Where Were You - Sept 11th

(Warning: This post may seem controversial or offensive -- it is not my intention to upset or offend anyone with this sensitive topic.)

Most of us who were over the age of 6 or 7 when major world events took place can remember where we were as those moments in time unfolded...

J.F.K.'s assassination.

The Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.

Hurricane Katrina.

Princess Diana's death.

My grandfather was 7 when the Titanic sank, and in a conversation I had with him months before his death at the age of 93, he could remember hearing about it.

On each anniversary of those events, one of the most frequently asked questions is "Where were you on that day, what were you doing?"

I remember Sept 11th 2001 as though it was only yesterday. It was our oldest son's 5th birthday, he was in his second week of Kindergarten. I was 34 weeks pregnant with our youngest, and in pre-term labor yet again. I dropped our 3 year old son off to the babysitter and picked my mom up on the way to the hospital.

When my mom got into the car, she shared that something terrible had happened in New York City, a plane had crashed into a skyscraper moments earlier.

As we drove to the hospital, we wondered how such a thing could have happened, and we were greatly concerned for all those whose lives would be affected by this disaster. The previous day, I had given my maternity leave notice to my employer, a major airline. I couldn't have imagined being at work that day or in the days to follow.

The rest of the day was spent in the Labor & Delivery unit, attempting to keep labor off as it was too early for this baby to be born. From time to time, we heard bits and pieces of news and updates from the nurses, who were probably doing their best not to alarm us so that the stress and concern wouldn't worsen the contractions. From what we were told, the world was coming to an end.

With labor held off once again, I went home on bedrest. I would not be returning to work until the end of my maternity leave 13 months later.

At home, we watched the news replayed from earlier that day, and sat in stunned silence at what was determined to be an act of terrorism on innocent people. I remember wondering what kind of world I was bringing a child into.

I wasn't the only one with questions.

So many of us wondered "How could this happen?"

"Why?"

I know many people were asking God where HE was that day...

The devastation of Sept 11th 2001 is still fresh in my mind ten years later, and will likely always be. And yet what I struggle with, still, is that while there were several thousand innocent lives lost that day, there are nearly 20,000 innocent children who die of completely preventable causes every single day... Not just on Sept 11th, but every.single.day... without a single headline, without memorials, without the outrage of the rest of the world demanding justice for these precious children.

God has questions for us too.

Where are we each day while these children die?

Why?

How could this happen?

Please, don't misunderstand my heart -- it is not my intention to take away from the severity and tragedy of the losses experienced in the tragic events of Sept 11th 2001 -- we suffered greatly at the hands of these terrorists. I simply can't help but know that we, as a world, also suffer terribly, even unaware, as the world's children die by the thousands each day when it is within our power to turn the tide and save lives.

We want those in charge to be held accountable for the losses of Sept 11th... many still seek vengeance, justice, answers.

How will we respond when we are ALL held accountable for the children God commands us to feed, clothe and protect?

On Sept 11th, 2001, I wondered what kind of world we were bringing our children into, but today, I no longer wonder what kind of world I've brought my children into. God is asking me instead what kind of example I will lead them with.

(in)courage: Bloom Beyond The Books

There's a definite chill in the air these days... fall will soon be upon us. The children feel it too as their summer vacation comes to an end and they prepare to return to school on Tuesday. It seems as though the past two months have evaporated all too quickly in the summer heat... except summer's not all that hot here in this corner of Canada!

Although we've done this every year for the past 11 years, there is a different feeling in the air this year. Even the children's whining about being back in school is half-hearted. They know all too well this year how blessed they are. Had they been born in Ghana, their reality could be very different.

No labor day.

No holidays at all.

No school.

No school? No end to poverty.

Nothing but 14+ hour days of work to look forward to for the rest of your life.

Yes, this year, I see this season through a different perspective.

The priceless perspective of freedom.

Freedom from slavery.

Freedom to receive an education.

Freedom to be a child.

