Christmas Preparations

Have you ever noticed that this time of year always seems to catch us off guard? It is like somehow every other month follows the rule of the 24 hour, standard day, but come December, and all bets are off!!! December 1st arrives and we hit the ground running at break neck speed, like we might earn some prestigious award for accomplishing even more than we did last year and especially more than all our friends, combined!!! We must get ALL the right gifts for all the right people, attend ALL Christmas pageantry, put up the most and most perfect decorations, hand make, from scratch, batches and batches of the tastiest food and then deliver it to everyone we know and even some we don't, and so on. Seriously? I bet if your anything like our family, the conversations about Christmas preparations this year are similar to the one's taking place in our home. Take a look and see...

"Did you pick up the bug spray for me?" I had to return it and get the one with more Deet! "Really? More Deet?" Malaria is bad stuff. They said more Deet is better. "Okay, right." Have you started your Typhoid medication yet? "Yes. I started it today." Good. What are you taking for Cholera? "There is nothing you can take to prevent Cholera. We just have to be careful." Have you heard wether they are letting commercial flights back into Haiti yet or not? "Not so far. The violence is getting worse." I am sure it will all be cleared up by the time the team is scheduled to leave on Christmas. You packed toilet paper, right? "Yes! Again!" Just checking. Water purification supplies, bed roll, Imodium? "YES! I have it all!"

I know at least two of you that are right there with me. The majority of you however, probably think this sounds like plans for a really bad camping trip. And it kind of is, but it is what our Christmas preparations look like this year. Mark and his fellow teammates are scheduled to leave home Christmas evening. They will stay one night in Seattle, and then fly out early the next morning for Florida, where they will again stay one night before heading to Port Au Prince, Haiti to begin a 10 day mission in the ravaged and devastated country. Why on earth Haiti? Cause Jesus would have gone there. Why now? Why not? and if not now when? when it's "safe?" Why Mark? Cause God said so, bottom line. Will they be protected? Only by God. Will it be as dirty as it looks on TV? Most likely worse. Where will they be sleeping? On the ground in tents. Is it safe? Probably not. But as someone I respect very much said to me recently "The safest place to be is in the center of God's will." and that means no matter where His will takes us. Have you been brave enough to ask Him what that looks like for you? Scary question maybe. But truly what could be better than finding yourself in the very center of His perfect will for your life.

Are you willing to ask, even if it might mean something big? Are you willing to ask if it means giving up your precious holiday time with family? Are you willing to go? What if it looks like serving at an elementary school in the First Grade room? Okay the high school with the kids in detention? What about serving in the prison with gang members? Will you serve with a cheerful heart if it means one of your children contracts a major illness? When your flat on your back, with nothing left to offer after just receiving your most recent round of Chemotherapy, will you in your heart of hearts acknowledge Him and the position of service He has put you in? Will you find the strength in Him to say "Here am I, send me." It's easier to serve when it means staying home with your child or children to nurture and love them or when it means you go day in and day out to your job but, sometimes serving God isn't neat and clean. Sometimes it looks like Haiti, with violence, abandon children, destruction, and disease at Christmas.

The good news, these are all rhetorical questions. I can't check in to see how you answered. The bad news or well maybe the hard part is I am still challenging you to ask them anyway. Mark asked the tough question, probably for the first time, and I can tell you even though he hasn't left American soil, God has already been transforming his heart and working in and through him. He who created the individual grains of sand, who named and put each and every star in the sky, and who fashioned the very cells in our bodies, He wastes nothing! Are we willing to say to Him as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8 "Her am I. Send me!"? Will you give yourself over to being a worker in the field, pregnant with its' harvest? (Matthew 9:37,38) It could be life changing for us if we will trust Him with our everything.

He may never send you overseas, or take a child from you or strike you with an incurable disease but if He does are we willing to serve in that circumstance and still give Him the glory?

We would covet your prayers for this team as we head into the weekend before they leave and await the final decision to be made by the team leaders in Alabama. Pray that God would give them clarity of mind as they prayerfully consider the decision at hand. For now the team presses on as if the plans are unchanged. Ultimately, we want them to be in God's perfect will.

Jesus, Hope in the Darkness.

