Only three more days!

I can't wait to pick Heaven up on Saturday at the airport. I'm so excited! It feels as though she has been away from home for years instead of less than one month! Ha! I have been able to speak with her a little more the last week than the whole trip. She is doing well and has seen the hand of God moving across the people of South Africa. She has so much to share. She will be speaking at our church on Sunday night at 6:00 pm about her trip and I cannot wait to hear all about it. The last time we spoke on the phone she mentioned NOT leaving for college on the 15th. She threw the idea at me of seeing if she could wait one semester before going. She misses home so badly and the thoughts of only having two weeks at home before leaving again is overbearing for her. Of course I myself have no problem with this but I want what is best for Heaven and I want her to be in God's perfect will for her life. So we are all in prayer about this.

I have so many changes coming up this year. My girls are going into a very small local Christian School after homeschooling the last seven years. We attended the school for a few weeks at the end of the school year last spring to feel it out and see how we all liked it. We all, each one of us loved it. I have felt such peace with our decision. I am going to be substituting and volunteering there while also enrolling in college to persue my Bachelor's Degree in Teaching and Religion in hopes to teach full time soon.

I have been incredibly busy the last few weeks and our internet crashed for about five days. It just came back up today. We have been doing some serious cleaning in our house. Purging, moving, sweeping, mopping, dusting...you name we are doing it. We are almost done with the upstairs. I'd say one more day of hard work and it'll be complete. The catch? The basement. Yuck! I do so dread having to go through everything down there. Tony wants to do a yard sale but the thought of all that stuff overwhelms me! UGH! I'd rather just ditch it all. I told him if he's willing to get down there and work and pull it all together I'll help, but what doesn't sell isn't coming back in the house!!!! LOL!

I've another trial or burden so to speak that I've not shared a lot about here on my blog. I've undergone some tests and they turned up fine, which is great but leaves us puzzled as to what exactly the problem is. It's been sort of a secret battle with me and I've wanted to share but I have so many readers who know me personally and sometimes that makes it harder to air it all out, you know? Just keep me in your prayers and pray most importantly that God's will be done. (How's that for suspense!) LOL! I'll share one day, I promise!

Well I've missed everyone. God Bless!

Heaven is doing well

Heaven is the last one on the left. She called today is doing so good. So happy and full of joy, laughing. Gosh I couldn't hold back the tears. They have a count of 1971 souls saved thus far! Praise God! And she is seeing many healings including one lady who was blind and now can see! Hallelujah!! She even prayed with me, for me I should say, for my nerves to be calmed and for upcoming tests I'm having with great results. I 'd appreciate your prayers too! God Bless!

The Team

I noticed on Global Expedition's page there was a new picture up. Heaven is the one with her hair in braids, she is bent over on the left side in between the first and second row behind the girl in the green jacket and tobogan. She is smiling so big! I still haven't heard from her since she arrived in South Africa so this picture was a much needed message! I have peace about her being gone and I KNOW the Lord is protecting her and using her to bring about His will for the people in South Africa so I am not worried but I miss her deeply. There are days the emotions seem to overcome me so I cry and I pray and then I feel better. Last night was a long night. I'm counting down the days. Only two more weeks from Saturday. Please keep Heaven, the team, the ministry and the people of South Africa in your prayers. Thank-you and God bless each one of you!

A New Day! Heaven's last day in TX

I'm so glad that I get to share what God is doing in Heaven. I never cease to be amazed! She called me late last night to let me know that she is doing so much better. She has water! Praise God! She has a towel! Praise God! The Lord has provided her with absolutely everything she was in need of including an electrical outlet under a water fountain, so even her cell phone is charged! (She won't be able to use it in South Africa though.)

It was just so good to hear the joy in her voice. She shared with me that there were four people chosen to go to Zulu to teach and that she and a new friend that she had just made were two of the four! This is the first time ever that those going on a missions trip to South Africa were split and allowed to go to Zulu. Usually you have to choose Zulu to go there so this was a rare assignment.

