As you all know, we were considering selling our homestead. We never actually placed it on the market or showed it to anyone. My husband wanted to be sure that the home was perfect before we could show it. He carries much integrity in his craftsmanship. The home was coming along slow and one day Mark told me that God was calling him to be debt free so he could be used more of God to minister to others. He felt it dishonest to live in such a beautiful home as we did that we could not afford. We owe so much. Becoming debt free for us meant that we sell our homestead and begin renting.
Soon after our conversation, our little pony became foundered. It had gotten so bad that we decided to call in a horse vet. I cleared my schedule that day even though I had other plans to meet the vet in the barn. This vet was so nice, she really cared for our pony and took so much time out to get us the help we needed to make our pony more comfortable. She showed us how the poor pony shifted weight from one hoof to the other because there was so much pressure on her feet with the extra weight from eating on fresh pasture too long. As she said this, I lifted my skirt ever so slightly to reveal how I was standing on one leg for the same reason. I was in so much pain, and I told her what happened to me. She immediately found me something to sit on. As she looked around at our property, she said it was the most beautiful place, so private and old fashioned. I told her that we were thinking about selling it. Then she told me that one of the other horse vets is looking for a place just like this.
I emailed her all the photos I took and we got a call the next morning. He wanted to come out to check the place out. I explained that we intend on finishing off the house, of course. He fell in love with the property and home and the next day brought out his wife and child. They are renting and were looking for a place like this to move into for some time and even felt discouraged because there was nothing quite as perfect like our place on the market.
Then we were looking around for rentals out in the country, and absolutely nothing was available. We were not sure where God would move us, until new friends of ours invited us to a meeting with a pastor who visits home to home to share encouraging words and prays for people. He runs a ministry for orphans and widows. Mark was approached to film the meeting. We were handed a paper. The paper talked about a prophecy meeting and individual prayer. We must tell you, we were very much against it. Mark said me and the kids will NOT be under this teaching and he planned to speak with our friend about it when we got there for the meal. He was going to tell him that we do not go under false prophecy and false doctrines and to protect his family, we would not stay. The opportunity never presented itself for him to confront our friend about his concerns. Instead, the friend hauled in an electric keyboard and asked for me to sing and play a song that I wrote. Mark gave me the go ahead, and I played the song. I even shared a poem that I wrote years ago. Talk about being wrangled into something!
Okay, so we are stuck at this meeting. It was just fine. No snake oil, or weird stuff. Normal. Encouraging. Kind of like an eye opener, where you learn more about what you can do. They showed a very short clip of some garbage dumps where children were living there to find food and shelter. It really touched our hearts in a big way. We started to get a vision for a way we could help. Perhaps to help the people there learn how to grow their own food. If we could go and teach them, we could give them a knowledge that would help them to keep going. It seems like we have no comprehension in this country about real poverty. But most of all we could tell them about the God who makes the seeds or animals grow, and who created them. What a gift to do that. The meeting was really neat just to open our eyes to what needs are out there in other countries as well.
What? God calling our family to GO with all our major health issues???? Doesn’t make sense. I have been mostly confined to a chair or bed the last few weeks with unbearable pain as my foot worsens. Why not a healthy strong family? But, as you know, if you know anything about God, is that he uses the FOOLISH things of this world to confound the wise, right?! If God should call us, well, He can make a way, He can provide health when we need it the most. I leave with no expectations, no feelings that I deserve anything, but with the feeling that no matter how much pain I have, I still want to be used of God. Maybe He would use my pain for His glory some way in ways I would never imagine. We are ready to minister, to serve, to teach, to love, and care for other people in other lands. Our mission will be to teach the natives how to farm. How to become self sufficient so they can provide healthy food for their people. Please keep praying, we only want the Lord’s will in our life! We are not sure where this vision may lead, if we would go, or prepare others to go, but we do know one thing for sure…
“God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”
1 Corinthians 1:27