What do we do when we find ourselves in what feels like the deepest, dankest hole we have ever existed in only to discover that the walls just grew colder and harder, and the inky blackness somehow became darker and the fowl stench of doubt swirled around, stinging your nose. The darkness seems to be swallowing you alive and you find you are frozen, unable to call out for help, unable to breathe for fear of inhaling the blackness. If you could signal someone and let them know your dire circumstances, would you or would the possibility of ridicule and chastisement hold you captive in silence as you continue to slip into the depths of despair? Is God aware of this sinister dwelling you find yourself in? Does he know the fathoms of the pain, fear, and doubt you are fighting to survive through? Why has he abandon you to wade through this muck and meir without hope? Or has he?
It was to a young unwed mom, in a smelly vile hospital room, that we wouldn't even consider, that He chose to not only be there for her but to Be there for all of us. He came into our world to be hunted, persecuted, spat upon and mocked so that we could have the joy of our salvation made known to us. He came so that we may have life and life more abundantly, He died that we might live, and He rose leaving the Holy Spirit as a gift to journey with us each day on an intimate level that we couldn't have know before. He gives us friends to remind us what we already know, to whisper His words and comforts into our hearts that we may be encouraged. He allows them to bring His words of scripture back to our hearts as a healing balm when we haven't the strength to recall them ourselves and in His perfect timing, He moves us forward to uphold others.


It is one of those times when we are called upon to encourage and fight for a precious sister in Christ. Stephanie - the dear young mother of three that we have been praying for, desperately needs us to lift her up right now! She is feeling the weight of bitterness and despairing creeping in upon her. She has 4 weeks left of her second round of chemo and then radiation begins again. Her Thanksgiving felt empty and void of anything warranting thanksgiving. She is stuck in the pit, drowning in sorrow and fear, and feeling quite abandon by her God. Join with me in praying this enemy of darkness would be vanquished in Jesus name, and that the God of Light in the darkness would shine upon her face. God we ask that you would meet Stephanie in this cavern where she needs you most. Let your perfect peace wash over her like a warm summer wind. Friends, would you please stop now before you even read on and hold Stephanie up before the one who breathes life. Cry out to our Father on her behalf, that He may hear the cries of gathered saints and move swiftly to her aid.


Mark - He has been sick this past week. A bad cough and cold are keeping him down. Anyone who knows Mark, knows this is rare. He usually just plows through. He continues the search for work along with countless others. We are feeling as though God is holding off until after the trip to Haiti. We are trusting him each week for provision and he has been faithful. I would ask for your prayers for Mark's health as he prepares for this trip and I believe life changing experience. God would you bring rest and health to Mark's body. Give him strength now so his body will by strong and able when he goes to another country plagued with sickness.


Myself - I visited the doctor this week with some stomach and side pains. As it turns out, it looks like I may have ulcers and something else going on. Nothing he was overly alarmed about but bothersome and painful nonetheless. I ask for your prayers that God would reach down his hand of healing and touch my body. I desire to be strong for my family while Mark is preparing and away. I want to be able to take care of my kids and our home as well as others who need it.

Another dear one has had a miss-carriage. She loves the Lord and is pressing in but it is still painful to loose a life you already loved. God we pray you would fill this void in her heart with your love and compassion. Bring healing to the hurting family as well Lord.


Pray for Deb, Lisel, Dustin, Shon, Peter, and Mark as they prepare to fly down to Haiti to follow the leading of their heavenly father and bring hope and light to a dark and hurting people. Lord keep them all healthy and strong and give them protection, purpose and direction while they are away. Be with all the families that stay home. Cause us to remember to pray for both this hurting and lost country and it's people as we pray for our loved ones.


Praise


Kristy had a beautiful, healthy, baby boy. He came into this world last week, November 26 around 7 am. What a precious addition to this sweet family. I pray God would bless you all as you begin a whole new chapter of life with this little guy.



Theresa's baby boy Lukas is doing so much better now, eating, gaining, and getting cuter all the time. Pray for them as her husband has taken an additional job for a short time. This leaves her home alone with two small guys. Lord give her strength for each day, one day at a time. Also Lord, give them specific direction with regards to their house and decisions to make. Make the path abundantly clear and allow the choice to bring a wave of peace.

We are praising God for specifically answering prayer! Mark will be without any unemployment for the two weeks he is in Haiti and upon realizing this we began to pray. Four weeks before the need, God allowed provision in an unexpected way. Thank you for listening to God's voice in this and may He bless you abundantly more than you could even imagine. I pray your barns would overflow with blessings as you trust in the Lord.

Stephanie, this one is for you!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.