GodandMe2theMax

"Do-Over" - God gives second chances...Jonah Chapter three

My mom is perhaps the fairest grandma in the world.  She also has the gift of giving (or maybe that's buying...)  If it's on sale, she'll buy it and store it up for a good gift.  She has five grandsons and one granddaughter from two of her three boys and me.  If she bought one t-shirt for a grandchild, she bought six, all in different colors.  If she bought an alarm clock for one, she would buy one for all six grandchildren.  A mistake, perhaps, but it was only out of love that she did this.  She wanted to be the best grandma she could be, and with six grandchildren, the last thing she would want is to play favorites...or to be accused of having favorites!

However, one day I had to have a sit down with her.  "You have to love them the way they need to be loved, mom.  You can't just give cookie-cutter gifts and expect them to love everything you give them.  Take some time and only offer things that you think they will really like...things that will mean something special to them.  They don't care about receiving things...They only care if you took the time to really know them for who they are...It's the thought that goes behind the gift, not the gift itself.  Then what you give and do for them will be appreciated more, and they'll appreciate you more.  They would rather you not give them anything at all instead of something without meaning."

OK, the conversation was much more in depth than that, seasoned with words of love, and believe you me, I prayed and prayed before having that difficult conversation with my mom.  I didn't know if she would be offended or how she would take it, but I knew it had to be said.  The relationship between my kids (specifically Amber) and my mom was deteriorating, especially since they saw her only a few times a year, at best.  My mom's constant attempts to show her love with gift giving weren't being received in the way she intended.  In fact, it was creating a wedge between them.

My mom received well what I said, and the next time she saw Amber, she sat down with her one on one.   "Can Gram have a do-over?"  She asked her for forgiveness, and she then started down a road of re-building their Gram-Am relationship. 

Well, as I read in Jonah chapter three today, I see the same thing.  God gave Jonah a "do-over."  My God is a God of second chances, not just for Jonah, but for the people of Nineveh, too!

Jonah 3
1) Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.
2) "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."
3) Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.  Now Nineveh was a very important city - a visit required three days.
4) On the first day, Jonah started into the city.  He proclaimed, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."
5) The Ninevites believed God.  They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6) When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
7) Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:  "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything: do not let them eat or drink.
8) But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth.  Let everyone call urgently on God.  Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
9) Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
10) When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.

I love verse one.  Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.  How many times is that true in our lives?  How many times does God speak to us about an area in our life.  We listen.  We nod.  Then like Jonah, we run the other way.  Maybe not blatantly run the other way, but eventually we find ourselves far from where He's called us or asked us to be.  Sometimes God nudges us; sometimes He slaps us with the Truth...not just once, but over and over.  Yes, my God is a God of second chances (and thirds and fourths), and I'm so glad He is. 

He is faithful.  He lets me ask for a do-over.  He forgives, and He restores.  Think about the Ninevites.  They were wicked people.  In Jonah's mind, they did not deserve God's forgiveness or mercy.  Yet, the power of God is so strong that they believed.  Imagine the whole city coming to faith in God?  That's exactly what happened, and it was the last thing Jonah ever expected.

Repentance is not just saying you're sorry or even acknowledging you've done something wrong.  It's not a passive verb.  To repent is to turn the other way.  The Ninevites didn't just believe the message Jonah proclaimed, they took action to change their ways.  They heard the prophet proclaim that God was going to overturn the city in forty days.  They believed.  They repented.  And they changed.  God granted them a do-over.

I wonder if we simply spoke up more about the Gospel, what would people's reactions really be?  Sure, it was nothing less than a miracle for the entire wicked city of Nineveh to come to Christ, yet God used one man to proclaim the message.  A man who didn't really even want them to believe.  We have too many closet Christians, afraid to go, afraid to tell.  Maybe we're like Jonah - we think that a particular people group just won't ever change.  Maybe we feel ill-equipped to tell others.  Maybe we're just not 'comfortable' sharing Christ with people we know.  As I think about Jonah, do you think he was really 'comfortable' sharing this Message with his arch-enemy?  I doubt it, yet he was obedient.

Yes, God gave the people of Nineveh a do-over.  He had compassion on them because they turned from their evil ways.  In fact, Matthew 12:39-41 says in the judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up and condemn the Israelites for their failure to repent.  I wonder if they will also condemn other nations, even this great nation that we live in?  I'm not sure, but I do know that the same God who gave Nineveh the do-over is the same One who offers do-overs to me.  I hope He doesn't have to threaten to destroy my city to get me to repent the next time, but I'm thankful for the mercy He shows me.

Help me Lord to listen more and act on my own less.  Help me to obey the first time; I don't want to take advantage of your offer for a do-over, but I'm thankful you offer forgiveness when we repent.  Thank you for second chances.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Putting myself in Jonah's wet shoes...Insights from Jonah Chapter two

As I read Jonah chapter two this morning, I'm trying to really put myself in Jonah's wet shoes.  The chapter is filled with emotion and power...and truth about God's faithfulness.  It also gives a pretty good description of what it was like for Jonah down inside the belly of the great fish.  It was no party down there, having a cookout, or toasting marshmallows by the light of a candle.  No, Jonah was alone, disgusting, miserable, and perhaps for the first time since running from God, he was facing the facts.

Jonah 2
1) "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 
2) He said:  'In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry. 
3) You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.' 
4) I said, 'I have been banished from our sight; yet, I will look again toward your holy temple.
5) The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6) To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever.  But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.
7) When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you to your holy temple.
8) Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
9) But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord.'
10) And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land."

