Thanks FACEBOOK!

About a week ago one of our translators, Karina, from our Ecuador trip this summer Facebooked me. She told me that she had been back to our sight in Loma Blanca where we did evangelism and discipleship. This is not her home church but because of the relationships we formed there she really wanted to go visit the people who we had shared Jesus with.

Upon entering the church she told me that she saw face after face of the people whom we had shared with and discipled while down in Portoviejo. "I saw Eric and Anita, I saw Jonathan, I saw Jacqueline and her baby..." The list went on and on. What an encouragement to hear that our work was fruitful and that those who heard the Gospel and were discipled are now plugged into a church community where they will be loved and taught truth. And what a blessing to get praise reports as easily as I do... Just another Facebook message, but to me so much more!! Thanks Facebook!

Blessed!

So, I am getting used to this whole blogging thing... I think that I need to be on here more often... But I DO want to share an amazing story that happened to me this summer while in Ethiopia. We had an amazing experience in the mountains of Arba Minch and the Lord showed up in such amazing ways, including seeing many embrace Christ for the first time!!

God also did a miracle before my eyes on our last day of ministry and I would love to share it with you!  My friend Jared and I were walking along a road and sharing the Gospel with whomever we ran into. As Jared began to share with a group of ladies, one of them started calling out to me. She seemed upset. My translator Abush and I went over to her and through translation we found out that she knew me?! Abush asked her how she knew me and she said that she had seen me in her dream the night before.  It turns out that this lady was a believer and she was crying out to the Lord the night before saying “Lord, why have you abandoned me? There is nobody who understands my pain and my sorrow! Where are you in my time of need?” After inquiring about her reason for being so upset with the Lord, we found out that her husband had just been sent to prison and the pain, loss and financial burden was overwhelming her and nobody understood how hard it was. When I found this out I began to weep immediately. Aboosh said  "This is truly miracle." I quickly understood. God was using my experiences with my brother to bring hope and comfort to a woman on the other side of the world. I explained to her my situation with my brother and that I understood how much it hurts to have someone sent away. We cried and prayed together for about 10 minutes. I then reached into my pocket to give her whatever cash I had on me (which was the equivalent of about 12 bucks.) I gave it to her and she wept even harder. She said now I can feed my children this month.  This miracle from the Lord encouraged my heart deeply as well as it did hers. The Lord recognized the need of one of his daughters and sent another one of his daughters to the other side of the world to encourage her. We serve such a BIG and powerful Lord. The God of all comfort and hope.

So many amazing things happened this summer and it is my prayer and hope that each one of you would join me on mission to see how God wants to use YOU!