I've been invited to share at (in)courage today, will you join me there?

My.Compassion.Ca

There are some exciting changes taking place for Canadians who sponsor through Compassion Canada. For some time, sponsors in the U.S. were able to access their sponsorship accounts online. Canadians now have that option as well through my.compassion.ca

It's still in the stages of development, but any sponsor with a Canadian sponsor # can sign up.

Through my.compassion.ca, you can learn more about your child's family, community and church, as well as his or her hobbies/activities, along with photos and a listing of all correspondence shared between you and your child.

When I logged in today, I saw that even though I have just received a letter from Ato Sam in Ghana, I have another one on the way to me. It was logged on September 2nd at the Compassion office in Canada, which means that it is now on the way to our house. I will not stalk the mailman, I will not stalk the mailman, I will not stalk the mailman... I will simply get the kids to stalk him for me!

In looking through the profiles of our 13 Compassion children, I saw that there were photos of our Compassion children from the years before we began sponsoring them. It's like a glimpse of a child's lifebook from the years before they were grafted into your family.

Novet has the most photos from years past:

Perhaps in time, we will be able to download the full size .jpg files from this online source so that we can have these printed.

All in all, definitely two thumbs up. What a great resource for all Canadian sponsors!!

Thank you, Compassion Canada, for giving us the blessing of having access to this information!

With Love, From Ghana

In just over a year, we have received 17 letters from our beloved Ato Sam in Ghana, west Africa. With each letter, especially ones like these, we are amazed at the way God has woven him into our lives, even leading us to a path of combating child slavery in Ghana.

With the number of letters we've received, as well as the length, we couldn't possibly share them all here, but we'd like to take the time to share bits and pieces of the 15 pages we received from him last week.

My friend and fellow Compassion Advocate Michelle (BloggingFromTheBoonies) has a Mail Call Monday feature on her blog. I will be adding this letter to it tomorrow, but thought I better start typing now...

Prayer Requests: Pray for some of the children in the project who have experienced sponsor cancellations.

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you just as I promised to Moses.

Ato says, he becomes happy whenever he is writing you a letter. Ato Sam says that there is no other way to talk to you except through letter. He says his dear mother, how are you and how is his father Terry, together with his siblings, Jillian, Joshua and Brandon too?

Sam says he was surprised to hear that "it is with great joy that we take part in this blessing" (I had written this about how I feel about writing and sponsoring him).

Sam says he wanted to tell you that you are also a blessing to him more than he himself can think of. Ato says he owes you a lot of gratitude and sometimes he does not know how to show it. He says he has received three letters from you and he says he is so excited! He says your letters make him feel your presence.

...

Ato says he was very amazed that the whole world is looking at him and his letters. He says he thanks God for letting people know him and also touching other's hearts to sponsor many children. (I had explained to him that I share his letters on this website.)

The experience that a dear friend of mine, Tanya, has with correspondence with her Compassion child was shared with Ato Sam, and he had this message for Tanya: He says he realized that some of the sponsors were not happy about the way their letters are responded (impersonal, no answers to questions asked, etc), and he says to tell them that they should not lose heart but as time goes on, God will let them be happy.

Ato says you said you are grateful that his mother and his family let you share him with them. Ato says that he and his family did nothing to God that let you come into their lives. He says he has more to talk about you and he together with his family owes you a lot. He says he always thanks God for letting you sponsor him. He says you are truly his mother and even wishes to see your face some days to come. He says your books that you sent him has helped him a lot. He says his brother helps him to read them every evening. he says you also sent him gift money to buy soccer ball and other items to help play the soccer well, so you are his mother and you care about his future.

...

He says he heard that Joshua was amazed to hear that he has not seen (American) football before. He says in Ghana, football is not played here, only the soccer ball is played. he says that he also heard that someday, Joshua will teach him how to play the football, and Ato says he is also ready to teach Joshua about the soccer too. He says he agrees to what you said, that Joshua and him will become best friends. He says he wishes that the friends should be brothers.

