Love Finds A Way

I don't even know where to begin with this post!

We have just spent the last 8 days being loved and spoiled by our church family during the annual missions conference. We were humbled and honored to even be asked. What an opportunity to share what God is doing through Wycliffe and JAARS and the part we will play in PNG.

Some of the highlights of this week for us...

-Getting to know a family heading to Amsterdam...a family working with orphaned children in South Africa...the Baptist Bible College Vice President and his wife as they work with college kids. Each of these families has an amazing story and we were blessed to get to know them more.

-Seeing our church staff and their wives "in action" and "behind the scenes". I truly believe, unless you are a part of this week, you have no idea the time, the labor and the love that they invest into events like this. They have sacrificed their resources, time with their family, crazy hours all week long all for the sake of making each missionary feel like they were at home. They would seriously bend over backwards to take care of any need we had.

-Each missionary family was given a "host family" for the week. What was funny is that we got one too even though we're on our "home turf". But I LOVED getting to know our host family even better this week. They took care of every possible need before we even knew we needed it...bottled water, mints for our table, watching our kids so we could talk uninterrupted to those asking questions. They went above and beyond the call and I love them more now than when the week first started.

-We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people in our church. The 13 year old boys who sacrificed their own spending money...the kids who emptied their piggy banks...all for us. The sweet teen girl that watched our kids so we could attend meetings. And Nana played a huge role in watching Mal some late nights so the 4 of us could stay out, but Mal could go to bed. Such a huge blessing! The food (we ate and we ate and we ate this week!) The sweet couple that said I needed something new to wear. Oh my word!

-I cried every.single.day for 9 days straight. I have got to pull it together this week!! But when you get such "lovin' from the Lord" sometimes it's the only reaction you have!

One thing that we have been saying, and now seeing is that, as Christians, we all have a role to play when it comes to missions. Some, like us, are called to GO. Others are called to give, to sacrifice. Whether it's time, finances, friendships, letting those you love go...there's sacrifice involved on so many levels.

The Lord is calling each of us to sacrifice something. For each person, it will be different. It's what you do with what He's asking you that makes the difference. Will you take on the Sunday School full of little kids even though it's not something you want to do, but that He's asking you to do? Will you listen to Him when He asks you to give more to missions than you ever have before?

Do you trust Him that if He's calling you to do it that He'll take care of you? Even when you take that step of faith, He doesn't promise roses and sunshine. What He does promise is that He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. Good times and bad-He'll be there and you are not alone. But you have to take that first step and follow Him--whatever He calls you to do.

There aren't enough words to say THANK YOU to all of those that sacrificed for us this week. I saw our church's theme this year, Love Finds A Way, lived out by our people this week in real, practical ways. We have been honored, overwhelmed and humbled.

Thank you CBC family. We love you!