God's Amazing Ways

Yesterday evening we returned home from a 10 day mission trip to New York. I still am amazed at how God worked out every little detail of this trip for us! When this mission trip was first mentioned in church I remember wanting to go but thinking what a far fetched idea that was. With two little children and not a lot of extra money to spare I squashed the idea. Why I didn't think to pray about it and present my requests to God just shows my lack of faith. But he is so much bigger. He knew the desires of my heart and how much missions is a part of my life. Little did I know he began working in the hearts of people within my church. Jeremiah and I were approached about the idea around the end of the first week of June. Jeremiah was asked to go to help with construction and said he would love to go but would not leave his wife and children behind. Almost without skipping a beat our minister suggested he take his family. After all it was a family mission trip, but most of the children were older. I immediately thought of all the reasons we shouldn't go, the long drive, the girls "schedules and routines" would be messed up, they might annoy the older adults. Again, God knew the true desire of my heart and gently pressed me until I conceded to go. There were people in the church who approached our minister and suggested that it probably wasn't such a good idea for us to take such small children, ages 2 and 3. They feared that my children would not allow me to teach the Backyard Bible Club I was in charge of. I committed the trip and the Backyard Bible Club to prayer and asked God to have his hand on my children in every possible way. At this point I did not doubt that he would. To say the trip went well is an understatement. It went spectacularly well, beyond my expectations! The kids did great on the two day drive and loved riding in the bus! My two very shy children quickly fell in love with just about everyone on the trip and allowed others to help them when I was not available. Backyard Bible Club went so well and the girls loved being apart of it. They had so much fun they did not even realize we were "working" for the Lord. Emilie Grace knew we went to tell people about Jesus, but was having so much fun she did not realize that was what we were doing! They got to see a two beautiful waterfalls, one being Niagara Falls and the other in Letchworth Canyon. They made new friends and never once told me they wanted to go home. But most of all they have experienced missions at a young age, not just learned about missions but experienced it first hand!!! And what about the money it costs us to go and the time off from work? Well God provided all of that for us and we give him all the glory, honor and praise!! My prayer is that this will be the beginning of many more family mission trips, something that our church is already beginning to think about and plan. I desire for my children to continue to "experience" missions. Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of a greater plan.