The unexpected plan

So I went and got my nails done yesterday as an effort to spend some girly time with Lydia.  There are these kind ladies who sit in our local park square and paint nails all day.  Many of my friends have gone and their nails always look great.  But each time I go I walk away with what looks like nail art courtesy of my toddler.  I try to pick easy designs.  I try to find fun ideas that seem simple.  But it never works.  Lydia picks the most complicated, paint a reindeer on each fingernail, designs and her's turn out great!  My co-worker and dear friend Jennifer went with Lydia and myself for this adventure and she got penguins and snowmen on her nails.  They look fabulous.  But as I sat and got my nails done I tried to convince myself that the nail artist had a plan.  Surely she knew what she was doing and when it was all done it wouldn't  look as terrible as it did in that moment....and then she finished and it looked no better.  Lydia's advice was to just go for it and pick the funniest thing I could think of next time. 

I got to thinking about this and I realized that I am a gal who appreciates a plan. I am not a "just go for it" type of personality.   In fact, I always assume everybody has one.  After all, doesn't everyone wake up with a running list going through their minds planning out their day before their feet hit the ground?!  It only took me 12 years into my marriage to truly understand that not everyone feels a compulsion to make a plan.  Some people are more free spirits who live moment to moment in absolute bliss.  And we need those people to calm down our crazy list making selves. 

I have been struggling lately with not having a plan.  BJ and I have felt God calling us to move further into the province and yet the only home we found as a possibility did not work out.  Now we are a people with a heart calling and yet no visible plan.  Its kinda tricky.  But in this holiday season it is very easy for me to remember that I am not alone in my desire to see the master plan of how this will go. 

Many years ago there was a little baby born into a manger and the whole world was waiting for him to arrive and yet nobody saw it coming.  They were waiting for a grande King to come in like a bull in a china cabinet.  They were waiting for something they had already imagined out in their minds.  So much so that when the real Savior showed up nobody recognized it.  It wasn't in their plan.  They didn't allow their minds to accept that maybe God's plan was something they hadn't imagined.  Maybe it was bigger. 

And this is where we arrive to the place that we must be so carful to avoid.  We must not plan our lives out so much that we don't allow breathing room for the Holy Spirit.  We must not walk around going from task to task with tunnel vision.  We need to  allow the wiggle room in our lives so that God's plan, no matter how different or distant from our plan, can take over.  It can be fairly simple at times, throwing money in the offering plate that we didn't plan on, stopping to talk to a new person we see in the neighborhood, or it can be hard.  Super duper stretching hard.    It can be living day by day waiting to see how God's plan will unfold and living peacefully during that time of the unknown. 

At Christmas time its easy to be reminded that God has a plan that is far greater than we could have ever imagined and it is good.  "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This verse, Jeremiah 29:11, was a great help as I was talking to Elijah about the house in Chaguarpamba falling through.  He came up to me later, after quoting that verse to him, and told me that he was going to choose to believe that even though it was hard.  And I realized the wisdom of a 10 year old child.  Some days it is just as simple as choosing to believe what we know in our heads to be true.  God does have a plan, and a good one.  When we put our faith in the one who is worthy of it, God will bless us. 

So who are we choosing to have faith in?  If its God we are on a great road.  If its that nail lady down at the park....there may not be enough faith in the world....

Running towards crazy

Drinking more then 3 cups of coffee in a day; eating 3 pieces of cake in one sitting; going to the grocery store hungry; giving Micah a lollipop....these are all things I have done, then promised myself I would not do again, and then gone and done again.  Seriously.  I have issues.  Can anyone identify with me?!  I must be nuts.  I know its going to be bad and yet I just keep running towards crazy with unguarded abandon.  I am a glutton for punishment. 

 I found myself in this place yet again today.  I had a crazy freak out moment (moments if I was being completely honest).  I jumped off the sanity bus and right on to the out of her stinkin' mind bus.  It all seemed completely rational at the time but once I removed myself from the situation and took a few calming breathes, and a few sips of coffee, I gained some perspective. When will I ever learn that putting God is a box is never a good idea?!

BJ and I have been praying about moving further out into the province where we are working.  It would mean living in a more remote area but it would cut down our driving substantially.  Currently we are driving anywhere from 15-20 hours a week.  We would like to spend more time building relationships and less time in the car. Our ever so wise boss asked us to pray about it.  So we did and we began asking God to provide a way for us to move deeper into Loja Province. 

Step one was deciding where to look.  There are not a lot of options so that didn't take long.  There is one main road and four towns between where we live now and the furthest place we have ministry in which is 2 1/2 to 3 hours away depending on who is driving.   Living on the main road was not realistic because we would either live in fear of mudslides falling on our home or in fear of the home falling off the side of  the mountain.  So that left the four towns...none of them very big.  We kept praying that God would be clear.  Show us a home or close the door to the possibilities please! 

We began looking.  Three of the towns had no possibilities for various reasons.  In the final town we had our own guide to house hunting.  One of the sweet ladies we are discipling showed us around to every home available in the town.  It was so kind of her and yet a little disheartening.  We saw a three room home (not 3 bedrooms...rooms).  We saw a home where the roof was caving in.  We also saw a house where the bathroom was outside and you could see through the floor boards to the ground...and it had no electricity or running water.  It was looking pretty bleak. 

So we continued asking God to show us where to look or change our hearts.  We had seen and heard about this house on the mountainside that was owned by the towns old mayor.  We got in touch with him and he agreed to show us the house.  Now, we generally play the imagination game when we look at houses in Ecuador.  We walk inside them and imagine what it could be instead of what it is.  We pretend we don't see dead bugs, dead birds, dead mice, dirty walls, or even chickens roaming around as if they own the place.  But this time was different.  We walked in and were pleasantly surprised.  A beautiful kitchen, roomy living room, three bedrooms, and two showers.  There was even hot water...which we haven't had for the past year and a half.  And the view...oh my...the view....

Now I would be remiss if I said it was perfect.  It's not.  There are a few things that must change if we were to occupy this home...like all the bedroom doors are attached to the outside of the house instead of the inside.  But, it could work and its the only house that we found that was even in the realm of working. And did I mention the view?!  It was at this point that I put God in a box.  Did you catch it?  It was so subtle and small.  One word...only.  The "only house". 

