loving us and being truly interested in helping us get to and minister in Swaziland. God used it, too, to renew in me the excitement and joy that seems to get trampled when I focus so much on the finances and the lists of things to “do” before we go. Why am I consistently surprised when He reminds me of his love and mercy towards us?
So, dear friends, please pray for us. Pray for us to be obedient in following the paths that God opens up for us in this time of raising financial and prayer support. Pray for us to have more opportunities to speak to groups about what we hope to be doing in Swazi. Pray for us to get work done on the house so that we can begin to search for renters. Pray for someone who will rent the house from us!! There are many, many more prayer requests as I am sure you can imagine. I would love to talk or email or facebook any of you personally if you would like more details.
Please contact us anytime. It is so precious to me to receive encouragement from friends. And the prayers are definitely being felt! Please keep it up.
Thank you.