He says that [since] the letters came in late (postal strike), he would like to know if the adoption worker was able to meet with us?

...

He says the same Sam was given to him by his father and he says he has asked his father for the meaning but he says the name was given to him by his father (Sam's grandpa). He says his father said it is their surname and does not understand it since it is ancient name. (I have since written to him about the meaning of his name)

...

Ato says do you know that you are special? He says you are special because you are a blessing to him and his family.

...

He says for their studies, they are preparing for their promotion examinations so he says their studies are going on well as his elderly brother has been helping him. He says he is trying to study hard so that he can write the exams.

He says how is the weather now? He says says you wrote that you were experiencing the snow again. He says he knows that the snow will not allow anyone to do anything. (This made me laugh out loud! Love this boy!) He says he remembers from your letters that one time, the rain did not permit his siblings in Canada to go to school! Ato Sam says that over two weeks now, it has been raining often.

Ato says he was sad at first when he heard that (M) couldn't come to be his next sister (our adoption match fell through). He says he was hoping that all his dreams will come to pass. He says you encouraged him again that a new one has been found for you. He says what is her name? He says the scripture that you gave was powerful. Ato says he prays that God should not deny you this new one that has come into your and his life. He says he praises the Lord for this precious offer.

Ato says he has seen the good work that you are doing.

...

Ato says you asked him concerning his father's understanding of the English language and he says that his father is literate. He says his father attended school and completed form four in the olden days. He says his father learned the English language. He says his father continued his education in a technical school at Kukurantumi (Saint Paul Technical School). He says his father had opportunity to teach in one of the newly established second cycle institutions as a volunteer (casual) teacher. He says now, due to the changes in the country, his father lost his job as a volunteer teacher. He says now his father is a farmer, but at times, also used to support their church building as a voluntary (casual) worker. He says his father can read and write.

(This next part gets a little funny... I had told him I'd been studying the Akan culture and had learned that I should not use my left hand when in Ghana, as it is considered "unclean".)

Ato says according to his father, he says that to Akan elders, it was known that the left hand is used to clean their bodies after visiting the nature call (toilet). He says they also used their left hand to touch things that were unclean, so it is considered that the left is unclean. He says in Akan land one must not use his unclean hand (left hand) to greet or even to direct an elderly person. He says what you heard was true. He says one must not use his left hand to eat so that the person may not contract diseases or germs. (How many of you use their left hands after a nature call?)

Ato says it is also true that people take their words seriously. Please, Ato's father says he wants to assist him in giving more explanation to the issues being discussed. Ato's father says that there are some issues that someone will take seriously. The father says especially when someone is quarrelling with another person, whatever is said during that time will be taken seriously. The Akan (meaning anyone that speaks similar language like the Fante language is Akan) believes that, whatever is said during the quarrel shall come to pass. Ato's father says that, the Fantes tease themselves and also make more fun too. (Whew!!) His father says, do not be afraid because the Fantes love receiving visitors and do not harm any visitor. (Sweet!)

The father said, concerning the customs and cultures of Ghana, he has found you a piece of document that contains some of the customs and cultural practices of Ghana. The attached is the piece of that document. (It was quite interesting!)

Ato says concerning his life, he says he fetches water early in the morning and also assists his father at the farm. He says he does not like many friends but says he tries to keep the few friends for long. Ato also adds that he becomes happy when doing something like having fun with friends and also playing soccer. He says last two months, he was part of the singing competition team and he was not picking up the part he was given to sing. He says he tried his best to do it and his project center took third position of the nine projects that competed. he says, in his life, he tried to do something that he is not good at. He says he became happy that his center became third because he was part of the team.