 And there went God into the box.  "God!  This is the only option!  This is it!  You better show up!  When are you going to take care of this?!"  Can you hear the panic in my head screaming out?!  It was a slippery slope and I buttered my skis.  That same day I got into my car to drive (I drive a lot).  I flipped on a sermon by James McDonald and it was all about faith.  It was as if God himself came down and smacked me upside my head.  I'm ok with it.  It was necessary.  I need a good kick in the shorts from time to time.  But what frustrates me is that I need that kick for the same reason time after time. 

My life is a roadmap of faithfulness on God's part.  Time after time he has shown up and pulled through.  Always.  But me, I can't be trusted.  I doubt, judge, and fear.  I forget how much has been taken care of.  I forget what He has done.  I abandon the one consistently perfect thing in my life.  And why?  Because I can't always figure out the plan.  God didn't clue me in on how things would pan out and so I throw a fit.  Imagine that little child we have all seen kicking and screaming as they lie on the floor in a fit of rage.  That's me. 

So what is this repeat offender to do?  How does one break the cycle?  Well, one thing I have realized is that itty bitty progress is still progress.  James McDonald talks about overcoming our short comings by conquering them more frequently and increasingly so.  Its not an overnight conquest.  But instead it is daily fighting to keep the focus on God and not the situation.  This is my current battle.  I have good days and bad but I see a pattern arising.  A shorter freak out time and a quicker refocusing.  Its not perfect but it is progress.

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."  A cloud of witnesses.  You see?  We are not alone.  We don't just have our own life to look at to see God's faithfulness.  Nope.  We have every believer that has walked this earth.  Look at any life dedicated to Christ and you can see God's faithfulness.  Just ask!  How has God been faithful to you?  You will hear amazing stories. 

 

And so I wait.  I wait to go and talk to the landlord of this beautiful house on Saturday.  I will continue to pray that God will provide a home for us closer to our work.  But I will do it within the parameters of recognizing that even if we don't get this house, that God's plan is still alive and well. We may stay put and drive crazy amounts of hours each week.  We may be provided with a totally different house that we could have never imagined.  Or, we might get to rent the house we are hoping for.  Location is no longer the point....building my faith in a God who has always been faithful...that's where I need to be right now. 

House cleaning and Harvest

I have been waiting for today to come for about two weeks.  I have been building up the excitement of it in my mind.  Planning, making mental lists, and I have even been found with a silly smirk on my face as I daydreamed about today.  Today, I am home all day to clean my house!!!  I know.  Its a bit pathetic.  But hear me out!!  It has been 3 months since I was able to dedicate an entire day to cleaning my house.  It has been "good enough cleaned" day after day.  The bathrooms have been either baby wipe cleaned or the kids have "cleaned" them, and by cleaned I mean wiping down the potty and using the same rag then to wipe the sink...right...kinda gross.  The floors have been swept and kinda mopped as we were running out the door or as a little three year old and his puppy tracked muddy prints behind me. If only I had more help and time!  But today corners will be noticed, walls will be wiped down, and all edges attended to.  Today is a detail kinda day. 

As I sit here to get myself organized I couldn't help but make a connection to the ministry we are doing here.  Have you ever read a verse in scripture for the gajillionth time and suddenly saw it in a new light?  The other day I was think about the great missionary verse in Matthew 9:37 where it says "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few".  Most times, if I was being honest, I read that verse and think "Yes Lord, the harvest is plentiful!"  As if it were this huge "to-do" list before me...and I love lists...especially the joy in crossing things off them.  I have even been know to add things to my daily list that I have already accomplished just so I can feel that satisfaction of crossing it off...I know I have issues...BJ lovingly reminds me of them in his own gentle ways. 

But, right now in this season of life it is the second part of that verse that is becoming a huge reality in my life.  The workers are few.  We see, on a daily basis, so many potential people to begin relationships with.  So many possibilities for kids clubs, youth groups, ladies groups, etc.  It is very difficult to draw a line and say here and no further.  I have had to do this many time in this past three months.  Why?  Because there is a difference between doing something and doing something well.

You see we could go and hop skip and jump from house to house visiting person after person but never really have enough time to invest in any of them.   But instead, in these past few months especially, we have had to put limits on meeting new people and beginning new ministries. 
Its not that new people are not around or that new ministry opportunities have not presented themselves.  The problem is that if we add any more ministry to our schedule we would be doing a disservice to all the ministries.  Does that make sense?  Its a hard place to be.  God has opened our eyes to so much future possibility but right now that's what it is...future. 

"The workers are few" is not just a verse that we read and dismiss here.  We live it every day.  Our hearts break when we are asked to start another kids club and we have to say "not yet".  When we go and visit someone and they want to take us all around their community to share what they are learning with their friends and neighbors and we have to say no.  Not no forever, but not yet.
 
This is why Jesus invested in a few, ya know those disciples.  He too faced the same problem.  Too many people and not enough time.  So he invested in a few so that they could go and share likewise.  And so right now we share with some so that they can go and make a difference in their own communities. 

So, how does this cross over to the every day Christian life?  Well, lets think about that.  What are you doing with your story?  God has given each of us a story of life transformation to share.  It is a unique story of God's work in your life.  It is a story only you can share.  Who are you sharing that story with?  If you don't have an answer maybe its time to start looking around at the people that God has surrounded you with. 

You may be called to travel to foreign countries and share Gods message of hope.  But, you may not.  So think about this.  What about that person at work that the Holy Spirit has been nudging you to speak to?  What if they are my next co-worker.  One person being led to Christ and being discipled in the word...that's where the ripple effect starts.  One person sharing with another, and then that person with another.  Satan tells you your not important.  Satan whispers in your ear that you can't make a difference.  Don't listen to those lies!  That one person that the Holy Spirit is leading you to could make all the difference! 

So as I deal with the reality today that, in my house as well, the workers have been few, I will find joy that I have been given a home to clean.  I will find gladness knowing that God is at work.  And I will find peace knowing that God never gives us more then we can handle together.  And I will accomplish a level of clean that would be impressive to the Queen of England...and that will be gone in the blink of an eye as soon as my sweet Micah wakes up from his nap. 

Puppy poopy and change

 

So the other day Micah and I were in the back yard with our 5 little puppies.  I did not notice he was barefoot until he started crying that he had stepped in puppy poopy.  I immediately told him to sit on the walkway until I had finished the phone conversation I was on.  It was only going to take a moment and then I would go inside and get something to clean him off with.  But, suddenly I looked down and Micah was scraping the puppy poopy off his foot with a stick.  I was actually impressed with his actions until he proceeded to wipe the puppy poopy off  the stick and onto my foot...well let just say my opinion changed rapidly. 

