flexibility
A week into our time in Guatemala our summer journey took a huge detour. As many of you know a large chunk of our time this summer was supposed to be in India. Yet the most important part in missions we have found over the last eight years is FLEXIBILITY!!
We can make plans but God knows the big picture so it’s vital to stay close to Him and to press into Him when things change
Well not long after arriving in Guatemala our friends we were supposed to help in India let us know they had to postpone the India trip due to a family medical emergency. We encouraged them to focus on their family because that’s more important than anything.
On our side we however needed to hear from the Lord, what were we to do? We were going to be gone all summer. All our stuff was in storage and we didn’t actually have a home to go back to. We also had felt the Lord clearly state He had somethings for us to put our hands to this summer.
That night we took time as a family and prayed. Gryphin got Guatemala and Bruce got Belize. The girls and I didn’t get anywhere specific. We didn’t know anyone in Belize and we were currently in Guatemala. What were we to do?
We also still had flights to Europe so we began to wonder if we were to still go to that side of the world? We had friends in Israel. We chatted with them and knew we’d love to be a blessing to them there. So we started pursuing what that would look like. But I never had complete peace about going because we hadn’t heard the Lord tell us to go there.
Then the night before we were to leave for Washington State, for a wedding of a close friend, I got an email stating our flights to Europe had been canceled. Hmmm now what? I asked the Lord for a “Cornelius” moment (Acts 10). I wanted either a dream of someone asking for help or someone contacting us directly.
The next morning I woke at 4:30am and nothing special had happened. We loaded our bags into the van and headed to the airport. Four hours later we checked in our luggage and headed for breakfast. While waiting in line my phone buzzed. I looked at my message in disbelief.
“Hi Kara! This is Jennifer. I have a friend in Belize who really needs some help with her ministry. Do you know how I could pitch her location to YWAM students?”
As I walked over to Bruce I was in shock. Had my Cornelius moment just happened? And was Bruce’s word about going to Belize several weeks prior coming to fruition?
The rest of the day we spent traveling to Washington State. After arriving and having a much needed full night sleep we came together as a family to pray. Was this the Lord? Were we to go to Belize to help this woman’s ministry and bring awareness to what she was doing? I didn’t even know where Belize was.
As we prayed as a family we all had peace that Belize was where we were to go. With that I began to make all the arrangements and I connected with the woman in Belize. After chatting with the woman I instantly knew we had made the right decision. Everything she needed was exactly what the Lord had spoken to us to do this summer. We just had thought we’d be doing it in India after Guatemala.
As I purchased tickets and started making the arrangements for travel to Belize I was reminded that God always knows the big picture. Even when you have four kids in tow none of the twists and turns of life surprise Him.
So even though we had our hearts set on India this summer we are expectant for what He’s going to do in Belize. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
