Amazing Grace . . .

We serve an AMAZING God. 

How do I write this ... for once in my life I am speechless.  It has taken me a few days just to be able to write this out.  I have been walking around like I am stunned.

OK ... let me give you some background information. A few weeks ago, by God's grace, we were able to raise the $2000 to feed all 1000 orphan kids in the village of Gojjo, Ethiopia a special Christmas Dinner.  As I talked about the dream of doing this, our partner said, if you are able to raise $2000 for this ... I will be there in the village that day with my family serving dinner.

And I thought "I want to be there in the village that day!!"  So I began organizing "Make a Difference for Christmas Mission Trip."  About 15 people said they were either going or interested in going.  But as the time grew closer, little by little people, were unable to go, for one reason or another.

This last week, we still had 2 ladies who REALLY wanted to go ... and me.  I was discouraged to say the least, plus we did not have enough money in our organization's account that I could even go, so I was about to call off the mission trip until next year.  After all it was kind of a spur of the moment trip.  Not a lot of time to plan and fund raise.  I needed about $3000.

Saturday, I found out one of the gals was in my good friend's home fellowship group.  She was saying how excited she was.  I felt bad, cause it did not look like we could go after all. 

Monday this same friend called me and said how the Lord had woken her up at 3:00 AM.  So she prayed about me and our trip.  Then in the morning, she called and said, is the money the only thing that is stopping you from going?  I said yes, and to be honest, some fear of going without my husband!  She said that the Lord has woken her up and that she felt lead to make some phone calls to see if she could raise some funds for us to be able to go.  I was in awe of how God would speak to her about that.

My husband and I sat and prayed about the whole thing.  I told him that this felt like another time, when God made plans for me to go on a mission trip and that I really did not have a choice ... that I was just going.  The Lord had put me on the hearts of some missionaries to Czech Republic and they invited me and before I could say no, or actually as I was saying no, $1000 showed up in an account at church for me from 2 anonymous donors.  This was starting to feel this same way.

So we left our prayer time and I went out to make food for the family.  While we were just about to eat, the kids said a car was driving up our driveway.  We live out in the country so not many people ever drive up our road, except for UPS and the occasional person who was lost and asking for directions. I said, joking, if someone drives up here and hands me a check for $3000 I just might faint.

I went out to see who was there, and it was a lady from our own home fellowship group.  As soon as I saw, her I knew.  She had a troubled look on her face.  I said hello and she apologized for not calling first.  This lady lives in Butte about 30 minutes from our house.  I said .... what are you doing here?   She said, the Lord told her to come over to our house and write us a check for $5000.

I just lost it.  I started bawling .. loud.  I ran and got my husband and told him what was happening.  Just so you know ... these ladies do NOT know each other.  But they do both know the Lord.  And why after all this time and all the ways I have seen the Lord move, why does it surprise me so that he hears our cries and tells other people what ours needs are?  She said, I don't know what this is for, but I know I am supposed to give this to your family. 

And as we knelt down together and prayed, she said the Lord told her to write us a second check for $500 dollars to buy clothes and shoes for our kids, and maybe a little toy.  Wow.  I am a very frugal mom.  I know how much I have to spend, and many times with 6 kids, there just is not enough to buy new shoes this week or ... I know you need some jeans but lets look at Goodwill first.  So we really wear out our stuff and wait until we really NEED something.  And here was a check for $500 that we were supposed to go use for clothes and shoes.  It was like early Christmas!

He knows our needs.  He not only gave us the $3000 but $5000, so now it looks like my husband can go with me!  And guess what ... both those other ladies now have decided not to go.  So this trip has completely changed.  If all goes well we will still go to help feed 1000 orphan kids for Christmas.  But we now see this as a vision trip.  We get to go and check out Ethiopia and the village without court dates or embassy dates, and pray and ask God if this is indeed Him calling our family to GO. 

He is an AMAZING God.