 

Sometimes we think things are going in one direction and then life takes a turn and things change.  Change is icky and hard most of the time. It kinda feels like poopy being wiped on your foot.  It can catch us off guard and make you want to scream.  This past week we presented the idea of change to some of the people we are discipling and we got the "poopy on my foot" look. 

 

Reading scripture has been an enlightening experience for many of the people we work with.  They have generally been discouraged from reading the Bible by their religious leaders and told that they were not capable of understanding it on their own.   Slowly they are realizing that they can understand God's word.  Slowly they are finding truth.  But with that truth comes change on the horizon.  And change is hard and scary. 

When you are confronted with the fact that things you knew to be truths have suddenly been revealed as untruths it takes time to digest.  Its hard.  It takes a lot of guts to walk towards truth when your family and friends are sitting contently in the middle of untruth.  Its a bold move. 

Right now they are in the digestion phase.  Waiting for God to do his work.  Our prayers have gotten harder to utter.  I find myself asking God to bring some type of chasm to their hearts that will force them to take a leap of faith and make a choice.  However, I realize that the choice they  might make at that moment may not be what I hope.  And that has to be ok. 

My job is not to force choices or decisions on people.  My job is to give opportunity. And once the opportunity is given, it is my job to be patient while God works in the hearts of his children.  I am a doer.  So being patient and waiting take a lot of effort.  Sitting still is not my forte.  But, when God says wait there is no other good choice. 

And so right now we wait.  We wait to see how God is going to solidify these truths in the hearts of those who have heard it.  We wait to see how God will bring forth opportunity for choices to be made and commitments to be declared.  And while we wait we hold fast to the truth that God has given us in his word.  "Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.  Psalm 40:4"  Not all will make the difficult choice to be a follower of Christ.  And while that is not my hope for anyone, it is not my choice to make. 

Change is on the horizon.  How and when are still not clear but it is coming.  And like the puppy poopy my son scraped on my foot the choices may not be to my liking.  But until those choices are made it is my job to get on my knees and plead before the throne of God for those who have yet to surrender their lives to Him.  And so if you need me I will be praying for Gods truth to penetrate hard hearts....or scraping puppy poopy off my foot. 

A NOT so normal normal

My normal is nuts.  No, seriously.  Normal days are in abundance here in Ecuador but they are not what you might think.  Today my co-worker and partner in crime, Jennifer, headed out for our 75 minute drive to Chaguarpamba to go to kids club (we call it bread and fish...hoping that what we teach the kids will be taken home and multiplied).  It was a normal morning.  We got in the car and got 15 minutes up the road before we had to turn back due to car trouble.  Then it died.  We called BJ for help and just as he was about to leave to come rescue us we got it started.  So, we got back to our place switched cars and headed out once again.  Along the way we came across three cars with no brake lights that really liked to brake, or suddenly pull off the road and stop in front of us.  Not so great.  We also came across a huge scary snake in the road slithering its freaky self all over ( I may embellish in size but I hate snakes so in my mind it was HUGE!).  We also came across two other dead snakes in the road.  Then we passed some large piece of road kill...so sad.  Then we came across a herd of cattle in the road.  As we pulled down the main street of town we ran over a dead rat.  Ick.  Serious ick.  Then we got to kids club and the site we use had been broken into, vandalized, littered with alcohol bottles and cigarettes, and broken water pipes.  We cleaned up and kept on going.  Club went great...made it all worth it.  It always does.  But then we started the ride home.  We got about 15 minutes up the road and stopped for a snack (I was really really tired and needed snack food to keep awake).  As we pulled out of the gas station we came across a naked man on the road side who was quickly trying to wrap a towel around his waist and scowled at us as if we had walked in on his own personal bathroom.  That's right....naked.  Then we continued on our way...trying to forget the scary naked man who had just bore images into our minds that would take many sittings of Anne of Green Gables to help us forget.  As we drove into our home town we took deep breathes and exhaled in thankfulness that we made it home in one piece.  A wise friend, upon hearing this ridiculous story said, "Satan is so stupid" and I agree. 
Its normal, maybe every day is not this absurd, but its normal.  Nothing goes without a hitch.  There are always difficulties and honestly its sometimes encouraging.  It lets us know we are still a threat to Satan.  But, without our sense of humor we would not fare so well.  We have to step back and realize that no matter how stupid Satan is.....we continue because God wins and Satan doesn't.  Boo Satan.

No pictures today...do you really want pictures of anything I just wrote about?!?! 

Orange picking and saying No

Some people spend money on bedazzled sneakers and jewel crusted dog collars while being up to their eyeballs in debt.  Have you ever met those people who just have no clue how to manage their money?  You know, the ones who go out and blow all their money the first few days of the month and then end up living on rice and beans until the next paycheck arrives.  They are spontaneous and fun but get to know them better and they are a tornado of chaos. 

                      

My husband and I are big Dave Ramsey fans.  Maybe you like him, maybe you don't, and maybe you have no idea who I am talking about (get on google!) but opinions aside, he makes you think about money.  One thing my buddy Dave talks about is what to do when you have an erratic income.  How do you have an organized budget when you never know when or how much your going to get paid.  Dave's solution is a prioritized list of bills.  First you take care of basic necessities (Food, utilities, rent/mortgage) and then you pay debts.  Basically, when the paycheck arrives you pay for the things on the top of the list and work your way down.  When you run out of money that's when you stop paying. 

I think this plan can be applied to more than just finances.  As a missionary I can be pulled at from several directions at once.  Some times are quite busy and other times are quieter and a bit calmer.  Its not a steady paycheck of time. And if I am not careful, I can get a bit overwhelmed by so much opportunity that I forget to look at my list of priorities.    Being careful with my time helps me be in charge of my schedule rather than opportunity leading me. 

My priorities currently go with me each time I plan out my schedule.   When I sit and plan out my calendar I keep this list close to my mind so that I can be sure to put opportunity in order of priority.  Instead of life being controlled by the constant flow of things to do, it is carefully planned so that I have more freedom to focus my time where it needs to be.  There is freedom in planning. 

