My husband is leaving this Saturday for a week long mission trip to Guatemala.
I am so excited for this to be happening.
It is truly an answer to our prayers.
William had the privilege of going on his first mission trip
to Guatemala in January 2008, with the entire staff and all the lay elders
from our church.
This was truly a life-changing experience for William
and he has been looking for the chance to return ever since.
We began praying for this opportunity for him to return
almost as soon as he got back and we believed
that the LORD would make a way for it to happen.
When the trip was offered and sign-up began, we knew William needed
to put his name on that list, believing that the LORD
was going to provide the money ($1600), even though we
weren't seeing "the how" with our physical eyes.
We just believed the LORD had said "Go" and
He would make a way.
Through a series of wonderful and sometimes surprising avenues
ALL the money has been provided and our faith
has been rewarded.
Don't ya love it when that happens?!?
And
Don't ya love it when the LORD confirms
that the path you are moving down is The path
He has laid out for you
"for such a time as this"?
One of the most amazing ways the LORD has provided all this money,
almost half of it,
has been through William's second "job".
He is an ordained and licensed minister.
His 1st job is working at Hospice of San Angelo.
One of the "hats" he wears is that of part-time chaplain.
So he gets asked to preside at funerals
and also to officiate at weddings.
Well, he was asked to preside at two funerals a couple of months ago,
both in the same week.
(And just a couple of weeks from one of the
financial deadlines for the money for the trip to be turned in.)
Now, understand.....this is remarkable on so many levels....
first of all, sometimes he gets paid for these services, sometimes
not....in any case, it is a ministry on his part and he is always glad to help people out,
money never being the object.
Also, for weddings, a minister can be more specific and just tell
the couple "my fee is $___".
But, for funerals -- he has never had a fee nor expected any payment, but is sometimes
pleasantly surprised by $50 or $100
from the family.
So, imagine the surprise when in the course of this week of two funerals,
he is handed $750.00 !
THAT was from the LORD !
The LORD put it on these families hearts to give William such a generous
amount and he turned around and turned in the amount
that was needed for the next financial installment
for the trip -- $750.00 !
Now THAT'S God !!
And William had the privilege of then further ministering to this sweet widow by
telling her how he was using the money she had given.
That her gift to him was going to be used so that
he could go to Guatemala and help build
houses for four widows there.
Sweet !!
God is good !!
And I am so excited that William gets to go wield a chain saw and a hammer
and help build these houses.
He gets to return to see the apple trees that he pruned last trip, now
producing their fruit.
He gets to hand out plates of food to the people that come for
what is the only meal they'll have that day.
He'll no doubt play a little basketball or soccer with some kids.
And, if I know him, and I do....he'll be holding some babies
at some point in the week.
Please pray for William and the entire mission
team from Paulann Baptist Church,
as they are leaving on Sat. morning and returning
the following Friday.
God is going to do some great things...
both in the hearts of the people there
and
in the hearts and lives of the ones He is sending to them.
With great excitement and anticipation --
Gwynie Pie