Try to put yourself in Jonah's shoes with me.  "Throw me overboard.  It's my fault."  With no other choice, the sailors did just that.  Surely, Jonah believed his life would soon be over.  He admitted his sin of disobeying God, yet he didn't really have a change of heart.  I wonder why he offered himself to be thrown into the sea instead of having a change of heart right there in the boat?  Certainly he could have confessed and God could have spared him the belly of the whale experience.  (Could have...not necessarily would have!)  Admitting sin and repenting are two different things.  At that point, Jonah knew in his heart that he was to blame for the storm, but I don't think his heart was yet aligned with God's.

How many times is this same thing true in my life?  I know deep down what the truth is, but doing something about it is much more difficult.  It's easier to just keep the truth buried deep within my soul then to be honest and do something about it.  OK, I'm not a closet alcoholic or drug dealer, but I am a sinner.  We all are.  The Bible says we are created with a sin nature, and everyone has tendencies toward certain sins.  Me?  Probably the thing I struggle with most is self-control when it comes to eating.  No, I'm not two-ton Tessie, but I do love my food.  Just when I think I have it under control, it creeps back into my life, like a snake in the night.  It's a constant struggle, and one I will probably struggle with the rest of my life.  Having no thyroid definitely doesn't help the weight issues, either, but it's not an excuse.  My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit now that I am a believer, and like Jonah, sometimes I know about this sin; I even admit it, but do I repent and turn the other way?   Food for thought.  :)

So there Jonah is...seemingly buried alive.  He says it himself, "From the depths of the grave..."  I wonder if this is the first waterboarding experience recorded in history and administered by God Almighty?  It almost seems like spiritual torture, but I don't believe God works like that.  He allows us to go through situations, and in them, there  is always a purpose.  For Jonah, the engulfing waters threatened him; he sank deep into the sea.  BUT, God brought his life up from the pit.  Jonah says, "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord."  The King James version says, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord." 

How true those words ring.  When things were going south, Jonah remembered the Lord.  We go along life's merry way, our life decaying and fading away, our soul fainting within us.  We try to do what's right with our own power, worse yet, we don't even try.  Life throws some curveballs at us, we get thrown into the pit, then we remember the Lord.  Then we remember to pray.  This is unfortunately the case with many Christians, too.  As I read the words of Jonah, I'm reminded that life doesn't have to take us by surprise.  Sure, the event itself might be a shocker, but when things happen to throw us in the belly of the whale, our daily intimate walk with the Lord shouldn't just start with the incident.  It should be an ongoing love affair that grows stronger with each passing day, not just spike when the trouble comes, then fade off when the outcome looks better. 

Finally, Jonah talks about idols.  An idol is anything that takes the place of God in our life.  In our western culture today, it's rarely a statue.  (Although I pass a Buddhist temple every time I go to the mall, filled with hundreds of statues that people come pray to!)  No, most idol worship is less obvious.  It's self.  Television.  Music.  Food.  Job.  Finances.  Even our children. 

I have a one inch pewter chair that sits in my kitchen on the counter.  I got it at a Ladies Retreat several years ago, and it serves as a daily reminder to me.  Who is on the throne of my life?  Is God?  or am I sitting there, with my own desires, getting my own way?  If God is not on the throne of your life, then someone or something else is...and steps need to be made to put God on the the throne and replace the idols.

As I study this prayer of Jonah, I find it interesting that Jonah was just grateful to be alive.  He wasn't praying for deliverance out of the belly of the great fish; he was definitely in no place to bargain with God.  Sometimes we try to do just that.  We tell God, if you do this for me, I will do that for you.  Lord, if you take this burden from me, then I promise I will start living the way you want me to.  But not with Jonah.  Maybe he knew deep down that God was going to have him preach to those terrible Ninevites after all.  He ends his prayer with, "What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord."

Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.  (I don't know about you, but that whole vomiting experience, the sounds and the smells, is just more than I really care to imagine.  UGH!  Someone needed some extra soap and deordant for days, I do believe.)

I can sure learn a lot from these ten verses in Jonah chapter two.  God is a God of second chances, and I'm so glad He is.  My past mistakes don't disqualify me from God using me in the future.  In truth, no one "qualifies" for service to the King of Kings, yet God chooses to use us, if we are willing.  Are you running from God?  Are you in the belly of the whale thinking about the mistakes you've made?  Maybe It's time for a change of heart, like Jonah.  It's time to start running toward God instead of away from Him.  It's time to choose God's way all the time, not just when you're in distress.

Some of my favorite verses are found in Psalm 40:1-5.  As I study Jonah, I can't help but think of the parallels to David's life and words.

1) I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.
2) He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3) He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put heir trust in the Lord.
4) Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5) Many, O Lord my God are the wonders you have done.  The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

If the book of Jonah ended after chapter two, it would be full of wisdom for me to glean.  But there's so much more to learn in Chapters three and four.  Alas, that's for another day, another blog.  Today, I'm just glad God spit me up onto dry land and gives me an opportunity to serve Him.  I pray I will never get to the point where pride or sin in my life keep me from fulfilling His will.  Yep, I can learn a lot from Jonah, but I hope I never follow in his wet shoes.  No, I plan to stay on dry land, seeking the Son. 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.Godandme2theMax.com

You want me to go where? Practical lessons from Jonah Chapter One...

Jonah 1
1) The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:
2) "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me, "
3) But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.  After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
4) Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
5) All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god.  And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.  But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6) The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep?  Get up and call on your god!  Maybe he will take notice of us and we will not perish."
7) Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity."  They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8) So the asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us?  What do you do?  Where do you come from?  What is your country?  From what people are you?"
9) He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
10) This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
11) The sea was getting rougher and rougher.  So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"
12) "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm.  I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."
13) Instead, the mend did their best to row back to land.  But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.
14) Then they cried to the Lord, "O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life.  Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for You, O Lord, have done as you pleased."
15) Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.
16) At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to Him.
17) But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

"You want me to go where, God?  To Nineveh?"  Jonah probably thought this was all a big dream...a nightmare, even.  Nineveh was the capital city in the Assyrian Empire, and Assyria was filled with the kind of people that were easy to hate.  Yet, God's mercy is not prejudiced.  Nineveh's residents were sinful, wicked, and selfish, but God loved them just as much as He loves you and me.