This past week I was out in the province with  my dear co-worker Jennifer and we were visiting a sweet woman who lives 30 minutes down a dirt road in the suburbs of nowhere.  After we spent some time in discipling her in scripture she asked us if we wanted some oranges to take home with us.  We said yes and to make a long story short, we ended up trekking down a steep embankment following this sweet woman who was yielding a machete in a Rambo fashion and she showed us how incapable we were at plucking oranges from a 20 foot high tree.  We came home with 4 grocery bags full of oranges and a nice dose of humility. 

                                                             
Without priorities those moments of connection would be obsolete.  Without careful planning I would not have the freedom to go pick oranges. I would waste time doing good things instead of seeking out the best.  I have time to build relationships because I have learned to say no to certain opportunities in my life.  Ephesians 5:15 says "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."  "No" is not a bad thing to learn how to say.  It just means that you value yourself and your own priorities that God has laid on your heart. 

Without the word No in my vocabulary I would be at church 5 nights a week, teaching English to every child in my town, and not have nearly enough time to do the ministry God has called me to do.  None of those things are bad, but they aren't at the top of my list. So, I learned to say that word.  I learned No.  And because of No, I got to have a great cup of orange juice this morning and I have a discipling friendship in bloom.

big things in small packages

A dear friend of mine made pooh cake the other day.  That's right.  Pooh cake.  She was going to be teaching a seminar to young adults on how ones outward appearances can be inviting and beautiful but how even a little bit of something ungodly can corrode and taint who we are on the inside.  And, no matter how beautiful things are on the outside, once made aware of the inside, the entire package loses its draw.  Little things making huge differences.

The pooh cake got me thinking about small things making big differences.  It got me thinking about a little baby born so very long ago.  One small period of time that made all the difference for all the world.  The hope of the world showed up in a dirty little animal cave as a helpless baby.  Who would have thought! A small little itty bitty showed up to save us all.  Surely no one saw that one coming!

Well, we had a little "no one saw that one coming" moment this week. A small thing that started making a huge difference.  We have made many contacts in this past year.  Many relationships that are growing with every opportunity of contact.  We've talked with mayors, priests, business owners, and so many others.  Any one of them could have been the first.  But that's not how it happened.

This week we had our very first baptisms in the province.  It was not majestic nor extravagant by any worldly standard.  It was quite humble.  Their names are Rosa and Zoila.  Rosa is 89 years old and Zoila is her daughter.  They are quite poor and live in a tiny village  30 minutes up a dirt road through the mountains.  They are not key figures in their community.  They are not well known.  But, they are lives changed by God's redeeming grace and they are ready to make a difference.  They are the first stake in the ground.  Gods first claim for Loja Province.

There is no body of water where they live.  No lake, river, or swimming pool.  It was too far from the ocean and it seemed that a immersion baptism was out of the question.  And so, it ended up that we did a baptism with a small tub of water and a bowl.  A small gathering of believers from the church in Catamayo (where we live) came along for the celebration.  A few family members also attended.  It was so humble and simple.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m5KyXh_fGk

 

And that's how it's going to start.  The light has pierced the darkness.  Hope has shone through the hopelessness in a very unexpected way.  After we had the baptisms we decided for several of us to stay on and go visiting people in town.  And do you know what happened?!  Zoila went with us.  She brought us to people in need.  She was able to break barriers.  The woman she brought us to had been cold and closed to us before.  But when Zoila stood with us it gave our words validity.  It broke down the wall.  And so we share God's love with her and she shared her heart with us.  Her loneliness, worries, and fears were all laid out.  And she finally heard about how love came down to this earth in the form of a perfect man who died for a very imperfect people.  She saw light.  I hope when we return there next that she will embrace that hope.

Sometime things surprise us. Small things can make big differences.  All the difference.  Its why even when things seem small we celebrate what God has done.  We recognize the potential.  We see all the possibility that lies ahead.   It keeps the pooh out of our cake.  

Horse Bumps

Last week I went horseback riding.  It sounded like fun.  It looked easy and I honestly had forgotten I had aged 20 years since I had last ridden a horse.  My childhood friend had a horse when we were growing up and I had ridden in circles on that fella several times.  Surely this would be a cinch.  Besides, I have watched the entire series of "Heartland" and it looked pretty easy to me! So, we decided to take the family and some fellow missionary friends on a trail ride.  By the time it was over my muscles were aching, my back was all twisted, and I think I was a few inches shorter from all the bouncing!  And did I mention that my hair was a wreck?!  What I envisioned was not the reality.  Instead of riding off into the sunset I was bouncing like a bobble head down the trail.  It was not my finest hour.

                                                       

This adventure got me thinking.  Sometimes we glamorize things to a point so far outside of what the true reality is that we set ourselves up for failure.  We think things are going to look so regal and right out of a movie, and when the reality confronts us we are in no way prepared for what we find.  

I have also seen this reality in my own personal relationships.  Loving people is hard.  It's not as easy as being swept off your feet in the movies.  It's not as simplistic as a perfect best friend who always arrives on our doorstep with a cappuccino at the right moment.  And it's not as neatly wrapped up as a parent child relationship on the Hallmark channel.  Our media is displaying a fantasy world of relationships and marketing them as reality. I am not saying that movie and tv are evil...but I am saying we must differentiate reality and fantasy.  Unrealistic expectations are being placed on us without us even realizing it.  We need to wake up.  

Loving people is hard.  It takes work.  It requires time, realistic expectations, and a lot of grace.  The Bible gives us many great examples of how to love people.  Look at the life of Joseph.  He was sold by his brothers into slavery and yet when things came full circle he forgave them and embraced them.  Look at Moses who loved the Israelites even though they were noncommittal and winey.  And the ultimate example, of course, would be Jesus.  The God-man who lived the only sinless life and yet was murdered due to the lies and false testimony of those for whom he was giving his life.

                                       

So if these are the examples that scripture gives us of what love looks like why are we so easily convinced that love is supposed to be effortless? Easy is not typically worth much.  Sitting on a couch munching Cheetos is easy but it doesn't carry with it much benefit.  Cheating on a test is easier than studying but the lasting benefits are zilch. We live in a society where the focus is on making things easier.  We have instant meals, segways that walk for us, and passes that put us at the front of the line at Disney World.  (None of those things are bad...)  We are constantly being fed the lie that easy is best and what we deserve.  

Hard work has got to count for something and should count for a lot more then its credited with in this current day and age, especially in relationships.  Relationships take effort.  Its how we find value in them.  Have you ever noticed the difference between a child who has been given money versus that same child who has had to earn that money?  The child will have a lot more difficulty spending the earned money as opposed to the gifted money.  Hard work gives value.  But, its called hard for a reason. 

