The Unlikely Plans of God

I look around me at the toys scattered across the den floor.  I hear the dinner bubbling away on the stove and feel Cohen's persistent tug on my leg.  He wants milk.  I see Corban's back-pack crumpled in the corner with homework peeking out of the top. 

I feel like such an unlikely person today.  It seems unlikely that God would have chosen ME to lead CCJ and set ME over the Brazos Abiertos outreach team.  It seems unlikely that God would have entrusted ME with a vision to reach the children of San José Pinula for Jesus.  It strikes me as odd that God would bring mission teams for Me to oversee.  It seems unlikely that Jesus would continue to drop new plans and stir up old ones in this heart of mine.  I feel so unlikely to be used of God today.

For all its unlikelihood, Brazos Abiertos is back in full swing.  We are visiting village families and making plans for the year's outreaches.  Our staff meetings and prayer sessions are full of excitement as we count down the weeks to our first two mission teams.  With such a full schedule and so few staff members it would seem unlikely that the Lord would add anything else to our week.  

Yet as unlikely as it seems, our staff feels a yearning and churning in our hearts for a new outreach.  An outreach that I feel must be near and dear to God's own heart for all of us to be united in such a way.  All four of us are in strong agreement to start a feeding program. 

One of our original purposes was to have a feeding program for children and although initial plans were made, nothing came of it.  The dream was put on the back burner, simmering away, growing more and more fragrant as the years went by.  Now that dream is bubbling over in our hearts.  It is time to pull it off the back burner and serve it up! 

A local church has eagerly agreed to let us use its facilities to reach a poverty stricken area of San José Pinula allowing us to reach out to new families with God's tangible love.  Along with a hot meal we will be sharing the gospel.  New converts will be welcomed into the church who will also provide us with volunteers to help prepare and serve the meals.   It is a good plan.  It is God's plan.

The tugging on my leg grows even more demanding.  It is time to tend to my family.  I chuckle to myself as this unlikely servant of God is reminded that God uses the foolish things to confound the wise.  The weak things to confound the strong.  God is an old pro at using the unlikely!

Please pray for us.  Should the Lord place this project on on your heart, you can support it with your finances- see www.crossculturejesus.org for details.

Back at the beginning

The day dawned dark and gloomy.  The fog clung to the ground like cobwebs to a forgotten corner, reluctant to loosen its hold.  It was not the makings of a great day.

I felt my courage weaken as I peered out my bedroom window at the soggy climate outside.  As I looked with my eyes I felt a voice inside gently remind me that we live by Faith and not by Sight.  So, in an act of faith I declared victory and blessing over the day.  It was a day that the Lord had made so I made a decision to rejoice and be glad in it. 

After all, this was no ordinary day.  This was the day Brazos Abiertos started back up again after a 5 week break.  This was the beginning of a new year full of new challenges, new victories, and new stories to tell.

After a semi-chaotic morning of getting Corban ready and off to school I looked around to make sure that all was packed into the back of my Equinox.  The Equinox was full of things friends had sent for the ministry- a ton of flannel for story boards, clothes, prizes, toys.  Also a few boxes of supplies I had purchased in anticipation of today.  My laptop was snuggled in tightly.  It seemed all was in order, so with a kiss and a wave to Cohen, off I went.

At the ministry base I was greeted warmly by both Alfonso and Yoli.  They were bright and eager to get started.

It was a usual first day back.  We caught up on each other's news.  We had a time of prayer and a meeting to tackle issues such as new outreaches, weekly schedule, teams and missionaries expected for the year.  As always, the Christmas break gave us all a much needed rest and we felt our creative juices flowing once again.  We have exciting new ideas for this year!  I can't wait to see how the Lord works it all out.

It was a usual first day back, but something in the atmosphere tells me that this will be no ordinary year.....