Panama or Guatemala?
Once we discovered that Portland Adventist Academy's spring break dates did not line up with Andrews University--our partner for our last two trips--we knew Sus Manos would not be returning to Cuba this year. So where might God be sending us?
We had several possibilities, but eventually focused on two invitations: Panama, where a pastor friend urged us to come help with children's ministry, and Guatemala, where we could help the International Children's Care (ICC) home we had last visited eight years ago. Mike and I believe strongly in Ephesians 2:10, which says, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." We don't want to run ahead of what God has prepared ahead for us to do. So we prayed. And prayed.
We set some deadlines for a decision, but discovered that God does not follow our deadlines.
As September turned to October and the mission trip orientation meeting loomed, we had to choose. We were strongly leaning toward Panama, yet specific things we asked God for did not come through. We concluded it was not God's leading to go there and we committed to Guatemala.
We are thrilled to be returning to Guatemala, which I always say was our first ICC love. We had been there twice and planned to return every year, but after that second trip, our dates never lined up with their calendar again. Now, after several trips to the Dominican Republic and Cuba (and one to Hillsboro, Oregon!), we are excited to return to Los Pinos, especially because the directors and house parents we knew before are still there. Seven PAA students and one mom joined our team and we began our training program.
But there was still this niggling wondering if we had heard God correctly.
I got a call shortly before Christmas from my pastor friend in Panama. Due to financial difficulties for the church association in Panama, they decided to send all non-Panamanians back to their home countries. Although my friend has pastored in Panama for six years, is married to a Panamanian and has an adorable child born in Panama, he himself is Salvadoran. They were told they should move to El Salvador, despite having no call to pastor there. They don't know what to do and have applied for positions in a couple other Central American countries. As Christmas neared, they had no idea where they would be for the new year.
Although my concern was and is for him and his family, as he spoke, I had another thought: I could be holding ten plane tickets to Panama right now, with no project to do and no contact in Panama. God's guiding is not always clear, but in retrospect we see how He always leads us to our Ephesians 2:10.
I trust that the same loving Father who, although not with thunderbolts or writing in the sky, led us to choose Guatemala, will lead my pastor friend to his next Ephesians 2:10.
I ask that you pray for God to keep our eyes open to see what He has prepared in advance for us to do. And I pray the same for you, because there is an Ephesians 2:10 for each of us.
Once we discovered that Portland Adventist Academy's spring break dates did not line up with Andrews University--our partner for our last two trips--we knew Sus Manos would not be returning to Cuba this year. So where might God be sending us?
We had several possibilities, but eventually focused on two invitations: Panama, where a pastor friend urged us to come help with children's ministry, and Guatemala, where we could help the International Children's Care (ICC) home we had last visited eight years ago. Mike and I believe strongly in Ephesians 2:10, which says, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." We don't want to run ahead of what God has prepared ahead for us to do. So we prayed. And prayed.
We set some deadlines for a decision, but discovered that God does not follow our deadlines.
As September turned to October and the mission trip orientation meeting loomed, we had to choose. We were strongly leaning toward Panama, yet specific things we asked God for did not come through. We concluded it was not God's leading to go there and we committed to Guatemala.
We are thrilled to be returning to Guatemala, which I always say was our first ICC love. We had been there twice and planned to return every year, but after that second trip, our dates never lined up with their calendar again. Now, after several trips to the Dominican Republic and Cuba (and one to Hillsboro, Oregon!), we are excited to return to Los Pinos, especially because the directors and house parents we knew before are still there. Seven PAA students and one mom joined our team and we began our training program.
But there was still this niggling wondering if we had heard God correctly.
I got a call shortly before Christmas from my pastor friend in Panama. Due to financial difficulties for the church association in Panama, they decided to send all non-Panamanians back to their home countries. Although my friend has pastored in Panama for six years, is married to a Panamanian and has an adorable child born in Panama, he himself is Salvadoran. They were told they should move to El Salvador, despite having no call to pastor there. They don't know what to do and have applied for positions in a couple other Central American countries. As Christmas neared, they had no idea where they would be for the new year.
Although my concern was and is for him and his family, as he spoke, I had another thought: I could be holding ten plane tickets to Panama right now, with no project to do and no contact in Panama. God's guiding is not always clear, but in retrospect we see how He always leads us to our Ephesians 2:10.
I trust that the same loving Father who, although not with thunderbolts or writing in the sky, led us to choose Guatemala, will lead my pastor friend to his next Ephesians 2:10.
I ask that you pray for God to keep our eyes open to see what He has prepared in advance for us to do. And I pray the same for you, because there is an Ephesians 2:10 for each of us.