Hard means accepting the differences.  Hard mean letting people grow at their own rate and not at ours.  Hard means forgiveness when its hard to give.  Hard is knowing the difference between a "black and white issue" versus a "difference of opinion" issue.  Hard means saying your sorry... a lot.  Hard is hard! 

But relationships that have been through the ugly together tend to be deeper.  There is a history there that says "this is worth fighting for". There is grace.  There is love.  And when we love people we reflect Jesus.  It's what the entire Bible is all about.  Not that "everything goes" love but the "hard but worth it" love. 

As I got home from our horseback riding adventure I hobbled out of the car and got out the heating pad.  I was banged up and a bit bedraggled.  The day had not gone as I had planned and I had dirt all gritted in my teeth but one thing was for sure...when Lydia came up to me and kissed me on the cheek and threw her arms around my neck for a hug she whispered in my ear "This was the greatest day ever" I knew it had been worth it. This day love had been hard on my bones but easy on my heart.   
 

                                                            

Choosing rest

Putting kids to bed.  It can be the most trying time of the entire day. Chasing them through hallways, trying to get them to sit still long enough to brush their teeth to a respectable level of clean, strapping a diaper on them, threatening them about if they take said diaper off, putting them in the bed, chasing them and again putting them back in the bed...... Some days you just toss them in their beds and count it a victory because they are still breathing.  Then there are those rare nights that we wish were more frequent then reality tells us is true.  Those nights where we lie all together in bed reading books, telling silly stories, and giggling.  When we just enjoy each others company.  When those nights happen you realize that that's how life is supposed to be.  But, if we know that reading books and enjoying each other is how its "supposed" to be, why does it seem to be so evasive?

I have come to the conclusion that good bedtimes with the kids are very similar to rest...quite evasive. Sleep, now that I can find.  I can go to bed and get my 6-8 hours of sleep a night but sleep and rest are two very different things.  Rest, like a good bed time with kids, requires effort.

As a missionary, I struggle with rest.  I have this irrational and unprovoked need to always be working.  I very rarely just sit down to enjoy TV, reading a book, or sewing (one of my favorite hobbies).  Don't get me wrong...I watch TV, but I'm almost always doing something while I watch/listen to it.  I am cooking, cleaning, preparing studies, folding laundry, something.  As a mom it seems to be a requirement to be a multi-tasker.  If you have more than one child you have to be able to multi-task because kids don't stand in line to wait their turn with their needs and wants.  It is a life of organized chaos at best.  Always on the go...earning my keep...or maybe keep up appearances??

Rest only truly comes when we set aside all distractions.  We walk away from our world of chaos to say, "Not now.  Now I rest."  It takes discipline and effort to rest.  It also takes self confidence.  Many scripture verses refer to rest.  Examples in scripture are given of even God himself resting on the 7th day after 6 days of creating the world.  God created us to need rest.  And there in lies the reason we struggle with rest so much...because Satan knows we need it.

Satan knows that if we do not rest our perspectives will twist, our thoughts will wander to the darkness, and our actions will not reflect our true desires.  We become lesser versions of ourselves and lesser value to the work of the kingdom.  In a nut shell, we become less of a threat to the work of Satan.

So, we must make a conscious effort to rest.  We must take time, be still, rejuvenate, and restore.  We must recognize that if God found it good to take a day of rest, that we are in no way superior to him and thus also in need of rest.

We must also recognize that rest can be part of our spiritual growth and not a break from it. By taking time to rest we can allow ourselves to hear God speak into our lives.  By resting and taking time for ourselves, we are not being selfish but instead valuing the life that God has blessed us with and showing God through our actions that we value his creation.

So this past week I rested.  I took time to sleep-in, to read, to plan out some sewing projects, and to spend time in the word.  And I chose not to feel guilty about it.  I encouraged my kids to do the same thing.  They made some dream lists up for their summer vacation, and spent time playing and enjoying each others company.  Bj has been out in his workshop making knives and whittling imaginative creations out of wood.  And we are better for it.

So if you, like myself, are a "doer" and thrive on crossing things off your to-do list let me encourage you to evaluate yourself.  When is the last time you took a day with no list?  When is the last time you didn't earn your keep but just were.  When was the last time you took time to lie on a bed full of stuffed animals to read books and giggle with your kiddos?  There will be time after books to chase the kids down the hall while trying to trap them into their diapers....

Cheese doodles and vending machines...

Have you ever seen someone trying to man handle a vending machine because their cheese doodles got stuck on the way down?  It's heartbreak and anger all wrapped up in a person tossing their body weight against a machine that is much bigger than themselves. I saw this several times the year I worked in a government office as a translator.  Co-workers that I thought were pretty low key would be doing karate chops at the vending machine to no avail.  People can get pretty passionate about their cheese doodles.  
                                             

I am kinda in a spot right now where I am the frustrated patron and the vending machine (my life) is not going according to plan.  I did what I was supposed to do.  I put in my money.  I pushed the button.  But there are my cheese doodles hanging there in front of me as if to say, "Sometimes you don't get what you think you have coming to you.  Sometimes you have to wait."  Sometimes ministry can be a whole bunch of bags of cheese doodles stuck in a vending machine.

It started when I put God in a box.  I really did.  I thought God would work in the way my mind had all planned out.  I thought I knew what was coming.  I knew it would be difficult, but I knew I had God on my side and so anything was possible.  But, when anything showed up outside my box I got a little disoriented.  I sat staring at my stuck cheese doodles. 

                             

So what do you do?  Well, the way I see it there are two options.  Option number one is to kick, push, shove, and rattle the machine until you get what you paid for.  I know there have been times when I have taken this option in ministry.  I have forced things to go my way. I have shaken, banged on, and rammed into things until I got what I wanted.   Ya know that pit in your stomach that kinda burns and churns when you try to force results out of a person or situation?  That's how I know what I am doing is not Gods best.  When my personal alarm goes off i have to stop and reconsider.

When I was a little girl this was one of my greatest faults.  My little sister Patti can tell you ALL about it.  I took it on as my personal duty to make her behave.  I knew what was right and was bent on making her comply.  When I took on that role I took something away from my sister.  I took away the opportunity for her to learn, at her own pace and in her own time, what was right...whether or not "right" was in agreement with my own opinions is to be written some other day....  She is a very grace filled little sister and we are great friends in our adult lives. 