I began reading about the people of Zulu and their customs and discovered a very special thing. Zulu means Heaven. What a Godcidence that is! Another great thing is that she believes she'll be teaching English and they will be able to incorporate the gospel into the lessons. This was an extremely important detail not only because she'll be sharing the most precious news in the world, the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but Heaven had decided only a few weeks ago to go to college to teach English to Highschool students while minoring in Intercultural Studies. This was just another sweet way of God letting her know she is on the right track!

Heaven told me, she said, "Mom, never ask God to break you unless you are truly ready to be broken." She said she had been a little numb before leaving for her trip and she felt emotionless but the Lord had reached deep within her and opened her up. She surrendered these raw emotions to Him and He is working mightily in her. She told me that she is having to depend on God for everything. And I mean every little thing. She had to pray and ask for water, she has to pray to use the bathroom. She depends on Him for every detail which is exactly the way He wants it! What a glorious place to be with the Father!! Praise You Jesus! Oh Hallelujah!!

We are praying for God to prepare the hearts of these people to receive Him! There are going to be mighty healings! I am excited to be able to share with you all! Sadly once Heaven arrives in South Africa we will have very little contact with her but I will share as I can. They leave at 1:00 am tonight!

I just want to thank God and praise Him for answering even the tiniest of our prayers. The thing that stands out to me the most is that He answered each and every one! He went above and beyond as He always does! And I want to thank all of you for your prayers. Know they are answered!

Heaven is in Texas-Day one and two

(Listen to the song playing, its Selah. It begins in the African language (one of them not sure which one) but I thought this was very appropriate timing since Heaven is getting ready to go to South Africa. It will finish in American, its beautiful. Just close your eyes and worship our Savior for a few moments before, during and after you read this post.)

Heaven made it safely to Texas yesterday. It was a rough day for her. We didn't get to stop and eat before her flight left so she was hungry and thirsty on top of being nervous. When she arrived in Dallas the Global Expedition team were a little late in getting there to pick them up. Once they arrived they boarded buses and drove to their campus. Heaven said they were a little over an hour away. Once they arrived, there was little free time and they had a meeting with Ron Luce which she said went great. BUT it was late, very late and she still had had nothing to eat or drink.

They did finally get them pizza but anyone who knows Heaven knows that pizza does not settle well on her tummy, especially after going a whole day with no food. They did not get them anything to drink with dinner either so when she finally called us at 12:30 last night she was exhausted and close to being dehydrated. She had a lot of anxiety and was incredibly homesick. I know most of this was coming from being so tired and thirsty. She said the drink machines wouldn't even take her money. On top of this her cell phone wasn't charging and she just pleaded with us to pray.

It was so hard to be on the other end of that phone and not be able to get to her. I just wanted to hand her a bottle of cold water and wrap my arms around her and bring her home. I knew I couldn't so I requested prayer from every prayer warrior the Lord put on my heart and then I prayed. I cried. I went to bed.

This morning she was some better. She did finally get some water to drink but was still requesting prayer. She had forgotten a water bottle and her towels and wash clothes and had to dry off with a T-shirt. I called Global Expeditions and spoke with the Parent Advisors and shared with them the anxiety Heaven was in and what she was experiencing. They are relaying the message to Heaven's Team Leaders and are going to get Heaven the items she needs. I will receive a return call this afternoon. I know all is going to be well.

Somehow through all of this I just feel that God is preparing her. I truly believe that this trip is going to be very different than the trip she took to Peru last year. The separation alone is going to be long enough to break us both. BUT I know that our Lord is going to build and strengthen us and fill every emptiness with Himself. Trust and Faith keep coming to mind, like a faint soft whisper, I keep hearing them over and over again. Trust me, I am your Provider. Have faith in me, she is mine also, I will take care of her. Peace. Rest in Me. Be still and know that I am God.

We just ask for your continued prayers for Heaven while she is about her Father's business! Feel free to leave your prayers in the comment section and send Heaven words of encouragement. I can take those and e-mail them to Global Expeditions and they will print them and give them to her. I know these simple words will be of much comfort to her while she is in South Africa.

(This is a copy of what I am posting at our Keys of the Kingdom Ministry Blog.)

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday Hub.