I guess Jonah had some issues.  First, he was jaded.  He had a hatred for a particular people group, and he judged them without knowing them as individuals.  (Sound familiar, even with Christians today?)  And when God said to go, he went alright...in the opposite direction to Tarshish.  He boarded a ship and laid low.  (How could he think God wouldn't find him?)

Think about the irony.  Jonah is a prophet and God calls him to go preach repentance to Nineveh.  Instead, he runs to Joppa and hangs out sleeping in the bottom of the boat, seemingly hiding from God.  How can a prophet get to that point where he actually thinks he can hide from God?  Jonah knew he was not in line with what God wanted him to do.  His actions were outright blatant sin.  In fact, if I was running from God, I would hope I wouldn't be stupid enough to tell everyone why I was there.  Yet Jonah 1:10 tells us that Jonah did just that.

Think about times in your life when God has clearly told you something.  Maybe He's called you to full time ministry.  Maybe He's shown you that you need to be involved in an area of service.  Maybe He's asked for a commitment from you.  What are you doing now?  Have you run like Jonah?  Are you laying low and hiding out?

What about today's modern day prophets and preachers?  My heart is heavy thinking about great men of God who have fallen away, due to sin in their lives.  In doing so, they not only destroy their reputation, but they destroy the reputation of Christ.  Sin is powerful.  It creeps into our lives and takes residence, sometimes without us even being aware of it.  The more comfortable we become with sin, the easier it is to ignore it.  Soon, we come to think there's nothing wrong with a little dabbling in it.  Our hearts become cold toward the things of God, and we become self-focused instead of God-focused.  Worse yet, we ignore the sin altogether.  We keep "serving God" and ignore completely the elephant in the room. 

Having daily times of confession and soul searching is so important.  I'm sure Jonah didn't think he was such a bad guy for not loving the Assyrians.  It's like if Osama Bin Laden walked into our church and said he wanted to be saved.  Would it be so easy to share the love of Christ with him and embrace him with God's love?  That's what the Assyrian Empire was to Jonah.  His people had experienced atrocities from them.  The last thing he thought was fair and just was for them to come to repentance.  Yet, if Jonah was examining his heart, I would imagine God would have shown him his pride and selfishness.

Can you imagine the guilt Jonah had?  He knew the storm was his fault, yet he didn't speak up until the sailors cast lots to see who was to blame.  Then Jonah fessed up.  You see, it's never too late to come clean with God.  We can be in the midst of an unbelievable storm, but acknowledging God and His plan is always best.  When Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard, they didn't want to.  Instead, they rowed harder toward land.  But when they saw their efforts were futile, they reluctantly threw Jonah overboard, and asked God to not hold them accountable for killing an innocent man. 

The Bible says in Jonah 1:16 that this experience caused these sailors to turn toward the one true God.  Jonah 1:16 says "At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to Him."  In Almighty God fashion, God brought good out of sin.  Jonah's disobedience caused everyone around him to be in harm's way.  But when Jonah had a change of heart and took responsibility for his actions, the sailors came to the Lord and worshiped Him.

Just like Jonah, our sin can bring harm to the innocent bystanders around us, but God can bring calm in the storm.  And in a seemingly impossible way, God can bring us out of the storm unscathed.  OK, we don't really know if Jonah had any scratches or bruises, but he was alive in the belly of a great fish, and that was a miracle. 

I think of my own life, times where my priorities weren't right, times where I could have very easily gone the opposite direction.  Times where I did.  Yet I can look back and see how God loved me so much that He had prepared a way for me, like Jonah, to sit and think about my situation in the belly of a fish.  Darkness.  Dirt.  Slime.  Stench.  Dried out skin from the salt.  Me and God.  God and Me.  Solitude.  Loneliness. 

Have you ever been there, too?  Just remember, if you're in the belly of the fish, stinky and disgusting, you're not alone.  God is right there with you.  Once you've committed your life to Him, He holds on to you with super-glue.  You can't run away from him, try you might.  Take time while you're there to examine yourself and pray.  Ask God to show you sin in your life.  It may be three days, it may be longer, but eventually, God will allow you to be spit out on dry land to serve Him again.

You want me to go where?  You want me to do what?  Why am I here in the darkness?  Honesty with God.  Confronting sin.  Repentance.  The story of Jonah is filled with practical applications...and I've only covered chapter one. 

What about you?  What is God telling you to do?  Where is he telling you to go?  Did He place a call on your life and you're running in the opposite direction?  Is sin in your life keeping you from obeying?  Are you in a storm of life?  Do you feel like you're in solitary confinement? 

I hope the next time God tells me something, I can take a lesson from Jonah.  I hope I will just trust in His perfect plan and obey.  Hopefully I won't ask, "You want me to go where?"

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse - Acts 4:20 - I can't shut up!

Acts 4:20   "For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Can you imagine walking daily with Jesus?  I'm not talking about what we do as Christians...but what the disciples did on a daily basis.  I wonder what it would be like, hanging out with the King of kings, listening first hand to His teaching. 

In Acts chapter four, we see Peter and John, who are called in to testify before the Sanhedrin.  Verse 13 tells us that Peter and John were found to be unschooled, ordinary men...yet it was evident that they had been with Jesus.  They couldn't help but talk about the amazing miracles He had done.  They were commanded to not speak or teach in the name of Jesus, but their answer, "We can't help it!"

I've just experienced Jesus in an incredible way in Colombia.  I can't help but talk about what I've seen and heard.  I can't shut up.  I've had a mountain top experience in the last week, and I'm now coming slowly down off the mountain, back to every day life.  But in reality, I should feel this same way every day.  I shouldn't have to go on a mission trip to feel the urgency to tell others about Christ.  That drive should be in me each day.

