It is an amazing thing. Prayer is a special privilege we have to talk with our Father. He loves to hear from us, to share with us our joys and sorrows and our longings of the heart. We started off to Nicaragua last Monday with hopeful expectation that God would give us a vision for our ministry to the people there. We left at home friends and family who were praying on our behalf that we would get a word from The Lord. We petitioned The Lord for an answer. We sought Him and asked what His will was. We went with a desire only to be where He would have us be.
Months ago, while sitting in Sunday School, I was looking at the wall map and noticed a prayer card for a missionary family, Josh and Laurie Moudy. I examined it closer and was shocked and intrigued to see that this family was from Hattiesburg and were serving in Nicaragua. When I left church that day, I looked them up on Facebook and started being friends. Melanie and I have been reading their story and following where God was taking them in their ministry. A while back they shared how God was leading them to start up a hospital on the eastern coast to serve the Meskito people. We thought it was great but really did not pay much attention to it at the time.
When we were preparing to go on this trip, we were figuring up expenses and trying to find a place to stay. I messaged Josh about where the best place to stay might be and some costs of things while there and they offered for us to stay with them while we were visiting. What a blessing! We raised our funds and planned out our course for the week and tried to imagine what God had in store. Were we ever in for a wonderful surprise.
We touched down in Nicaragua, made our way through customs and found Nolan and Robbie waiting for us just outside the airport. Nolan teaches the Moudy's Spanish and graciously agreed to pick us up from the airport and take us around while we were in His country. He asked about how we met the Moudy's and was a little surprised that we had never met them personally but were staying at their home for a week. Josh and Laurie were not even home. They were visiting the area where God was moving them to start the hospital. They left the key with the next door neighbor and we let ourselves in, greeted by Bailey and Buster, the Moudy's 4-legged family :). Early the next morning we set out to meet pastors in the area and planned out a preaching schedule. I desired to work in the Masetepe area, so I figured this was a good place to start.
As the days went by, talking with the pastors of the area, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that He was not sending us to work here. Inside I was a little discouraged because I was hoping for this to be it. But God, who does all things well, knows better and has a perfect plan. On Wednesday, Melanie was doing her Bible study and in her devotion, it talked about the Spirit forbidding Paul to go to the area he longed to go to, but was sending them another way. She did not tell me about it, but just continued to pray. As we talked with Josh and Laurie, they shared their vision and let us know they were looking for another family to partner with them. We began to share our hearts with them and by the end of the week we were sad to leave them. Josh and I talked about boats that could maneuver the Rio Coco, hospital layouts and lots if other facts about the people of the area. By the time we left, we told them we would pray about what we should do.
As we sought The Lord, He showed us that we should partner with them. We are so excited that God is choosing to use our family to serve Him in this way. Words cannot even express what we feel about what is going to happen through this ministry opportunity. As I was reading this morning, "when the vision is big, the sacrifice seems small." (Shirley Bott)
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us. Please continue to pray for our family. Pray in your own life where God is leading you to serve Him. The Harvest is ready. Who will go out and work? He'll give you a task if you will just let Him know you are available.
Blessings!!
No comments:
Post a Comment