Ato adds that he was much happy of having a wonderful and healthy family. He says God has done another wonderful thing in his family. He says that his parents always correct them whenever they go wrong. (Proverbs!) He says now his family has found another person who is supporting them both physically and spiritually. Ato says that that person goes the extra mile to encourage and advise Ato. He says his family is hospitable to everyone and that person too has that characteristic. He says that person has added value to his family and also to him personally. Ato says his family has developed when that person came into his family. Ato and his father say that God should bless that person and give her all the favor and the strength that she needs. Ato's father says that may God bless the family in terms of their studies and their business too. Ato says that he believes that you will shout a big AMEN because all the statement above refers to you. He says you have changed his world and says that is what he can say about his life, family and his world.

He says that, thanks to all the sponsors and also Compassion as a whole. He says thanks to God for meeting you. He says he loves you so much and always prays for you.

He says the attached is the photograph after the singing competition. (Names everyone in photo). (If anyone sponsors at GH316, let me know, as this photo may include your sponsor child).

He says that he loves you so much...

End of Message

Ato Sam

_____________________

His letter was so long, that I chose to respond to it over the course of four separate letters to him, each no more than 2 pages as to not overwhelm him or the Compassion workers. OK, the other reason for splitting up the response was so that I could send a book with each letter, increasing his collection of resources. Perhaps he can work as an unofficial librarian as he makes his way through school :D

River of Redemption

In the beginning, I ran ahead and skipped down the path, blissfully unaware of the impending weight of my vow. Seems ironic perhaps that the God who warns the world against this choice would have also protected me from His warning and of knowing the weight of the choice, lest I forgo the journey before it even began.

He knew.

Yet here I stand on this path, the years of this journey creeping painstakingly to the halfway mark of my life, the road behind me torn between the picture perfect redemption of God, and the ravaged rubble of human nature. All one needs to do is tilt the angle of perception to see the contrasting views.

You can glance back to gain wisdom, but you must keep walking forward in faith.

His provision is faithfully present at each morning milestone, the mystery of spiritual sustenance that brings with it the daily dawn of hope. It is there for the taking, always enough provided you greet it with gratitude and partake in it with praise.

The ground under my feet is parched and scorched by the heat of the fires that have tested the foundations of faith.

The further in time along the journey, the more the width of the gates narrow at each turn, filtering out a number of travelers in direct proportion to the size of the gates. The smaller the size, the less one can see past the gate. Blessed are they who see through the eyes of peace in Him, they won’t be held back by the difficult passage...

They shall enter further into the... desert?

Yes.

Consider it joy to be here.

The God who promised to lead me to still waters knows that I have watched the river alongside my path dwindle down to a trickle so faint. It is I who needs to be still in order for my ocean of faith to be heard above the roar of voices saying “flee from the drought, flee from the famine lest you perish right here alongside this dying stream, the life sucked out of you.”

The one who brought me here is the one who breathes life into me. Life cannot be sucked out of you but from the enemy.

God has brought me alongside this dying stream for a purpose. He knows that even though my body is resting wearily where He has placed me on the dry shore, my faith is quenched by Living Water, and I hunger only for Him.

He alone is sufficient for me.

No, He has not brought me here to die or to suffer, He has brought me here to refine my faith as in the days of Elijah the prophet.

He has brought me here not to be destroyed by the battle, but to provide for me a front row seat to witness His hand at work, just as He did for Jehosaphat.

In this world of rushing around obstacles with impatience, being content in the stillness and through the trials can seem so foreign and unsettling; uncomfortable, inconvenient. His ways are not our ways.

He has commanded me to be still and believe in what the world cannot see but through the filter of faith that puts God between itself and any circumstance.

The journey here has filtered my eyesight -- my focus is clear.

I am here to stay until He moves me, waiting patiently for God as He prepares the river of redemption He has promised me.

Isaiah 35 ** 1 Kings 17 ** Isaiah 40:28-31 ** James 1:12 ** 2 Chron 20:15-17 ** Joel 2:25

Treasure Found

As a family of five very different individuals, we have learned to embrace our differences, even celebrate them.

When it comes to common interests, we’re not doing as well.

