Love Drives out Fear

Lately as I prepare to travel to Bogota to visit Tatiana and Lorena, I have had some fears about going.  The friend I am going with said that gang violence is becoming more prevalent and we aren't exactly sure what type of situations that their sisters are currently in. But God has been teaching me lately to trust in Him.

Last night was one of those ways he subtly taught me about trusting in Him.  It has become quite routine the last few months for Josiah to come into our room in the middle of the night scared because he had a bad dream. Every night I get up and go back and lie down next to him in his bed and he puts his arm around me and falls right back to sleep.  What fears he has before are all gone the moment I am with him.  Last night as I was laying next to him as he fell back asleep, I felt God telling me, "Trust in me as your Father as he trusts you." I don't have to fear because God is always with me.

Another thing happened last night that has already made the trip worth it. Kasey and I were talking to Dany and Sol about Youth group at church where they had just talked about love.  And Sol said that she had been thinking that me planning to go to Bogota to see her sisters has really shown her love. I knew that me doing this would help connect and bond us by her seeing what love does, but I didn't think I would hear her verbalize those thoughts so soon.  Because that is definitely hard for her.  It is amazing the ways we are seeing God work and move among us. Please continue to pray for my trip and our whole family as we continue to try to follow where God leads us.

God's Continuing Story

Knowing that God has such a heart for orphans (James 1:27) led us to adopt Daniela and Sol Angie over a year ago.  I have often been in awe of God when we see Him work in so many situations and provide exactly what we need when we needed it. And it is amazing what God is teaching us through it all. One of those things is about deep love. You see, Dany and Sol have two sisters who were too old to be adopted and had to stay in Colombia where they have no family support in their lives. So Dany and Sol take most of the money that they receive (whether through allowance, or birthdays, holidays, etc) and they save it to send back to their sisters.  They have said that they have everything they need so why would they not give everything that they have to their sisters? No wonder James also says in chapter 2 that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith. It has touched my heart to see how they have continually given everything they have to their sister. 

And now as I think about James 2:14-16, I feel God leading me to go to them and see what we can do to help.  There is a lot of need there. God has already provided me with a great friend from Colombia who when I said that I wanted to go instantly said that he would go with me. I don't know what this trip has in store.  We are just praying that God will lead us and work in amazing ways as he always does. I do know that we will get to go to them give them a hug and tell them they are loved.  We will get to give them a care package from their sisters and our family.  Another friend of ours at Mosaic has also connected us to a family member who is a pastor at a church there.  I am praying that we can connect them to people who can help and support them locally.  I am praying that the family of God will take them in and give them the nurturing and mentoring and assistance that we can't give them from so far away.  We will be able to get a better idea of their needs and situation and how we can help, including providing some of those needs while we are there.  

Please pray for us as we set out on this journey.  Pray for safe travels and that we will be able to connect well with them.  It will not be easy as they have to borrow phones to even communicate. Pray for our families as we are gone.  Pray for God to work in the lives of these two sisters who have life harder than many of us can even imagine.  

And if any of you would like to assist us financially in this story, please let us know.  We are trusting in God's provision to even make this trip possible as there are so many expenses (plane tickets, transportation, meals, etc).  We could not do any of this without our "village" supporting us through it all. You mean so much to us.  All the prayers, encouraging words, thoughtful gifts, and acts of service to our family help us so much in this journey. God is good! 

James 1:27 - "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 2:14-16 - "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good it it?"