For me, the verse is practical this week, but it's also a challenge.  You see, I try to review the verses we've been learning at least once a week, to be sure I've committed them to memory.  When I review this verse, it will serve as a reminder of not only the last week that I've experienced, but it will also serve as a challenge.  When I read this in one month, two, even six months...will I be like Peter and John, unable to talk about anything else but Jesus?

Am I having a daily encounter with Christ?  Am I sharing my joy and excitement in Christ with others?  Am I so overwhelmed with God's awestruck power that I can't help but tell others, even after I've come down from the mountain? 

What about you?  Maybe you've not just returned from a mission trip, like me, but are you daily meeting and walking with God?  Are you telling others what you're learning, or are you keeping it to yourself?  Are you meeting God, listening to His teaching, and like Peter and John, telling everyone you know about it?  Can you not shut up? 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

(You can read about the trip on my blog by clicking on the Barranquilla, Colombia Mission Trip category.)

Friday and Saturday - Saying Goodbye, and Going Home

Friday seemed to come before I knew it, and a heavy sadness was creeping in.  You see, Friday is our free day to spend with our translators, then Friday evening we have a closing rally with anyone who wants to come from the barrios.  It's a huge service we like to call the "Victory Service."  Then we say our goodbyes and leave early Saturday morning.

For lunch on Friday, my translator Christian took me and two of his friends to a restaurant on the 13th floor of the Don Carleton Hotel.  It was one of those restaurants with a revolving floor so that you can take in the beautiful sites of they city of Barranquilla.  Apparently this restaurant changes themes every season, and when they do, they bring in a completely new restaurant and decor.  This season:  Tony Romo's.  Now picture it.  A classy five star hotel with Colombian waiters dressed up like Texas cowboys, chaps and all.  It was quite comical, to say the least.  Definitely not authentic, especially since I live in Texas, but I'll give them a Colombian "A" for Effort.

I could have had lunch about anywhere - the place didn't matter - it was the time of debrief and relaxation that was so refreshing.  During the week, we go a mile a minute, often without time to even process what amazing things God is doing right in front of us.  The lunch on Friday offered that much needed down time to just enjoy friendship and talk about the events of the week.

Christian wasn't feeling well, so we ended up going back to the hotel.  I hung out with some other friends, went for ice cream, then got ready for the Victory Service.  As I  prepared, I couldn't help but think about the trip from the point we started one week earlier.  It seemed like I had been in Colombia for weeks, yet at the same time, it seemed as though I had just arrived.  I can't even explain the emotions that were swelling.

At 5:30, we headed out in the bus toward the Victory Service.  Each of the eight barrios our teams worked in during the week would gather in sections at the church, holding banners so our North American team could identify where they were sitting.  I walked in and saw those precious faces...faces of people who did not know the Lord last week, but this week they had an encounter with Him that changed their life. 

Over and over, I saw their smiles.  I hugged their necks.  I held their children.  I kissed their faces.  We sang, we laughed, we clapped, and we worshiped together - in Espanol and English.  Two languages, praising one God.  The Victory Service was a culmination of what God had done during the week - celebrating new life in Him.  In total, our team presented the Gospel 1,497 times.  We were able to see 832 people make professions of faith in Christ...832 people we were able to get names and addresses for the national leadership to follow up on and disciple.  Additionally, we were able to do discipleship visits with 103 people, to help train them about the Bible and what it means to be a Christian.

I'm pretty good with goodbyes on the outside.  I can compartmentalize the emotions and cap them so I hold it together.  On the inside though, it kills me.  I hate them.  Each year, I fall more in love with the Colombian people.  I never know if I'll see them again here on earth, and I can't ever promise I'll come back to Colombia the next year.  Yes, by far, Friday night goodbyes are the worst part of the trip...but inevitable.

With Friday night behind me, Saturday morning came, as did the long trip home.  Thankfully, it was uneventful.  We were blessed to have some natural comedians on our team this year, with some amazing team unity to boot.  That definitely made the return trip easier.  There were moments we laughed until we cried.  I made some really special friends and deepened other friendships.  And I didn't have to say goodbye to these guys, I go to church with them, so that was a definite plus. 

I'm thrilled to be home, to hold and hug my family.  But I hope I'll never be the same again.  I don't want to go back to life as usual.  Yes, in a sense, I have to.  But seeing the poverty in Colombia reminds me that we live in the most blessed nation in the world, and I never want to forget that.  In the Victory Service, we sang I'm Trading My Sorrow.  The Colombians knew that song in both English and Spanish, and it was incredible to worship together with them, one voice unified, two languages, one God.  I'm singing it tonight in my heart...

I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

And we say, yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, yes, yes, Lord
Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes, Yes Lord
Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, yes yes Lord AMEN.

I'm pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned
Crushed down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And His joy is gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes in the morning

Si, Senor, Si, Si Senor
Si, Senor, Si, Si, Senor
Si, Senor, Si, Si, Senor AMEN!

 

No, I hope I'm never the same again, and joy comes in the morning! 

At the "Tony Romo's" restaurant on Friday afternoon.

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Thursday Night - Coincidence? Not with God!

Coincidence?  Not a chance.  Not with God!

Today I have seen the providential hand of God over repeatedly.

I'll start with my very first visit of the day.  I was reunited with Christian, my translator from the last four years.  We've worked together so many times sharing the Gospel that he can practically know what I'm going to say next.  He knows his Bible and is passionate about sharing Christ.  Besides that, he's like my little brother.  I pick on him constantly and love him dearly.  I say all this about Christian, because God knew I needed him as my translator at this first home, someone who was bold and spoke with conviction. 

