On Missions Sunday at our church back in January, Paul and I both heard the Lord speaking to us that we were to go to Africa on a mission trip. However, when we learned more about the Africa mission trip our church was going on, we realized that we would not be able to go because of my class schedule this summer. I only had two weeks where I did not have class, and neither of the trips to Africa were during those weeks. I began to doubt our call. In addition, when it came down to it, Paul and I did not have the money to go to Africa. My first thought when I felt God's nudging was, "There is no way we will really go. That would be crazy for us right now." We are basically living off of one salary, paying for my school until December 2011, and paying back a lot of school debt. There have been very few times in my life where I have done things that didn't make sense logically. I am a thinker and do not usually just DO. However, God is slowly changing me to rely in His power and His leading..not what makes sense in my little mind.
After realizing God had shut the door for us to go on our church's mission trip, I remembered about an organization that we had been looking into as a possible agency when we started the adoption process. The name of the organization is All God's Children International. I remembered reading that ACGI also takes many mission trips. As I looked up the mission trip dates on our computer, I was overcome with God's sovereignty. All God's Children was going on a mission trip to Ethiopia during the EXACT two weeks that I didn't have summer class! Ethiopia is also the country Paul and I feel called to adopt from. God had it all worked out. We were going to Africa because God told us to and that's all we needed.
We still had no clue how we would pay for the trip but believed that if God wanted us there, He would provide it. God WAS faithful. Our friends and family gave generously. Paul and I were brought to tears many times by God's provision and goodness. Many of our sweet friends who are in the same financial situation that we are as young, poor married couples gave abundantly. They gave more than we could ever have imagined. I know they gave because they also believe in a God who provides and calls us to a life of generosity in response to God's generosity with us. We are blessed. And we were on our way to Africa ONLY by God's grace.
After realizing God had shut the door for us to go on our church's mission trip, I remembered about an organization that we had been looking into as a possible agency when we started the adoption process. The name of the organization is All God's Children International. I remembered reading that ACGI also takes many mission trips. As I looked up the mission trip dates on our computer, I was overcome with God's sovereignty. All God's Children was going on a mission trip to Ethiopia during the EXACT two weeks that I didn't have summer class! Ethiopia is also the country Paul and I feel called to adopt from. God had it all worked out. We were going to Africa because God told us to and that's all we needed.
We still had no clue how we would pay for the trip but believed that if God wanted us there, He would provide it. God WAS faithful. Our friends and family gave generously. Paul and I were brought to tears many times by God's provision and goodness. Many of our sweet friends who are in the same financial situation that we are as young, poor married couples gave abundantly. They gave more than we could ever have imagined. I know they gave because they also believe in a God who provides and calls us to a life of generosity in response to God's generosity with us. We are blessed. And we were on our way to Africa ONLY by God's grace.
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