Greetings everyone!!
Thank you so much for your pr@yers for me and for my travel back to Texas! I had a great trip with special gifts from our Father along the way. I was able to spend the night with a friend and her parents. As only our Father can plan it and orchestrate the details, the changes in my plans to stay in SC to be with my aunt allowed me to arrive at my friend's house just a couple of days after her m1ss1ion trip to H@iti. Her parents had also spent time serving in the Northeast Un1ted St@tes recently. We had a great time of sharing about all that Father is doing in all of these places and how He has been impacting our lives personally. My friend and I had hoped our travels would allow us to spend some time together in pr@yer...I'm pr@ising Father for making that possible. It was a blessing to bow before Him together and seek His face. I left early the next morning and began the next leg of the journey...usually I drive the whole 10 hours so getting started early was vital. Things were different for me this time. I had a lot on my heart and mind as I processed all that Father had done in SC with my family. I spent some time pr@ising and pr@ying and just enjoying the company of my Constant Companion! That has always been my favorite thing about G0d...He is constantly with me and He longs for me more than I could ever long for Him. I found myself longing for Him on the journey back to Texas. I found myself affirming my commitment to Him saying, "I will follow!"
I decided to break my trip up into 3 days of equal driving and I took a short detour through Gulfp0rt, MS. Since I left early, I arrived there with the whole afternoon to just enjoy the Gulf coast. I found a place to stay, then rested during the heat of the day. After a nap, I took G0d's W0rd and drove to the beach. I was amazed and found myself pr@ising Father again for all He has done to repair and restore this area after the devastation of recent hurricanes. I had been there just after the hurricane serving with a combined team from Texas and SC. It was great to see how things have been restored and cleaned up. I was able to eat at a restaurant that was completely destroyed and rebuilt, as well as just enjoy sitting on the pier reading Father's W0rd. I drove along the water's edge singing pr@ises and giving thanks to G0d for the beauty of all He has created. One of the most impacting things was to see some trees that had been devastated by the hurricane...dead, yet alive. An artist had come to the coast and carved the dead trees into beautiful works of art--dolphins jumping out of the water, eagles flying, pelicans perched side by side, and other ocean birds sitting in a tree. It reminded me of how our Father takes our lives...our dead to sin lives and creates something beautiful and useful for bringing Him gl0ry.
I slept long and hard but woke up early enough to go and sit on the pier again to seek our Father and His W0rd. It was a beautiful morning with fish jumping all around and men wading in the ocean pulling them in with ease. I set out again for the last leg of the journey with plans to spend lunch with friends in B@ton Rouge. We had served together when I first became m1nister of m1ss1ions, and our time together was just fun and encouraging. I love how our Father connects our lives and continues to use us to strengthen and support each other. I made it home and began the process of adjusting to all that needs to be done here on this side of the ocean. I had a GREAT day of w0rship and reconnecting Sund@y. I spent the early morning with a group of women who support and pr@yer for HSI. Then I joined my f@ith family at KeyL1fe Fell0wship for worship! It was great to be with them and celebrate our G0d with them again.
Now I am getting organized and figuring out what is what after being away for 8 months. Please pr@y for me as I focus my heart and mind on all that needs to be accomplished while I am here. Pr@y for our board as we meet together and make plans for 2012. Pr@y for us as we seek Father regarding the budget and the work He has for us. Pr@y also for C@therine as she spends her last 2 weeks in M@li before coming home for her brother's wedding. Ask Father to empower her to finish well in all of her relationships there as well as close up the apartment for our absence. Ask Father to prepare her family for her return and prepare C@therine for her re-entry into a culture so different from M@li.
Thank you all for your f@ithfulness to hold the ropes for us, to support us, and to be there for us!! You are the best and for you we give G0d "THANKS!!!"
your servant...
l0ri
In November of 2006, I sat listening to the dreams of a man who had moved his family to a very remote area of M@li...a place where there were no others who walked the same road with him and his family. There were no other f0ll0wers of J.s.s, and there was no community of encouragement for the day in and day out of living in a new place. He was certain of G0d's call on his life and the life of his family that he followed in spite of the challenges. Today, he and his family has impacted the whole region for the gl0ry of G0d and the dreams Father placed in his heart are being fulfilled. They are no longer the only family of f0ll0wers, as a matter of fact a new ch.rch has just been built and the building for a Chr1sti@n radio station has just been completed. We celebrate the dream of G0d's family being expanded to include the many people groups living in this difficult and remote area...the uttermost parts of the world!! R@dio K@ntigyi-- R@dio F@ithfulness will receive all of the equipment and the tower will be built within the next couple of months and we are bel1eving our Father for it to be on the air declaring His Gl0ry by October 2011!! Give pr@ise to our G0d...the One who does what He says and fulfills all His promises!!