As the children get older and grow into their own tastes and personalities, we’re finding it increasingly challenging to find activities/hobbies that we can all take part in and enjoy together. Perhaps you’ve experienced the same?

While we have been on the lookout for such an activity for longer than I care to admit, I never expected to find the answer on a Compassion trip to Honduras in 2010. In fact, I didn't think I had found it at all until this past week.

One of our trip leaders is really into geocaching with her family, who happened to travel with her. I found myself listening intently while they talked about this activity they all enjoyed doing together. I loved the concept, and the potential for variety and adventure. I was eager to talk to the kids about it when I returned home.

When I did explain it to the kids, they were curious but it didn’t seem to really strike a chord with them. I had thought for sure that at the least, our army-mission-trailblazin’ oldest son Brandon (15) would have been the most eager to try it, but I seemed to be the only enthusiastic one.

While it seemed like a dead end, my enthusiasm persisted. There was only one small issue: I didn’t want to do this alone. This was meant to be a family activity.

I put my desires on a shelf, and prayed for opened doors while the dust collected.

When the boys stumbled unexpectedly upon the geocache closest to our home a while later, the geocaching bug nibbled... and seemingly fizzled.

As our Brandon’s birthday approached this year, I thought of a recent conversation in which he, his brother Joshua (13) and I spoke about our growing need for a fun family activity. I decided to take a step of faith and buy him a used handheld GPS eTrex Vista C, hoping he would try geocaching and enjoy it. Even more so, I hoped we could all take part in this activity as a family. At the least, he’d use it for hiking and add it to his “army gear”. It, uhm, wouldn't hurt that I could borrow it and go geocaching while running! *grin*

When the GPS came, I explained to the rest of the family what I had bought Brandon as a birthday gift. The youngest two kids listened as I explained, and asked many questions. It was obvious that the more they heard, the more enthusiastic they became.

I asked Joshua to help me figure out how to use the GPS so that we could make sure it worked well. At least that was the story. We knew what we weren’t admitting out loud -- he and I were both too eager to wait until mid-September to try it.

And so one treasure hunter turned into two.

We created a family account at www.geocaching.com, (RichardsonZoo), learned the basics, and started uploading a handful of nearby geocaches to the GPS. Since Brandon wasn’t home, the youngest two and I decided to try our first geocaching adventure. Joshua had already seen the first geocache, so we decided to use the GPS to officially find it more as an opportunity to learn how to use the GPS than anything else. In no time, we were navigating the GPS features with ease and before we even reached the geocache area, we were already planning our next outings.

We found the first cache, and easily gained another enthusiast when our youngest, Jillian (10) saw the trinkets that could be found inside a cache. She has always been the first to jump in to any family activity, but add tiny treasures, and she's like a bloodhound chasing a rabbit.

Two turned into three... that makes majority! So far, so good.

Back home, we logged our find on the website and downloaded more local caches. The following day, we logged four more finds.

We're already brainstorming for ways that we can create our first geocache, perhaps making it a yearly tradition for Brandon's birthday. I wondered at first how he'd feel about his gift being something to share with the whole family, but those feelings were short lived. He loves the adventures we have together and craves more. He also treasures family time, so now that there are three of us involved, he's more likely to join in.

Reflecting back on the success of this new activity, I couldn’t help but feel as though the treasures weren’t in the caches we were pursuing like modern day treasure hunters. No, nothing we could ever find in the coming days, weeks, months or even years of geocaching adventures will ever compare to the priceless treasure of family time.

Three out of five so far... will this activity end up being a five out of five? So far, my husband has not expressed any interest at all, which has really disappointed the youngest two, but perhaps in time, he will see how it's knitting the family together, and he won't want to miss out.

It definitely has potential.

Update: It's a baby..........

In a recent post, I shared the exciting news about the new Child Survival Program sponsorship available for moms and babies from Rwanda, Bolivia and Bangladesh. This sponsorship program is unique in that it can begin before the birth, continue through infancy, and then transfer to the Child Sponsorship program once the child reaches the age of 3. It gives a whole new meaning to lifelong relationship!