On top of Christian, the national we worked with from yesterday, Andreas, was with us again.  This guy was amazing.  Usually when we work side by side with the nationals, they're pretty timid.  Not Andreas.  I have never worked with a national like him, and I believe he'll be a pastor himself one day.  He walked over an hour from his home to the barrio, just to work with us.  How many of us would do that?  To tell you the truth, with the heat and humidity here, I don't think I would have.  That's commitment, and with tenacity like that, you know God had a plan to use him.

We went to a home where a mom, Nereida, was preparing lunch.  She had a son, Harrison, who was doing chores in the kitchen, and then another son Jorge was just hanging out.  We started to share Christ, and Nereida kept getting up and down, seemingly disinterested.  Then the father, Jorge Sr, walked into the house with another son, Oswaldo.  When Jorge Sr walked in, the mood changed.  He sat and listened intently as I shared the Gospel.  I talked about how Jesus died in the cross, suffered a terrible death for you and me, so that we could have a way to heaven.  I told them how salvation was a free gift available to all, and we couldn't work our way to heaven.

As I shared, as Christian translated, and as Andreas jumped into the conversation, it was clear God was in the house.  After about forty minutes of sharing, Jorge Sr, Nereida,  Oswaldo, Harrison, and Jorge Jr. prayed to receive Christ as their personal Savior.  They put their faith and trust in God and committed their lives to Him.  That was a miracle.  Salvation came to the entire house, and that is the experience I always long for when I go on mission trips.  So many times we lead moms or kids or fathers to the Lord, but rarely do we find the entire family at home at once. 

But the story doesn't end there.  Andreas, our national, has incredible discernment.  He could sense sadness in the home during our conversations.  After the family prayed to receive Christ, he told them that he knew the family had wronged each other.  They were holding bitterness against each other.  And just as God forgave them of their sins, they should confess to each other the wrongs they had committed to hurt each other.  He told them to demonstrate the same love of God that they had just experienced in their own lives with each other.

It was at least 100 degrees.  It was a humid.  I had beads of sweat rolling down my back.  But as I watched this family turn to each other, cry uncontrollably, embrace in an endless hug, goose bumps appeared on my arms and legs.  God not only took residence in their lives yesterday, but He was invited into their home to take control and heal broken hearts and open wounds.  He is the great Physician, and I saw Him in action yesterday.

We found out later that Oswaldo is leaving on Saturday for the police academy, and the family has been torn apart over it.  Nereida's heart is so fearful for him.  I was able to share with the family one of the verses I'd memorized earlier this year.  Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord your God is with you.  He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you.  He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing."  Nereida hugged me, crying.  I did the same. 

Nereida then invited the three of us to share lunch with them.  It was soup and rice.  Hmmm...this is something we're told to never do.  We have no idea how the food was prepared, and we can probably assume the water was not purified.  I prayed, but I knew the immediate answer.  There was no way I would insult this family and not eat with them.  "Lord, protect my stomach supernaturally; please don't let me get sick.  Bless this food and this family.  Amen."  So far, so good.

I trained the family on how to use the E-Card.  They were excited about sharing this Good News with others.  We also found out that have one more child, a daughter named Linda.  She was at school, but they were quick to assure as she would hear the Gospel from them as soon as she got home.  Three older boys and a baby girl.  There are four kids in my family, three boys and me, the baby.  No, God is not a God of coincidence.  He didn't need me there in that  house, but I'm sure glad He chose me to be there and experience His power.

At the next home we visited, we found an entire family who were already believers, but they had fallen away from the Lord.  They were not involved in a local church, and they had allowed circumstances in their lives affect their commitment level to God.  Sound familiar?  How similar is that story to Christians we know and have come across in our path.  Some of the family members were struggling with debilitating back pain, and we took time to pray for them.  Andreas did the praying, and I'm telling you, I don't have a clue as to what he said, but he prayed with such passion for them.  The Holy Spirit was moving.  The woman in the house had faith that she would be healed.  Only God knows.

In the afternoon, we had another national join our team, Evelyn.  She watched as we shared Christ with our testimony and the Evangecube.  I could sense her fear.  At the last home we visited, I handed her the cube and said, "It's your turn."  I have to laugh as the color quickly left her face.  I told her, "God has not given you the spirit of fear."  And I told her we were going home, but she would need to continue the work.  I watched at the next home and said nothing at all, only smiled.  Evelyn may have been scared, but it was awesome to see her share the Gospel - her first time ever.

At the end of the day, Pastor Roberto sat across from me in the van.  He has such passion for the Lord, and he wanted to share all these old pictures of people he's worked with in the past.  He used to live in Cartagena, but two months ago he moved his family here to Barranquilla to start a new church.  One by one I politely smiled as I looked at the pictures.  Oh that's nice, nodding my head as I listened to his stories. 

Wait!  I know that guy!  That's Jeff Smith!  Jeff plays the bongos on our church's worship team and is in my small group.  I knew Jeff had gone to Cartagena one time a number of years ago, but I quickly learned that Pastor Roberto was Jeff's translator on that trip! 

Next Pastor Roberto told me about his passion for evangelism and gave how this evangelist he met a long time ago him an idea of what to name his association, if he started one.  He pulled a weathered family picture of this evangelist from his Bible.  "Hey, that's Johnny Wilson!" I said.  His eyes widened...you know Johnny Wilson?  Dude!  I used to travel with his ministry on the weekends when I was in college.  Frank used to work with him in North Carolina!  Wow!  Colombia is a big country.  Pastor Roberto knew Johnny from quite a while ago from when he lived in Cartagena.  Who would ever think that me, living in Texas, would go to Colombia and find several mutual friends with this Pastor who has been in Barranquilla only two months?  God would.  There are no coincidences with Him.

