It feel like it was both yesterday and years ago that we were last in our dearest S. Asian city. Since then our life has been crazy, our finances providing an excellent challenge, our housing evacive, and our futures unknown but highly anticipated. Amongst all this turmoil we have seen our Father sustain us, provide for us, equip us, and uphold us; all the while revealing more of Himself to us, growing us, molding us, and absolutely loving us in ways I have never before encountered.
In our last update we spoke of our call to M. work this next year, and that desire has not wavered. It is a new year, with new challenges and obstacles, and wonderful new promises and opportunities and adventures! We are trying to take one day at a time, living in beautiful anticipation of what He IS doing and WILL do, taking each blessing as a brand new present design and given just to us showing His great love.
One of these beautiful presents came in the form of a new team member for the Hope Project! We have a few youth in serious pr@yer regarding this summer's trip as well as whole teams seeking direction for future projects. One of the youth in particular has felt the confirmation of the Spirit over her burdened heart for the people we work with in S. Asia. It has been amazing to watch God create this desire in her as over the past year we have watch Him ignite her heart for the lost and hurting of this world and create in her a desire to serve. Please pray for Ms. A. as well as the other individuals still in prayer about joining us this summer!
That brings us to plans, I could use this room to detail all our ideas and plans, projects and wishlist, but I think God has much greater things to say than I, so instead I will state the Words He has placed on my heart.
In thinking and praying for direction for the journey the great Teacher laid two references on my heart, both of which surprised me at first. The first is about drops of oil, and the second - two copper coins. Many of you are probably familiar with this stories, the first which can be found in 2 Kings 4, when G0d uses the prophet Elisha to show His miraculous care of a widow with only a few drops of oil. The woman is in a hard place, she is stressed and desperate for help as the creditor is about to come and enslave her two boys because of her late husband's debts. When she seeks Elisha's help she says "Your servant has nothing at all. . . except a little oil". As the story goes on Elisha tells her to first gather every jar she can find, both in her home and from all her neighbors, she is instructed to ask for MANY, "not just a few". She is then to go into her house with the boys and start pouring the oil into the jars. As those who are familiar with the story know, the oil keeps pouring . . . and keeps pouring . . . in fact, it keeps pouring until the probably awed and enthusiastic mom yells for the boys to bring another, and with the boys' answer of "there is not one jar left" the oil then stopped flowing.
The second reference is Mark 12:41-44. Again this story involves a woman in harsh circumstances, something that the moment rings very true to my heart and emotions. This woman is a widow, to be more exact, a "poor widow". As J*sus sits with his disciples watching the crowds make their way to the temple treasury they watched as many rich people threw in large amounts. But then this woman came, and into the treasury she put two "very small copper coins". This was the time J*sus chose to speak to His diciples telling them "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on."
I'm sure these stories resound with you in some way and the Spirit is probable teaching you something completely unique through them so take a moment to listen to His teaching.
The things I learn from these passages is fairly simple, yet life-changing & custom-challenging: faithfully obey and God will equip you to give everything, all you have to live on. When it comes to the drops of oil I see myself with my little "stuff" and I hear Papa saying, woman, start gathering the jars. I see the $500 set aside for our next trip, a fairly ample drop in the bucket for the $5,000ish we will need to provide for Sean and I, but still sometimes only looking like "a few drops" and I hear Him say, Sarah, starting asking your neighbors for jars for when this starts flowing it will pour.
As for the poor widow, instead of the amazement of the former I see dedication. I see a call to give absolutely everything I have to live on, for the glory of G0d. It is the call He challenged us with last year regarding the trip, and though scary it was tremendous to watch Him sustain us and allow us to serve overseas on "only enough to live".
I am sure you have your own stories of struggle, your own trying places, the stress and even depression that threatens to come in some times - and so I encourage you to look at these woman, these poor widows, one scared and yet abudantly cared for, and the other dedicated and confident in her Father's love.
Pray with us about giving "all you have to live on" for the glory of G0d. Also lift up the summer team and trip, the current $7,500 needed which increases by $2,500 with each added team member, and ask if He, the lover of the broken and provider of the sacrificial, would have you help us on the way.
We love you all, may the G0d of peace and provision comfort and delight you today as you obey Him and give all you have.
