Whenever God calls you to do something that you think is crazy, it is OH SO important to be certain that you have in fact heard the Lord's voice. This trip to Africa has been the first missions opportunity that God has not only opened wide the doors for, but He has also affirmed it is His will for us over and over again. Sometimes the affirmations are huge and very very clear. Sometimes they are small, and seemingly insignificant to anyone else except us.
This past weekend, we had few affirmations and gifts from the Lord that blew our minds and caused us to just rejoice with so much joy! Let me start with the fact that a trip to Africa for two people is incredibly expensive. We weren't quite sure when we committed to this trip how we would pay for it all, but we knew without a doubt that God would provide all we needed however He saw fit. When tax season finished, we were anticipating how much we would have to pay in since we both own our own businesses. We no longer receive tax refunds sadly. When we met with our accountant in April, he shared with us that the estimated amount that we paid in at the beginning of the year was more than we owed. Instead of having to pay in more money, like we thought we would, we were actually getting a decent refund! I immediately knew this was God's partial provision for us with Africa. Booking the flights was the most daunting part of the trip since plane tickets are thousands of dollars. Last year I had opened up a United Mileage Plus credit card to start accruing mileage points. (Please note that every dollar spent was promptly paid off, and we do not advocate debt, EVER) With this card, I knew I would have enough miles to help pay for part of our tickets, but I didn't know how far they would go. It turns out, we had almost enough miles to get each of us a one way ticket to Malawi! We were able to purchase a few more miles and get the tickets for a just a few hundred dollars. Praise the Lord! Our flight back was now the focus. We knew that opening another credit card would not give us enough miles in time, and we wanted to be careful with credit cards in general. This last week, as I was talking to my dad, he realized he might have enough miles with American Airlines to pay for our trip back. When he checked, he actually had more than enough! My gracious dad gave us the majority of his airline miles, and all we have to pay for are the processing fees and taxes. Wow, isn't God good?! What should have cost us upwards of $5,000 only cost us less than a thousand after all was said and done. When we first received our invite to serve with Iris Ministries we were reading through the list of what we would need to bring. They do frequent outreaches in the bush (very rural villages) to bring the gospel to those who may not know the Lord, or to encourage other churches and Christians in the Lord and in God's Word. If we want to go on one of these outreach trips while we are there, we need to bring a backpacking tent and sleeping accessories with us. Luckily, we have quite a bit of backpacking and camping supplies, but we didn't have a tent. They are pricey! So I asked the Lord if He would provide a tent for us inexpensively without us having to pay full price. Last Sunday we were driving down the street and stumbled across a yard sale. We both did a double take as we drove past. There, in the front lawn, was a small two person old North Face backpacking tent, displayed for all to see. Immediately we turned the car around. It was an older tent in fair condition, but it was EXACTLY what we were looking for. I wondered what the guy would ask for it, and immediately he offered it to us for $10!! What?! Seriously?! SOLD!! Nathan and I took the tent down and packed it up grinning from ear to ear. We climbed in the car and both simultaneously said, "Thank you Jesus!" Such a small prayer; such a clear and generous answer. God is so faithful to meet every physical need and spiritual need. Beyond all the physical provisions God has given us, he has crossed our paths with numerous people who have affirmed us, encouraged us, and have been excited along with us. We have both experienced tremendous peace from the Lord with every decision we have made. Our pastor has taken the time to meet with us frequently over the last year and has provided us with priceless wisdom that has helped tremendously in being able to better discern God's voice. Probably the biggest affirmation is that Nathan and I AGREE! God has made us so different, and we will almost always have opposing opinions or perspectives. It is actually quite hilarious how opposite we are... and yet He grows us more individually and together as a couple because of it. When God aligns both of our hearts on something, and we both feel a peace and excitement for it, it is so abundantly clear that it is the Lord's leading. We are still in need of funding, but we know God will provide. It's such a delight to watch Him do so. We feel God's love over us and affirmation in this step of faith every time He provides something new. When doubt creeps in and we start to question things, we have these things as reminders that God is with us and leading us.
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Nathan & LauraHappily married and pursuing God's call on our lives. Archives
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