I'm humbled.  I'm thankful.  I'm overwhelmed.  I'm forever changed.  I'm so grateful my coincidences are God's divine appointments.

 

Oswaldo, Jorge Jr, Nereida, Jorge Sr, and Harrison

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Wednesday Night - Holy Spirit RAIN down

During lunch today, all I could think of was the song "Holy Spirit Rain Down." Perhaps that's because the rain started just as we arrived back to the host home for lunch and continued most of the afternoon, delaying our going out to do more evangelism by more than hour.

The Jehovah's Witnesses recently canvassed the area we were in this morning...when I say recently, I'm talking I missed them by five minutes at one home. We talked to a mother-daughter combination, both named Margaret. Momma Margaret had a lot of really good questions, including ones about how you know what to believe when so many people come knocking on your door. The Lord gave me just the right verses to share as we sat with her and her daughter explaining Scripture, answering questions, and following up to be sure they understood what it meant to make a decision to follow Christ. The struggle between good and evil was so present in the room. They both seemed to want to follow Christ right away, but Momma Margaret was struggling. You see, between the JW's who visited five minutes before me and the Christians she knew who didn't act very Christlike, she just wasn't sure what we were telling her was Truth...or if this Christian lifestyle was something she really wanted. The visit lasted about ninety minutes, but in the end, both mother and daughter bowed their head, asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins, and they committed their lives to Christ. When the stronghold was broken, the change was so apparent. Holy Spirit, rain down!

I shared with a number of people who had recently committed their lives to Christ. They were literally baby Christians, with little knowledge but the basics. These people begged me to pray for their loved ones who didn't know Christ. I spent time with each of these, sharing the new evangelism tool called the E-Card. It's much like the Evangecube, but it's a flat pocket sized version. Hats off to E3 Resources for this one. It always breaks my heart when I go on mission trips. People beg me to give them my cube, and I always have to just refer them to the pastor of the new mission site. But this new E-Card tool is amazing. I was able to train several people today on how to share their faith and actually practice with them. It was exciting to see the sparkle in their eyes when they got toward the end of the E-Card, realizing they now had a tool to fulfill the passion on their heart---telling their family the Good News of Jesus! Holy Spirit, rain down!

Our evening service went on, even though the rain continued. We couldn't have fit another person in that house if we tried. I was able to share my cancer testimony, and the Lord laid a verse on my heart that I had memorized earlier this year to share with the people. I challenged them to keep the Lord first in their lives and not let trials shake them. Psalm 16:8 "I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

After the service, Pastor Robert, the pastor of the mission site we're working in today and tomorrow, came to me and told me what a blessing my words were. He said there was one specific person in the evening service who really needed to hear what I had to say. Another team member is going through a similar situation, and she shared how much she needed to hear my testimony as well. Go God, Go God! I really prayed about what I should say, and I'm so thankful He answers prayer and gives direction. (Another Groupies4God verse: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you! Psalm 32:8)

I don't know why I'm so amazed with God. You think I would learn by now...even come to expect God to do unbelievable things. Today my translator was a young guy named Andreas...Andrew. I was with him all day, but I didn't hear his salvation story until the end of the day on the drive back to the hotel. He said that tomorrow will be one year since the day he accepted Christ. He said that last summer, he committed his life to Christ on an E3 Mission trip. The wheels started turning. Hey, Amber and I were on that trip! So I asked him if he remembered the name of the person who had talked to him about the Lord. Not only did he remember the names, but he knew first and last: Jennifer Polk. Madison Polk. David Shaver. Carolina McCurdy. All of these people are friends of mine and go to church with me...all were on that same trip last summer!

Andrew continued, "They have no idea what their message has done in my life. My life has completely changed because of God. I am now the leader in my youth group and I lead a Bible study group myself." I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of his story, but it just goes to show that we have no idea the impact that we have on people's lives. We come to Colombia and obey what God has told us to do. We share the Gospel with people. People we think we'll never meet until eternity. God uses us to speak truth into people's lives, to make an impact for eternity, and we never know it. Tonight, I got a glimpse of the impact some of my friends had last year. Obviously, during the campaign the Holy Spirit rained down - and never stopped - in the life of Andrew. We just never know, do we?

For dinner, I had a surprise visit from my translator from the last several years, Christan. He had been working the first half of the campaign, but tomorrow we'll be reunited, and he'll translate for me. He walked in the door of the restaurant, and my mouth about dropped. It was so good to see him again, harass him like my little brother, and we picked up right where we left off last year.

During dinner I got a call from one of the Pastors we worked with last year, Pastor Jorge and wife Paola. They were waiting at the hotel for me to get back...waiting to show off their new baby Andrea Sophia. She's a keeper, for sure! It's so amazing to reflect on the friendships that have been formed over the last seven years of coming to Colombia. These people are the most loving and beautiful people I've ever known. Every evening, I sit in the hotel lobby as new and old friends come in and out. How I wish my family could be with me to experience these friendships. That old song is so true - Friends are friends forever when the Lord is the Lord of them!

God is being faithful here in Colombia. Thank you for your prayers for safety, health, and boldness! Holy Spirit, rain down! In worship, in divine appointments, in friendships, and throughout Colombia!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Tuesday night - We're not in Kansas Anymore!

No, we're not in Kansas anymore.  I was especially reminded of that during our lunch when a tornado came through the area, less than a mile from where we were.  Here in the barrios of Barranquilla, I quickly realized that if a tornado is coming, there is no place for cover.  You can bet I kept my eyes on that tornado, watching the direction it moved.  Thank the Lord, we watched it form, funnel down, and then dissipate.  Wild.  I can't remember ever seeing anything like that before - it was straight from Twister.