Option number two is a bit more difficult.  Its taping a note to the vending machine for the technician to let him know what you feel you are due and hoping he comes to my desk with my cheese doodles at a later date. And then WALKING AWAY from the vending machine.   In our spiritual lives this is prayer.  We have the privilege of instant communication with the living God.  We can submit our thoughts and petitions to the ruler of the world and have faith that He hears us and loves us.  And then, we walk away. Not as if to say, I no longer care, but instead we hand over the burden to God and say, I trust you to take care of this. 

When we are no longer in "charge" of the difficult situation we can have a new found freedom.  Its no longer our problem.  Much like when your husband walks in the door from being gone for the day and you peel off the toddler from your right leg who has been attached there all afternoon yelling "take me for another ride mommy!!".  You've had all you can take, its no longer your turn to literally carry this burden.  And so, you lovingly hand over the child who smells of paste, play dough, and peanut butter to their father because daddy is ready to take care of things.  And your become lighter.  Your mood changes, you have hope that you can face the day because you have someone to go to and say "I've had enough, please take this." 

So, when life brings you situations that are outside of your box, hand them to God and ask for wisdom.  Don't be the one who is found growling and body slamming the vending machine.  Just tape a note on it and let the great technician up in the sky handle it.  After all, you really don't want to have to explain to people that you dislocated your shoulder wrestling a vending machine over a bag of cheese doodles?  Right?!

Breaking Point

   

      When Wiley Coyote stands with steam coming out of his ears and eyes bulging you know his efforts to catch the evasive road runner have yet again failed.  When a sumo wrestler stands in the middle of a frozen pond only to hear the obvious crackles and then see the shooting cracks he knows freezing and wet are in his near future.  When a tired and grouchy mother is awakened for the umpteenth time during the night because the glow in the dark dinosaurs on his wall have stopped glowing you can tell that a meltdown is on the brink.
       Breaking points.  We all have them.  But have you ever stopped to think about the good breaking points?  Those moments when something you have been working towards is finally about to unfold.  I am not talking about those short lived glory moments when you wanted something for a few hours or a day and then got it.  I am talking about those issues that you have lost sleep over.  Those problems that have plagued you.  The thing that comes to mind every time you have a free moment of thought.
       Sometimes hope shows up in the least expected of places.  Sometimes ground is broken in the most unconventional way.  Yet it happens.  The breaking point you have been praying for has finally arrived.  And even though you have been praying for what seems like an eternity for this breaking point to come the reality of its arrival  hits you like a ton of bricks.  You never saw it coming. And this is when God tells your awestruck heart, "I am here.  I am doing this." 
      My own "eternity" of praying has been for about 3 years.  That's when God first laid Loja Province on my heart.  It wasn't a Cinderella story for sure.  The first trip I took this dusty province of Ecuador made me want to head for the hills and pray for God to send someone else.  Between bumpy dirty roads to the middle of nowhere, hotels with dance aerobics outside the window until 11 at night and then again starting at 5am, and hot hot sweaty icky dirty hot weather, I was not easily wooed.  We even had people telling us that their local priests were telling people to throw boiling water on anyone claiming to be a Christian!  But that's when you know God is in it.  When you look at something and say "No way Jose" then pray to close out a trip because its the "right thing to do"   and during that prayer time God brings your own heart to a breaking point and completely changes you; you know its Him.  Its not normal to go from an absolute "no" to an absolute "yes" within 5 minutes.  And when it happens to 4 people at the same time...you know.  That's a God breaking point. 

                                            
      Loja Province has been a long hard road these past 3 years.  It seems that anything that has touched, thought of touching, or almost thought of touching the ministry in Loja has had to face spiritual battle.  From the minor frustrations of incorrect paperwork or head to toe bug bites for the first few months living here, to the bigger issues of arguing amongst ourselves, financial problems, and the bleakness of not even a spark of interest in the hearts of the people of the province.  We prayed, we forgave, and we went forward.  We did what scripture told us to do but saw nothing in return.  We were all at our breaking points and not in a good way. 
     It is at these moments that I had to re-evaluate my motives.  Why was I here?  Was it because I wanted to change the world?  Was it because I wanted to be the one who finally broke through to the hearts of the people here?  Because if it was, I was failing. And miserably so.  But, if I was here because God said "go", then the results didn't matter as much.  You see, I don't have to see the results to know I have been obedient.  I don't deserve that.  I am not owed results.  I have been given the greatest gift anyone could ask for by receiving the salvation offered in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And me asking for more beyond that is equivalent to a man being freed from prison on murder charges only to be whining a day later that his newly issued sneakers are not the right color.  Its just wrong. 
                                                

     Now, that does not mean that the prisoner can not ask for different colored sneakers, but he surely better not be angry if the answer is no.  Do you get my drift?  We need to feel privileged and blessed when God gives us anything beyond the cross because even the cross we did not deserve.  Our life needs to be lived in a manner of thanksgiving for unmerited favor. 
     So where does that leave me today?  Well, about 10 days ago it left me a little humbled.  About ten days ago I was at my own personal breaking point.  I was frustrated with the slowness of progress.  I was tired of the difficulty.  But then in one small moment everything changed.  I was on a medical team translating for doctors.  I was covered head to toe in hives due to some ridiculous allergic reaction that we still are not sure about (can we say spiritual battle!), and I was absolutely exhausted.  I didn't feel like being a missionary that day.  I just wanted to go to bed.  But I went, I did what I was supposed to do, and God showed up. 
    Towards the end of the last day of translating a woman named Delia showed up at our doors.  She wanted us to send a doctor to see her grandmother.  Her grandmother  was immobile in their home and in a lot of pain.  We don't normally do home visits.  But she seemed quite persistent and so we bent the rules and the doctor, I and a couple of nurses headed out to go on to this woman's home.  When we got to this crude structure of cement blocks and a wobbly tin roof we found Maria (the grandmother) on the front porch in a plastic chair cushioned with a bed pillow to bring her what comfort it could.  The pastor who also came with us carried Maria to her bed so that she could be examined.  Poor Maria wept the whole time she was moved and the entire time she was in the bed being examined.  It was a botched hip surgery and bone was grinding on bone.  Any movement at all issued a stabbing pain.  The surgery was a year old and 90 some year old Maria couldn't possibly survive another one. Ibuprofen was all we could give her.  She too was at her breaking point.  The pastor began sharing with Maria how there was a God who loved her and wanted to be her Savior.  He told her how she was loved and not forgotten.  He shared about heaven and how when we get there that God would have a new body waiting for us.  And Maria cried out to God and asked Him to be her Savior. 