In the profile I had been sent, the information on the baby hadn't been included because at the time the profile was created, the baby hadn't yet been born.

A quick call to Compassion today solved that issue...

It's a..... BOY!!!!

And he is Oh-So-PRECIOUS! Look at his sweet face!!

This sweet boy was born on April 29th, 2011, and his name is Nyibisubizo. I dare say his name probably translates to PRECIOUS in any language, really! Oh, those cheeks!

If you're interested in sponsoring this precious boy and his mom through this amazing sponsorship opportunity, or if you'd like more details on the new CSP Sponsorship Program, please let me know. (JD at BeyondMeasure dot me)

Sponsorship: Before & Beyond Birth

As a mom in the midst of the adoption process, I often see the parallel between adoption and sponsorship.

Obviously, sponsorship is quite different from adoption, but the similarities can't be ignored: it is still the grafting of a child and his or her family into your own, the commitment to nurture, love and lead a child, and it is the obedience of a commandment from God to care for His precious lambs.

So often, babies are adopted from birth. The older the child, the more difficult the adoption process, and often the longer the children wait for a family. Older children in Compassion's Sponsorship Program often wait longer than younger children too.


Through Compassion, a sponsor can choose a child from age 3 and up, or as is most often the case, the child will choose you...

But what if you could sponsor a child younger than three?

Younger than two?

What if you could sponsor a baby?


An infant?



What if... you could make a commitment to a child before he or she is born into this world?


Yes, Compassion International's ministries assist infants by helping their mothers learn to care for them through the Child Survival Program, one of Compassion's 4 Core programs.

Child Sponsorship (CS)
Complementary Interventions (CI)
Leadership Development Program (LDP)
Child Survival Program (CSP)


Until recently, though, all one could do was donate to the Child Survival Program in order to give the best start possible to babies and their moms. Some of the most amazing Compassion testimonies have stemmed from CSP -- have you seen this powerful story from Ethiopia?

Imagine if we could sponsor moms and babies together?


We can.

I have something quite rare in my hands.


It is a sponsorship profile from Rwanda unlike any other that I've ever had.




What's special about this profile isn't just that this is quite possibly the longest name I have ever seen... :)


It's special because this is an expectant mother's profile.


The sponsorship is for this beautiful mother and her unborn child.



This mother (Mukanzabarushimana Genenivieve) is from Rwanda, and was born April 11th, 1988. Her baby's due date was in April of 2011, so she has had her baby by now (a quick call to Compassion will obtain the baby's details such as gender, date of birth and name), and they are both available for a very special sponsorship. The sponsorship will cover the first three years of the baby's life, at which time it will transfer to the traditional Child Sponsorship Program.

Sponsorships like these are an amazing opportunity to sponsor a child from before birth to beyond birth.



The cost is slightly more than a typical sponsorship ($56 Canadian, possibly slightly less in the U.S.), but it will then revert to the regular cost at age 3. Correspondence is a crucial/vital part of the sponsorship just as it is with older children. You get to correspond with the mother and build the relationship with her and learn about the child as he/she grows until it becomes a regular child sponsorship, at which time you can continue under the regular program.



Have you ever considered co-sponsoring with your own mother? My mother and I co-sponsor Bessy and Justin in Honduras... imagine you and your mother co-sponsoring a mother and her child?


Launched as a pilot program in Canada, these sponsorships are available in very, very limited quantities -- I only have one of these sponsorship packs, and I only know of ten in the entire Atlantic region. Would you prayerfully consider taking part in this blessing?



If you are interested in sponsoring this beautiful mamma and her baby, or if you have any questions, please contact me (JD (at) beyondmeasure.me) or simply respond in the comment section. As an added bonus, I will offer a copy of the Compassion book "Hope Lives" to the person who steps forward to sponsor this duo!

King's Daughter, King's Ransom

It's rare for me to be at a loss for words... this is one of those times.