No, we're not in Kansas anymore.  I knew that because as I stepped into the first home, the man was hard at work painting black paint on the fabric of old tennis shoes so he could resell them.  That first visit of the day turned out to be amazing.  Juan and his wife Esther were both already committed followers of Christ.  Their son Robert was not, however...but he was not home at the time.  I was able to encourage them as best I could, but in reality, I'm sure they encouraged me even more.  After I finished sharing my testimony, Juan shared how he came to Christ.  Then with tears in her eyes and the biggest smile I'd seen in a long time, Esther shared how today was her birthday, and me coming to visit was the best birthday present ever.  We all prayed together, cried a little, then off I went to the next home...to their neighbor Teresa.

You see, when I was sharing with Juan and Esther, Teresa hung outside the door listening.  She had to leave during the conversation, but she made sure we knew to come to her door next.  No, we're not in Kansas anymore.  That surely would not happen in the grand United States of America.  As we shared with Teresa, in marched another gentleman.  His name was Robert, and I was quickly informed that he was the son of Juan and Esther from the first visit.  We shared the Gospel with both Teresa and Robert, and they both prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

In nearly every house I went to today, we met Colombians who needed prayer, needed encouragement, and most importantly, needed Jesus.  How humbled I am to think that God would let me share His love with these wonderful people. 

Perhaps I had one experience today that made me think I was still back in Kansas.  Her name was Carmen, and it was so sad.  I shared the Gospel with her, and when I asked her if she would like to make a commitment to Christ, she said with an odd smile on her face, "No."  I asked her what was keeping her from making that decision, and she responded, "I'm not telling God no" she said, "I'm just telling Him not today."  Now, please understand Carmen was no spring chicken, to put it mildly.  She was an aged woman.  She believed everything I told her about the Gospel, the Bible, Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, and salvation.  She had heard the Truths before; I told her nothing new.  I explained to her that the Bible says "Today is the day for salvation."  I could see the emptiness in her eyes the few times she would make eye contact with me.  She let me pray for her, she let me take her picture so I could remember her face and pray for her in the future, then we left.  ...with Carmen still having that odd smile on her face.  (Pictured below.)

Yes, that's a lot like those we know in the grand old USA.  How many people do we know that refuse to accept Christ?  They either don't feel the need for God in their lives, don't understand that good works don't get them to heaven, don't understand that's it's not about religion -- it's about a relationship with Jesus.  They refuse to believe the Message, or worse yet, we neglect to tell them.

If you think of it, please pray for Carmen.  Pray for those who accepted Christ today.  Many are burdened for their children who are involved heavily in drugs.  It was a great day for sure, and I can't wait to hear everyone else's stories tomorrow morning at our team meeting.  I'm sure glad I finally made it here.  This is better than Kansas.

 

Pray for Carmen to decide "Today is the day for salvation."

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Night in Barranquilla - One word focus - UNITY!

I made it. I finally made it to Colombia. Sure, only two days late with an unexpected tour of Coral Gables and Miami, but I made it...and my luggage, too! I had no choice but to bring our team leader Sam and his wife Vicki with me on the flight. I was afraid to leave them in Miami, for fear they would ditch the mission for the lively Miami Beach life. :-) God orchestrated every step today, and He gave us favor with Greta Bueno...yep, her name was Greta Good at the Avianca counter. Between the seats I held and her hard work, and of course God's providential plan, we were able to board the flight from Miami to Barranquilla, arriving at our hotel, Hotel Majestic, just as some of the teams were returning from working in the barrios. United with our team at last.

I had hoped my blog tonight would be about the amazing things I experienced today, witnessing to people, seeing them come to Christ...but instead, after the experience in Miami, I'm more reflective of my first international mission trip. You see, not only was the leader from my first trip the one who came to our rescue in Miami to drive us around, but as I spiritually prepared for this trip, God kept reminding me about the importance of unity on our team, which was a big issue on my first trip. Now, I have no reason to believe it's going to be a problem this week, but it's something that can divide a team and cause the movement of God to come to a complete halt. One passage I have read at least a dozen times in the last week was John 17:20-25, which focuses on unity.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message. That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me..."

That first mission trip to Australia was the summer after my freshman year of college. In total, we had thirteen students, a husband and wife couple and their two young boys. Like me at the time, most of them were new at this mission trip stuff, and that first trip to Australia was just a few days shy of a month. That's a long time to hang out with people you don't know very well. That's a long time to hang out with people you really don't like very well, either. And we didn't just hang out, we lived together, camped in the Outback, and aside from showering, did just about everything with each other.

Now with that many people and all different personalities, there are bound to be clashes. Before going any further, perhaps there's something you should know about me. Even to this day, I hate being told what to do. Just ask me, and I'll likely do it...but if you tell me, I likely won't. Perhaps you already figured this one out, too - I'm a bit stubborn. Let's be honest...if you know me, you already knew that little tidbit!

Well, in Australia, I was part of a children's ministry who did puppets. I remember very clearly getting more and more frustrated as this guy named Frank Banfill told me what to do, over and over (and over!) "Beth, help put the puppet stage together. You're not opening the puppet's mouth wide enough. The puppet is looking to the ceiling not the audience. You're not syncing the puppet's mouth with the music just right. Beth, quit goofing around and pay attention." Orders. On and on. If anyone ever told me I would married this guy three years later, I would have had them committed to the funny farm. I was impressed with his preaching, but as a person, he was rock bottom on my favorites list.

I wasn't the only one having problems with personalities and unity. Apparently, there were some other situations that went much deeper than my superficial hatred of Frank Banfill. About half way through our trip, our team leaders sat us all down and said something like this. "Listen, this has got to stop. We are a team. If you have a problem with someone, you need to go work it out. We are here to serve the Lord, and when we are complaining and bickering, we are not serving. We have to have unity."