    This was the breaking points of all breaking points.  Maria was the first soul that I saw given to Christ in Loja province.  It was as if through this fragile and tattered woman had plunged a stake into the ground and victoriously claimed, "Satan, you lose!"  I went and visited Maria again last week.  She was still sitting on her plastic chair with her pillow.  Chickens and kittens were scratching around at the ground around her.  Jennifer (another missionary) and I sat on her dusty porch floor and read the Bible together with her.  She was grateful to be visited and to hear the scriptures. 
      God does not usually plan things out the way that we do.  In Bible times the Israelites were looking for a grandiose leader to sweep in and save the day and what they got was a tiny baby raised by very humble means in a town that was barely on the maps.  Maria was kinda like that for me.  If I were being honest I was envisioning a high and prestigious family accepting Christ into their hearts and then that family using their status to win the people over of their town.  But that's not how it worked.  God chose Maria.  God chose the most unlikely of people to be the breaking point of satan's schemes.
        Since that day we have seen a change.  We have a handful of people in each location that are truly interested in reading the Bible and learning about God.  They have asked us to begin coming out regularly to study God's word with them.  Satan is losing ground.  And what we see on the horizon is similar to the ending of the Warner Brothers cartoon.  The road runner escapes the snares set before him and  the Wyle Coyote is left in a big blowed up mess in the dust. 

     If you would like to be a part of this ground breaking work please consider partnering with us in ministry.  We are always looking for people who are willing to lift us up in prayer and come along side us financially to see this work through.  Please consider joining our team.  https://onemissionsociety.org/give/TheWilliamsons2

    If you would like to receive our weekly prayer points please message me or email us at byawilliamson@gmail.com. 

Days like this....

Taking out the trash.  Changing diapers.  Eating the cow hoof soup placed lovingly in front of me.  As missionaries we are sometimes daily presented with things that we don't want to do.  I am good with chicken foot soup...I really like the flavor...but cow hoof?  Bleck.  Each time I am faced with one of these moments I try to remind myself that these are character building moments.  They have their purpose. 
Sometimes those uncomfortable moments are just preferences and sometimes they are Satan whispering in our ear trying to convince us to look the other way.  Judgment
is needed at these times.  Can you relate?  Do you ever feel like you're presented with a problem that needs to be dealt with, but you just don't really want to?  If I am being honest that's where I am today.  I have a "to do list" a mile long and I could easily fill my time completing that list rather than dealing with this dilemma before me.  I have tried putting it off but God keeps bringing it back to my attention.  And when your boss calls and tells you to get on it...well...its time to get busy.  So here I am dealing with my problems.  Thanks Darryl.  :0) 

Money.  Its never easy to talk about and yet so necessary for us to do what we do.  We live in Ecuador with the purpose of sharing Christ to those who have no idea what a personal relationship with God means.  We are here to shine light into the darkness and to give hope to the hopeless.  And yet us being here is all contingent on all of our financial supporters back home keeping us here.  Without money we can't do what we do. 

I often joke when our support account is low that "God is going to have to sell some of those cattle on 1,000 hills if he wants us to stay put".  And yet, if we don't share the need God's people will not know of the opportunity to get involved.  And this is where Satan whispers in my ear.  "People don't believe in you"  "What your doing is too hard, go home."  "Just give up."  I am often tempted to keep quiet and just hope the funds come in.  But sometimes we have to share the need. We have to call out and say HELP! 

So here I am, sharing that over the past 10 months since we came back to Ecuador, we have had several of our monthly supporters who have died, or had other circumstances arise that have made it impossible for them to keep supporting us.  There is a gap.  And currently that gap is quite big.
 
If things don't change soon we will have to come home.  We have decided to take a 1/3 pay cut in order to try and offset this decrease in giving.  You see, we have been working for years to get a residential visa and finally got it.  One of the rules with this visa is that you can not leave the country for more than 6 weeks for 2 years.  If we leave before that 2 years is up we will have to start all over again. 
A lot is at stake.  And a lot of ministry is at stake.  We have just started making some contacts with people who just might be the future church body in the province of Loja.  We cannot walk away from this right now.  Leaving these relationships right now could be devastating to the work we have been doing.  We have been praying for these contacts for the past 3 years and we can't leave them now. 
So, I give to you what I cannot do for myself.  Would you be willing to be one of our monthly supporters?  Would you like to join our team and be active in spreading the gospel message to the dark corners of the earth?  Please pray with us that God would lead people to stand by us and walk along side of us in this ministry. 
Satan is fighting and we know that is because we are about to get a hold of some territory that he has possessed for quite some time now.  But it is not his to have.  God will be the victor of Loja Province, Ecuador. Will you join us? Here is a link to our donation page on One Mission Society: https://onemissionsociety.org/give/TheWilliamsons2 . 

So much to think about....

Life can be a bit much sometimes don't ya think?  Some days are normal "going through the motion" kinda days.  But, then there are those days that are markers.  Days that made a difference in such obvious ways.  Days that completely change you. 

This past week I was able to go to Manta, Ecuador where the 7.8 earthquake hit just a few weeks ago.  It was a Marker kinda day.  When you see the devastation, and physically touch the lives affected by tragedy you can not walk away the same.  Your not meant to.  God gives us those days.  Sometimes we don't understand why.  Why is there so much pain?  Why can't I come up with words to say to people who have lost everything?  Why them and not me?  But then I realize that I am very off course.  I am asking the wrong questions. 

At times like these I realize that the question I need to be asking is "How can you use me God?"  Instead of focusing on what I do not understand and what I can not do, I need to realize what I can do.  I can give a child some water. I can hug a woman who is desperate for help.  I can share the hope of Christ with those who seem to be completely out of hope.  I can do something. 

As I walked around this city in absolute awe of what 1 minute of shaking can do to so many buildings, homes, and businesses, I realized that in all this distress and overwhelming need there is a voice calling out.  It started as a whisper when Pastor Julio and His wife started going out to hand out food and water to church members they found in need.  It started growing louder as church members joined them and used their cars to take relief supplies further into the community.  The voice is now starting to shout  as a soup kitchen is opening out of that church and aiming to feed up to 500 people a day.  Do you hear it? 

