It has been such a tough month. For so many reasons. Most of them I won't go into here on the blog, but needless to say, we've been facing some real discouragement.
When we got back from Colorado about a month ago we felt refreshed and excited and ready to tackle (YET AGAIN) the mountain of raising our support to get to Uganda.
Since that time, it feels like we've come up against one wall after another.
I've been praying. A lot. I've specifically been praying that God will give us some encouragement through some of these dark days we've been experiencing. I've been asking him to help us to listen to Him more and I've been working on spending more of the time spent with him listening and seeking, not just filling the time with chatter. But, I have requested he give us some encouragement.
Raising our own support is HARD. It is so hard. We know it. God knows it, and I'm convinced uses this time to show us so many things about ourselves, about Him, about life. Satan knows it and he is working over time to thwart us. We are convinced, having been at this for three years now, that God IS IN FACT using this time to refine us and that refinement is, for the most part, a very painful process. It's also really good. We look back a lot at where God has brought us and looking back at some of those darkest moments, we totally see God's hand moving and refining and teaching and showing us love.
But, the fact of the matter is, sometimes we just need to be encouraged and it needs to come from God. This month has been a tough one. We feel Satan is working overtime to discourage us. So, I requested that God show us some encouragement. I know that God certainly moves and works in His own timing and in His own way. I think I knew it was entirely possible God would choose not to show us what I was asking for, but I asked anyway.
God responded. We are so thankful to him. There are so many ways he could have chosen to respond, but in the last ten days we've seen his blessings abundantly.
The very day I prayed this, we got a phone call from a church that is considering supporting us. They needed us to come immediately to share with their church family about our ministry in Uganda. We went the next day. They will vote on bringing us on on March 11th.
Last week we got news that one of our supporters increased their giving.
Someone talked to us on Sunday and committed to join our financial support team.
A situation that was placed on hold in December that we've felt frustrated and discouraged about, was put back into motion this week.
So, while I am no expert on prayer and while I understand God may not answer our prayers the way we always feel He should, I also KNOW God loves us. And so many times he simply watches us hurting, struggling, and in need and he reaches down and reassures us, in very tangible ways.
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