London Alone

My husband has been in London, England that last 10 days. Alone. (We decided that we did not want to pay for a $1300 ticket for me.) What a trooper he is. I know he missed us a lot but we probably missed him more.

I am so happy he could go. There is something so awesome about God allowing him to train 75+ pastors and lay people in the city of London. It is all God. Don't get me wrong, my dear hubby is a great teacher and speaker, but God is so awesome. He opens the doors for great things in our lives. I am just happy to be a part of it all. So now we are praying for training in Australia or Costa Rica. That would be a blessing for sure. I would have to go to that training for sure.

The great leadership in London has asked him to return next June as well. This time they want him to do some training in Wales! The training he provides is practical evangelism training. If it works out, I WILL go this next summer. I have heard very nice things about Wales. And we can extend the trip and go to Scotland and/or Ireland as well. That is always nice.

Next up on our traveling agenda? Atlanta! (We must be crazy, planning a trip to Hotlanta in the summer time.)

Seminar Wrap Up

We arrived safely home Sunday, just in time to celebrate Easter with our family. Praise the Lord, Jesus is risen!

What a great experience we had in Northern California. Though my Princess was sick the last week of the seminar, it was still exciting to hear from my husband how God was blessing and working in the lives of our seminar guests. The church itself was so excited at the success of the meeting, they did not want to see us go. That is always a great way to leave a church. We have made life long friends and cannot wait to see all those people again, if not in this life, then in Heaven to come.

Friday night about 12 people graduated from the Amazing Facts Bible School. Three people were baptized that night as well. Then the next morning, during the church service 6 people were baptized, including one couple who was celebrating their 23 anniversary. Praise God! There are about 6 more people scheduled to be baptized including one couple, who are biologist, who want to get baptized in the nearby river. (Brrr! Cold.)

Our Princess was sad to leave her new best friend - the pastor's four year old daughter. We hope to one day see them again. It is nice to make new friends and always difficult to leave. That is our life though - on the road.

We now have a couple weeks off before heading to Oklahoma! Contine to pray for us, our ministry, and the good people of Oklahoma who will be coming out to hear the Gospel being presented in a real and life changing way.

Divine Appointments

I really wanted to share a couple of stories with you from our seminar here in Northern California. It is so exciting to see God working in people's lives.

We have one lovely Alaskan Native woman coming to our seminar. She has come faithfully and is so kind. It has been a blessing getting to know her. She was praying for something - anything - for God to intervene in her life and show Himself to her in a real way. As she was praying and walking she stepped on a piece of paper. It was the mailing postcard that was sent out - the words across the top jumped out to her - Hope For Today. When she continued to read she realized it was starting that night! As she has been attending, she realized this was exactly what she needed to reconnect with her Savior. Praise God. She is graduating from the Amazing Facts Bible School on Friday and joining the local church on Saturday.

Another man, a retired welder, received our invitation postcard in the mail. He told me that a struggle was going on inside of him. He wanted to go but didn't feel ready to turn to God yet. Being raised in a Christian home, he had wandered from the Lord. But he could feel God pulling on his heart strings. He came out with his wife and as they listened to the Bible being preached each night, and the themes of Jesus, they realized this was exactly what they needed. Now, he has connected with a retired dentist who needs help with welding. He feels whole now. He has found God again, his wife has found God, and he is doing welding, which he loves. God is so good. He will never stop chasing you when you turn from Him.

These are just two stories from our seminar. God is constantly working in the lives of our visitors. It always amazes me that He chooses us to work with Him. Who are we compared to the God of the universe? Thank you Lord for your love and for using me.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! Psalm 100: 4 (ESV)

This post has been linked to the meme, Thankful Thursday. This meme is hosted by Spiritually Unequal Marriage for the month of April.

Evicted!

We have arrived at our first seminar here in Central California. Yesterday, the Princess and I flew in and met my wonderful husband, who drove down from Washington. Isn't he great?

Unexpectedly, our housing situation changed. An older couple from church had a trailer here, and they were wintering in Palm Springs. Free housing enables to the local church to save money on the budget. While the thought of free housing instantly stresses me out. "A trailer?", I thought to myself. It is always difficult for me when plans change once I was looking forward to something. Our other housing was a furnished apartment with a gym on site. (I really have been wanting to work out daily!)

Once we arrived here at the trailer, we realized that it was a nice home, but the couple was not prepared to have a family stay here for 4 weeks - especially one with a toddler. (Sorry about that fake plant by the television!) Their pantry, fridge, closets, dressers - everything was full. We talked with their son, who lives here locally, and were given permission to move anything we needed to. Feeling strange about touching other people's things, we unpacked quite gingerly. Well, I did at least. I can't speak for other members of my family, who don't let things bother them so much. (My Princess, thought everything was hers, as she walked through the home saying, "Mine".

After we unpacked, all our things (you know we fit everything in our Honda Civic with us in it!) we decided to go for a walk. The first house we walk by, we met the neighbor who is taking care of the plants and watching the house. Within five minutes of talking with her she tells us we are not supposed to be staying here. It is a 55 an older community and no children are allowed here. The kind neighbor also told us to go speak with the on site manager and find out if they will make an exception. Before 5pm, we found out that yes, we do have to move. We were granted one night here since we had a baby (whew!) and we called the furnished apartment complex and we can move in at 2pm!

So after this day, I realized something. It is something I need to learn, and it is something I have realized many times before. (Why can't I just "get" it?) It is a simple two words:

Trust God!

Instead of worrying, getting frustrated, relying on self - I just need to rely on God. He is so good to us. Even if this housing worked out, it is nice. And the desire of my heart - a gym on site and empty cupboards and drawers - well that is possible, if it is God's will. In this case, I feel that God was testing my heart, and I failed yesterday for a couple hours. This is our first seminar back on the road again, in the future I must remember this lesson.

Oh, and thanks for keeping me in your prayers. I know I need it!