Showers of Blessing

Shower from ladies at HCJB

And the Lord said, "Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  Malachi 3:10

My 1st "Double Baby Shower" with Anabella

These words will always be etched on my heart.  We began the journey 3 years ago.  Larry quit his job at the end of May 2009 and we raised support so that we could come and minister to the people of Ecuador.  We were nervous and scared at first about the whole thing.  To ask others to support us was frightening... at first.  Then we realized that God was going before us and preparing the hearts of friends and family.  It was such a blessing.  He gave me the verse above to encourage me during those months of uncertainty.  It wasn't until later that we understood and experienced the truth behind it.

Volunteer teachers that I work with

I remember having some of the same fears when we found out we were going to have a baby nearly 9 months ago.  Would our support cover this new life being given to us?  Would we be able to provide for her?  I was reminded that God is control of all things.  And if He provided for Larry and me, beyond what we could have imagined, wouldn't He also provide for our baby girl?  The answer is YES!

The kids at school got to participate as well and try to guess how big my belly was!

I can not begin to express the gratitude to family, friends, churches, bible studies, friends of family who have shown us God's love by providing for our little girl.  It has been so fun to be a part of and so amazing to see how God uses his people to love on us.  The Lord has provided everything we need and more.  We could not be more grateful, our hearts are truly overflowing with gratitude!

Shower given by family/friends in Houston before we returned to Ecuador

Being on the mission field is difficult at times, especially during times like this.  I never imagined I'd be having my 1st child in a foreign country!  But I have to say that the love and response we have received from the people here and the people back home, has made it such an enjoyable and amazing experience.  In the States, I wonder if I would have taken this for granted.  Waiting on the Lord, and seeing Him provide has strengthened our faith.  From baby beds to baby bouncers, from bibs to burping cloths, we just could not be more blessed.  We thank the Lord for his continuous provision and how he lavishly gives his children good gifts.  And thank you for being so incredibly wonderful.  Thank you for your prayers and your random acts of generosity.  You have truly made this couple feel loved and special.  Thank you!

Ladies from the church that Larry and I attend
  

Praisin' God Through the POOP!

I woke up this morning after a restless night to find that my puppy dog had left me a surprise!  Not just one surprise, five little surprises.  Evidently, she ate something she should not have eaten at the park.  As I opened the door to the living room and looked out across the floor, there were piles of poop everywhere in all different shapes, sizes, and textures!  (It wasn't enough to just wipe it up.  Nope, this job required some elbow grease!) 

As I take out the bottle of clorox, my husband enters the room with a look of shock on his face.  As I reach for the paper towels, he says, "You are so much better than me to clean this up."  I just smile and say, "No, you kill the roaches and bugs. I'd say it's an even trade off.":-)

So there I am in my robe, almost 8 months pregnant, cleaning up this yucky stuff trying not to barf.  I smile to myself and think, "God must be preparing me to change dirty diapers!"  I've just finished reading a wonderful book called 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp.   She talks about her journey in learning how to see God in all things, even the not so pretty ones.  I began a list of my own.  For me, it has been easy to thank God for the humming birds and the flowers... but the poop?!  I kind of laugh to myself and think, "Well, how can I praise God through this poop cleaning?"  As I'm on my hands and knees scrubbing with my little brush, I begin to thank God that we have a dog.  She has brought us much joy and laughter and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I thank Him that I'm scrubbing it off of a wooden floor and not carpet.  And I'm thanking Him that there is NOT a whole lot of poop on the furniture.  (Although I will be scrubbing a cushion or two).  I begin to practice the art of thanksgiving, and it makes me laugh!

Not much longer, I receive a call from a close friend with some hard news.  She tells me how God spoke to her this morning and how He has given her a peace through a very difficult trial.  We talk about how God is in control of ALL things and our trust in Him even when things don't turn out the way we had hoped.  She encourages me with her faith to accept His way and not her own.

At the end of the conversation I tell her about my "poop" story and how God is teaching me to praise Him through the messy parts of our lives .  To praise Him when we don't understand the difficult trials we go through.  To praise Him even when cleaning up poop!  She laughs with me over the telephone, and I begin to smile and think that my little cleaning session was well worth it just to hear her laugh.  We end our conversation talking about how we are grateful for what God has given us.  I thank Him again after we hang up for friends like her to walk along side us and share in our journey, even if it is crazy and messy.

Dancin' on Daddy's Feet

As a summer missionary in Del Rio, Texas I had a thought, "What if I could trust in God, the way a little girl trusts in her Dad?"  I had the image of a Daddy and a little girl.  He would scoop her up under her arms, hug and kiss her, and then toss her in the air.  The little girl would have no fear, because she knew that her Daddy would catch her.  She would fall gently in his arms laughing and ask him to do it again, and again, and again. 

I wanted to be like that little girl who had no fear; just a childlike trust in God.  As the summer came to a close, and as I wrestled with the Lord about issues that had always scared me, I had a different picture in my mind.  I told my roommate Lauren one night, "You know, it's weird.  All summer, I've been wanting to trust God with my future."  I then told her about the little girl and her Daddy, and how I had wanted to be like her.  "But now, I have a different picture in my mind."  It was no longer a little girl being tossed in the air, it was me as a young woman walking alongside Jesus.  He held on to my hand, and as we walked I would just look up and gaze at him.  I didn't understand where it was coming from.  I mean, I wanted to be like that little girl, I wanted to trust Jesus and not myself!  That's when Lauren said, "It sounds like peace."

She was right.  God was teaching me that when I do trust him with a childlike trust a by-product of that is a deep peace.  The other night, as I was preparing supper, I heard a song come on called 'Come to Me'.  I stopped what I was doing and allowed myself to be wrapped up in the moment, and I went to Him.  As I swayed to the music, holding this little baby growing inside of me, the Lord blessed me with His presence.  It was me, dancing on the feet of Jesus.  He was holding the two of us and He was smiling down on us.  I had to just close my eyes to take it all in.  I could feel his presence around me, and the only words I can find to describe that precious moment is... pure JOY! 

I realized that it has all been a journey; a journey of fear and then trust; of worry and then peace.  And how important it was that I go through all those trials, so I could experience a few moments of complete joy.  In the movie "Steel Magnolias", Julia Roberts, who plays Shelby, says "I'd rather experience a few moments of wonderful, than a life time of nothingness."  God is still working on me.  He hasn't given up on me, and He sure hasn't given up on you!  I'm praying for you as well, that you experience the joy of simply being in His presence.