Love you,
Sarah
Tax-deductible donations can be made through our umbrella NGO accessible at: http://www.encouragingwordsasia.com/
Non Tax-deductible donations can be made via the "donate" button on this page or through checks payable to us.
In our last update we spoke of our call to M. work this next year, and that desire has not wavered. It is a new year, with new challenges and obstacles, and wonderful new promises and opportunities and adventures! We are trying to take one day at a time, living in beautiful anticipation of what He IS doing and WILL do, taking each blessing as a brand new present design and given just to us showing His great love.
One of these beautiful presents came in the form of a new team member for the Hope Project! We have a few youth in serious pr@yer regarding this summer's trip as well as whole teams seeking direction for future projects. One of the youth in particular has felt the confirmation of the Spirit over her burdened heart for the people we work with in S. Asia. It has been amazing to watch God create this desire in her as over the past year we have watch Him ignite her heart for the lost and hurting of this world and create in her a desire to serve. Please pray for Ms. A. as well as the other individuals still in prayer about joining us this summer!
That brings us to plans, I could use this room to detail all our ideas and plans, projects and wishlist, but I think God has much greater things to say than I, so instead I will state the Words He has placed on my heart.
In thinking and praying for direction for the journey the great Teacher laid two references on my heart, both of which surprised me at first. The first is about drops of oil, and the second - two copper coins. Many of you are probably familiar with this stories, the first which can be found in 2 Kings 4, when G0d uses the prophet Elisha to show His miraculous care of a widow with only a few drops of oil. The woman is in a hard place, she is stressed and desperate for help as the creditor is about to come and enslave her two boys because of her late husband's debts. When she seeks Elisha's help she says "Your servant has nothing at all. . . except a little oil". As the story goes on Elisha tells her to first gather every jar she can find, both in her home and from all her neighbors, she is instructed to ask for MANY, "not just a few". She is then to go into her house with the boys and start pouring the oil into the jars. As those who are familiar with the story know, the oil keeps pouring . . . and keeps pouring . . . in fact, it keeps pouring until the probably awed and enthusiastic mom yells for the boys to bring another, and with the boys' answer of "there is not one jar left" the oil then stopped flowing.
The second reference is Mark 12:41-44. Again this story involves a woman in harsh circumstances, something that the moment rings very true to my heart and emotions. This woman is a widow, to be more exact, a "poor widow". As J*sus sits with his disciples watching the crowds make their way to the temple treasury they watched as many rich people threw in large amounts. But then this woman came, and into the treasury she put two "very small copper coins". This was the time J*sus chose to speak to His diciples telling them "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on."
I'm sure these stories resound with you in some way and the Spirit is probable teaching you something completely unique through them so take a moment to listen to His teaching.
The things I learn from these passages is fairly simple, yet life-changing & custom-challenging: faithfully obey and God will equip you to give everything, all you have to live on. When it comes to the drops of oil I see myself with my little "stuff" and I hear Papa saying, woman, start gathering the jars. I see the $500 set aside for our next trip, a fairly ample drop in the bucket for the $5,000ish we will need to provide for Sean and I, but still sometimes only looking like "a few drops" and I hear Him say, Sarah, starting asking your neighbors for jars for when this starts flowing it will pour.
As for the poor widow, instead of the amazement of the former I see dedication. I see a call to give absolutely everything I have to live on, for the glory of G0d. It is the call He challenged us with last year regarding the trip, and though scary it was tremendous to watch Him sustain us and allow us to serve overseas on "only enough to live".
I am sure you have your own stories of struggle, your own trying places, the stress and even depression that threatens to come in some times - and so I encourage you to look at these woman, these poor widows, one scared and yet abudantly cared for, and the other dedicated and confident in her Father's love.
Pray with us about giving "all you have to live on" for the glory of G0d. Also lift up the summer team and trip, the current $7,500 needed which increases by $2,500 with each added team member, and ask if He, the lover of the broken and provider of the sacrificial, would have you help us on the way.
We love you all, may the G0d of peace and provision comfort and delight you today as you obey Him and give all you have.
Love you,
Sarah
Tax-deductible donations can be made through our umbrella NGO accessible at: http://www.encouragingwordsasia.com/
Non Tax-deductible donations can be made via the "donate" button on this page or through checks payable to us.
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