That was a long time ago, and I don't remember the exact words they chose, but I do remember the power that they had in my life. This trip to Colombia is now my fifteenth international mission trip, and the unity problems from that first trip haunt me to this day. When there is no unity on a team or among believers, when our focus is on ourselves and our own whims, it's pretty hard to serve God and others whole heartedly. As I start each trip, I often think through how I am going to deal with the personality clashes that will inevitably arise.

In this passage in John 17:20-25, Jesus prays for me; He prays for future believers. He prays for those who are out telling people about Him, like what my team will do this week in Colombia. He prays for the people who are going to hear the Good News we have to share. The message is simple and clear, spoken directly from Jesus.

But as the passage goes on, I love how Jesus talks about unity. He says "(My prayer is...) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in Me and I am in You." Think about it. In the same way there is no discord within the Trinity, Jesus wants us to be unified as a body of Christians. Then He says, "...may they be in Us so that the world may believe you have sent Me." I know I can't be unified as a team unless I'm first aligned with Christ.

I think we are most vulnerable for sin to enter our lives when we are about to do something for the Lord. I see it over and over, and I have personally struggled over and over. Nearly every year, I get put on a sub-team with the one person on the trip that I would rather be the farthest from. I have no idea about this year, so far so good, but after so many trips, I've come to expect it. That's why this passage is so key for me this week. Unity. One. If Jesus focused on it so much in this passage, I need to as well. So as I go into the barrios in Barranquilla, please pray for unity on our team, and for those who will believe in Jesus Christ through the Message we share.

And for you, if you are not actively sharing your faith, if you don't know how to even lead someone to the Lord, find someone in your church who can help you. Send me a message, and I can point you to some great tools to help you get started. Start with purchasing an eight dollar evangecube at www.e3resources.org. It's the simplest tool to share your faith that I've ever seen. I remember someone telling me, "It's not that hard. You just show up and breathe." Really, when you have some Good News to share, it's not as hard as you think. Get prepared. Start now.

Finally, perhaps you're reading this, but you don't understand all this mission trip stuff and why I go across the world to share about God. Maybe you don't understand what it means to have a free gift of eternal life through what Jesus Christ did on the cross. The Bible is very clear that you can't earn your way to heaven by being a good person. Religion means nothing. It's about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Don't let another day go by without considering this decision of committing your life to God and asking Jesus to come into your life, forgive you of your sins and save you. This verse also applies to you; Jesus was praying for you.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message."

What's keeping you from being a messenger? What's keeping you from believing the Message? Let's experience unity in Christ together! So, tonight our team is finally unified, all in Colombia together. Please pray for continued unity, too!

I can't wait to see what God does tomorrow...

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Moving mountains in Miami...

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.  We have a lot of people praying for us and this trip, and today, God moved mountains.  Mountains of people, as far as Avianca Airlines is concerned.

You see, in talking with the airline staff and supervisor at Avianca yesterday, there was little hope to get more than two or three of our people on flights today.  "The flights are oversold," they said, "we can't confirm you all until August."  Those are not the words that fifteen people need to hear.  No, not words that fifteen people who have prayed up and saved up so they can pay up and go want to hear.  (Yes, fifteen!  One of our team members flew to Bogota, spent the night, and arrived in Barranquilla early this morning.)  We were now a large mountain of fifteen people.

We got our standby tickets for the flight and made our way through security and to the gate.  The first person I spoke to at the gate looked at me like I was crazy.  Fifteen people?  There's no way.  She then proceeded to ignore me completely, without even acknowledging I existed.  We moved on to the next agent and kindly explained our situation.  It didn't take long, and to our amazement, she gave confirmed boarding passes with seat assignments for six of our people on a flight to Cartagena.  Cartagena is less than an hour travel time from Barranquilla where we would be working.  A ride was arranged for them to get to Barranquilla, and they would arrive by 7 PM at the hotel.  Almost half the team down.  Go God!

Then we waited...and waited.  It was looking good.  First, we had confirmed reservations for everyone but me on the direct flight to Barranquilla.  "No, there was a mistake.  You must give us back two of those boarding passes."  We shuffled the seats and the boarding passes for a moment, and the decision was quickly made.  Everyone was now on their way to Barranquilla except for our team leader Sam, his wife Vicki, and me.  We would try to fly standby through Bogota and connect to Barranquilla tonight.

Odd combination, one might think.  I had someone tell me, "What?  Sam is the team leader!  He has to get down there."  But no.  God has given such amazing leadership in Barranquilla in Mildred and Bernardo Gonzalez and the Hope for Today team.  After our morning devotions this morning, Sam knew...we all knew the order everyone should be put on the plane today.  We all agreed, and somehow I knew in my heart this morning that it was unlikely I would be arriving in Colombia today.  The waitlist did not clear for us, and here I sit, back in the same hotel I was in yesterday.  Waiting.  Praying.  Loving God more. 

God has a plan for everything.  Nope...I can't really say for sure I can see the "why" in this situation we've experienced...not yet anyway.  But I do know that Sam needed me on this team to help him with the travel situation, waitlists, and working with the airline staff.  Not only that, but I have some amazing friends who live five blocks from the hotel.  After we came back from the airport tonight, it was my friend Doug Reynolds to the rescue.  He was our personal chauffeur.  He took us to K-Mart to buy some necessities, then drove us to get dinner.  I might add, I think it's no coincidence that I know these friends because they were the leaders on my very first international mission trip in 1988.  No, God doesn't make mistakes.  There has not been a doubt in my mind that God has orchestrated every move we've made.

So today, God moved mountains. Twelve big mountains.  Tomorrow, there's just a couple of pebbles in the way.  Surely He's capable, and hopefully He will choose to move these three pebbles, Sam, Vicki, and I, on toward our goal of Barranquilla.  I don't know His plan, but I've got peace...and faith.  I know God has called me there...and somehow He's gonna get me there.  Ready or not, Barranquilla, here I come!  (Prayerfully said, of course!)

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com