It's Already Tuesday !

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