Catching Up (part 1)

These last two months have been so full that I haven’t had time to blog. Now for the catch-up… Don’t worry; I’ll spread it over several blogs rather than one long one!

Around the middle of November, Ouachita Hills took a three-week mission trip to Cuba. When Pastor Soler (who is in charge of the mission trips) asked me to go along as the female staff member, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it. I told him of the obstacles and we prayed that God’s will would be done. Within a few hours every obstacle was taken care of, even to the finances! I was going to Cuba!

Finally the day came when we loaded the bus and headed to the airport. We were a group of 15, but we had only six visas when we boarded the plane in Little Rock, AR. When we landed in Atlanta, Pastor Soler checked his email and said the number of visas was now nine. When we landed in Miami, he had received all 15 visas by email. Praise the Lord! This was just one of the multitude of miracles the Lord worked for us during this endeavor.

The lady who met us at customs and helped us get everything through with no problems; the translator who had never heard the Bible stories before (she loved them!) and who hugged the Bible to her heart when we gave it to her; the bus driver who cried when we gave him his first Bible; the churches who had never seen young people do a whole evangelistic series; the people who were touched by the Word of God and who wrapped themselves around our hearts; the churches who adopted us and told us we were one of them now – the stories and the memories are too many to tell here. But in heaven I’ll be happy to share them all!

When I went to India, one grandfather was killed, and now when I was in Cuba my other grandfather died. But what a precious hope is ours! The Lord showed me His loving care in so many ways that day I found out about my grandpa’s death. The academy students I was working with had no idea what I was struggling with, but just by their buoyant spirits and cheerfulness they brightened my day. Peter, Nathan, and Sofia willingly gave up their free time to help me prepare the crafts for the meeting that night while the other kids relaxed. They had no idea how much their uncomplaining sacrifice gave me the courage I needed to get through that day. That evening as we were riding on the bus to our different sites, someone started singing Revelation 21:4-7 which says: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said unto me, ‘Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said unto me, ‘It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.’” Truly we have a blessed hope!

This poem came from that experience:

Cloudy Blessings

Thank You, Lord, for strength in weakness;

Perfect peace within my pain;

Power to meet each strong temptation;

Promises to meet again.

Thank You, Lord, for trust in tempest;

Faith when darkest seems the night;

Courage when the heart is weary;

Assurance that all will work for right.

Thank You, Lord, for cloudy blessings;

For Your ways I do not know;

Thank You for Your patient guidance

O’er the path You only know.