Please pray for Liliana's family to find her.

http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2011/08/because-it-is-our-problem.html

Bathroom BBQ Barter!

Oh, the places we'll go...

I knew God would have to be very creative to build this school through us, and one of the best parts of this journey so far has been watching to see how He'll show up.




Our bathroom faucets had been leaking a while, and our bathtub wall surround had cracked and was in need of replacement. We knew that we would face much bigger issues if we didn't address the situation, so 5 or 6 weeks ago, my husband began the demolition phase of the project.


When it came time to remove the faucets, he discovered that he wasn't able to remove it on his own. While he's quite handy with most things, plumbing isn't something he's completely comfortable with.


After several weeks of having the bathroom all torn up, I started putting some pressure on him to call someone to get the work completed, only to be stood up twice by the person he contacted.

My husband threw his hands in the air, discouraged.

I threw my hands up in the air, in prayer. I prayed for God to send us someone reliable and affordable, for God to use this as an opportunity for my husband to see God's provisions, and kept praying that the disruption of having a construction zone in the house wouldn't begin to grate on my patience.


Meanwhile, completely unrelated to this (ha!), my mom called to share the news that she had won a new BBQ at a church fundraiser. I was excited for her, but couldn't quite grasp why she was SO excited:


1. She's vegan. (Yes, I know people grill veggies and even fruits... but she's into raw vegan food. As in, spinach and peach shakes, or something. (I love you mom!)
2. She recently moved to an apartment and does not have a yard.
3. She's, uhm, not the outdoor grilling type. ;)


She then explained that even though no one in our family was in need of a BBQ either, she still wanted it to be a blessing to someone, so she decided to donate it to our Ghana travel expenses. All we had to do was pick it up at the church.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

Except we don't have a truck.





Saturday evening, mom called to tell me that her friend Mike was bringing the BBQ to our house. PTL! I eagerly greeted them in the driveway as they pulled up. The BBQ was beautiful, and huge!

Then, the questions came to mind... Where exactly would I store this while waiting to sell it? Would people still be in the market for a BBQ so late in the season? With all the BBQs on clearance now, would I get good value for it?


As Mike and I were putting the BBQ away, we stopped and chatted a bit. He asked about the school in Africa and what we'd do with the BBQ. As I shared, you could tell he was very captivated and totally getting the heart of the mission. He mentioned his journey as a Christian and in passing, mentioned the Wesleyan church. I asked him where he attends... turns out he attends the same church I do! We had a great laugh about that!! We shared stories about the church and promised to look for each other on Sunday mornings.

He said he wished he could purchase the BBQ, he really liked it and wanted to help, but at 65, he was close to retirement and watching his finances carefully. I understood and told him that God would match us up with the person who was meant to have the BBQ, that it would all work out. (Ha!)

I asked him what his profession was, and he explained that he was a contractor. I listened as he told me about his latest project, his passion for quality work and attention to detail shining through-- and the more I listened, the more the wheels turned...


Contractor.

Construction.


Oh.my.word.



You can guess the way the conversation went!


"So, how are you with plumbing?"

Really?!


"Do you do private/residential work?"

Really....!!!!!


"Please, come inside the house for a moment, (and don't be alarmed to find 6 or 7 teenagers inside, they're mostly tame), I have something to show you..."


In the end, we made a deal, and I made a new friend. The value of the labor and work that needed to be done was similar to what we would have received for the BBQ. Mike gets to take home the BBQ, we get to have the bathroom work done by a wonderful and hardworking man who is reliable and has an amazing walk with Christ, and in return, we will donate the value of his work directly to the travel fund.


It's times like this, when I look at the 81 days left before our departure and the never ending list of fundraising tasks that I am reminded that God already has it all under control and that even when it seems that nothing is happening, He never rests.

The same applies to your life -- even when things don't seem to be happening, He never rests, and His perfect plan WILL unfold.

All He asks of us is to believe, have faith, and do this for His glory.