Its hope.  It is people acting out what Jesus taught so many times through scripture.  It is love in action.  It may be the only hope these people experience each day.  They are so desperate to know they are not forgotten.  And every day that the body of Christ shows up and acts in love towards them they hear that voice in their ears.  "Hope is here, Jesus loves you."  I pray that this hope continues to shout out into the darkness that is Manta right now. 

Marker days are important.  They shape us.  They grind off our rough edges and humble us to a point that we are only able to be used by God.  They are not our easiest of days but if one life changes course and finds the hope of Jesus, that discomfort is absolutely worth it.  Lord make me uncomfortable for others sake.  If you would like to contribute to the relief efforts OMS is involved in you can donate at https://onemissionsociety.org/give/Ecuador-Earthquake 
 
 

Something New...

                                                          

 Trying to teach a cat to play in a sprinkler and enjoy it.  Its messy and quite unproductive.  That's pretty much what its like trying to teach me anything new on a computer.  I check email, I can handle the basic functions of facebook, and I can even pin a thing or two on pintrest.  Beyond those boundaries...I am like a cat in a sprinkler...scrambling to get away and hide before things get ugly.  Can you relate? 

 

Today I had to put on my big girl britches and learn something new.  Blogging.  Its scary, a bit overwhelming, but worth it if more people know about what God is doing in Ecuador. 

 

     Before 12 days ago not too many people really knew about Ecuador.  It was a small little country in South America that didn't get much press.  And then it happened.  A huge earthquake put this little country on national news and all over social media.  Ecuador got its fifteen minutes of fame for all the most heart breaking reasons.  Hundreds of people dead, towns decimated, and those who did survive are forever effected. 

     Life is like that sometimes.  You going about your business, doing what you do, and then BANG, everything changes.    Someone close to us dies, a job is lost, we are betrayed by someone we are close to...the unexpected lurks its erie head and we are forever changed.  It happens.  No one is exempt and for some it seems they have been overdosed in difficulty.  No rhyme.  No reason.  What do we do with that? 
     For those who have not walked the darkest of roads, sometimes pat answers seem sufficient.  Statements like, "God has his reasons" and "You just need more faith" seem enough.  But when your staring in the face of tradgedy and all around you is settling dust from the nuclear bomb that just went off in your life...where is hope?  How do you take one more step forward?  How do you breathe? 
     Jesus' diciples were in just this situation after Jesus died on the cross.  Their leader, their close friend was dead.  He was betrayed by one of their own.  All the things that Jesus had taught them regarding what would come in the future seemed impossible.  How was he going to be the reigning king when he was dead?  How was he going to take away the sins of the world when he was lying in a grave?  All that they knew to be true was on the line and didn't seem viable.  What did they do? What would you have done?  They hid for the first few days.  We do that too sometimes don't we?  We go and hide from reality hoping if we peek our head back out that we will find it was just a bad dream.  But as time goes on and the reality continues to rear its ugly head we must begin a process of acceptance.  Bad things happen and no one is exempt. 

     After three days, which probably felt like three years, Mary Magdelene shows up at the disciples door saying that Jesus is alive.  They take off for the grave and when they got to there everything changed.  They found that Jesus was not there and shortly after their discovery they found Jesus!  They thought the story had ended and yet it had just begun.  Jesus had conquered the grave and claimed victory over Satan.  Hope won and had a forever claim on each live that surrendered itself to Christ.  Although pain and suffering has not be dissolved for Christians who walk this earth today there is now a beautiful hope  because we know our "days of mourning" will someday end just as suddenly as it did for Jesus' disciples.  Jesus will come back and all things will be made right. 
     As a Christian I have hope.  I know that no matter what comes my way in life, that God always has his thumb on the "stop button".  As James MacDonald says, "God says, This far and no further" to Satan, and what God does allow...he uses. 

     Have you seen tradgedy?  Have you seen destruction?  Does your life more resemble a dark war movie rather then a fun romantic comedy?  Have hope.  Jesus is calling you to Himself.  He wants to walk this road with you and be your comfort.  He has a plan.  He loves you. 
     Many people are walking around the nornthern coast of Ecuador faced with these questions.  Where is hope when your family has been torn apart, when your home is a pile of rubble, when your entire town is no longer a town but a pile of broken homes and businesses?  Where is God??  They need to know that there is hope.  They need Jesus.  And while we as OMS missionaries make plans right now on how to meet the physical and emotional needs of the victims of the earthquake  we are also planning on how to reach the spiritual needs of so many broken lives.  Jesus is the hope of the hopeless.  While we bring the supplies for the physical need we bring so much more by brining the hope of Jesus.  We bring a future. 

      Satan wants to use this earthquake to forever turn peoples hearts away from God.  He wants to indelibly write "forever broken" on these lives.  As we go to the coast and fight for victory, and even as we go into the dark province of Loja where we work daily to bring Gods light to the broken, we know that the fight is worth fighting.  It's not easy.  It's not pretty.  But we too have hope. 
      If you would like to donate directly to the relief efforts that OMS is involved in you can go to this link (https://onemissionsociety.org/give/Ecuador-Earthquake) to make a donation.  You can make a difference.  Please keep Ecuador in your prayers as the recovery is just beginning.  Join us in being the change.
     As missionaries we face Satan's attacks again and again.  Some are quite blatant and sometimes they are more subtle.  Currently we are in the "not so subtle" stage.  We know we need to be here.  There is too much need to walk away.  However, since arriving back in Ecuador to work in the dark corners bringing light, we have had 6 of our supports who have died or due to unforeseeable circumstances, had to stop giving their monthly pledge.  It has been tough and our support account is suffering.  Will you consider standing in the gap and giving?  If you have wanted to give in the past and just not had the opportunity to partner with us would you consider now to be the time?  We have decided to take a salary pay cut for right now until our support account recovers a bit.  We are currently lacking $400 monthly.  Will you prayerfully consider joining our team?  Here is a link to our donation page https://onemissionsociety.org/give/TheWilliamsons2 . 
     Difficulty  is everywhere.  We don't have to look very far to see people in need.  We have hope that can make a world of difference for a world of people.  We need to take a step outside of ourselves and see what is before us.  We need to be available to do things that aren't comfortable for us because they are what the world needs.  Some days those are big things.....other days its learning how to write a blog.