Oh how HE loves us!

After several months of praying, saving and raising support… we are happy to announce that God provided a pickup truck! We have spent 7 months borrowing vehicles regularly from the Judes and Shaheens (THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!) as well as several other people along the way. The need truly became great when we had to start saying “no” to new ministry opportunities because we had no way of getting there. We are sincerely grateful to every single person who understood this need and gave!

On Friday it filled us with joy to load the back with over a dozen kids and take them to youth group. Then of course with the riot that happened in Guayacanes (see my video on FB) we were able to use the vehicle to go and see if we could get the kids home… and when we weren’t able to, the truck was our safe place until we returned to the church for the night… and even became my (Sarah’s) bed from 4:00am - 5:45am when the tile floor got too cold J You truly have no idea how much of a blessing this has been… and it hasn’t even been a week. So from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU FOR GIVING!!!

Speaking of the riot…

I want to share a fun video of the kids who were stuck at the church with us. I’m telling you… God knows how to turn a bad situation in to a blessing. After Nate (the pastor), Robersy and I were outside trying to decide what to do with 20 kids that we had to keep for the night, we walked in to see every one of the kids on their knees praying for the situation! THEN, they asked for some music and we had a little “Jesus Karaoke” lol! “I will praise you in the storm” brought on a whole new meaning. Enjoy a song by some of our crazy kids.

 

I did have to laugh though. On the way home at 6am – ish, one of the girls asked me (with every ounce of seriousness), “When do we get to do this again!?”

Ummmm…

Let’s plan the next one with sleeping bags, food… and no gun fire! J

So end of week report. Our God is SO SO SO good. For the truck? Yes. For “Jesus Karaoke”? Yes. But more than anything else, we serve a God who loves us. I mean TRULY loves us. Have you thought about it? Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  

“WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS.” Wow! He didn’t ask us to put a tie on or get dressed up. He didn’t ask to clean up our life first and get things in order. He didn’t ask us to get to church and get baptized. “While we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us.” C-R-A-Z-Y! It’s a good thing I’m not God because I wouldn’t have died for people who were still sinning… and I would have DEFINETLY expected some changes before I would have allowed a bunch of dirty, rotten sinners in to my family. But I am not God. He is God ALONE. And it is HIM IN US that does the changing! So yes, there is a time to clean up and dress up. And we ought to get to church and show the world that we are HIS. But lest we forget, He did a LOT for us while we were still pretty nasty. He must love us a bunch.

Do not ever forget the price paid.

He loves us. OH, how He loves us.

We have truly enjoyed sharing this same message with the people here, young and old. Just to share one more photo before I sign off… these are Robersy’s boys. He has enjoyed sharing this exact message of an AWESOME God with them.

Just recently a mom of one of the boys thanked me for sharing my husband with a bunch of single moms. Of course, I questioned what she meant! Lol. She quickly explained that MANY of these boys don’t have fathers. Robersy has sat with these boys, encouraged them, laughed with them, disciplined them, demanded respect and, in return, respected these young men. Pray for Robersy as he loves on these kids and teaches them to be men of God. They are our future.

Thank you for your prayers!

Pray for me (Sarah) as I work at a Women’s Conference this week. Over 80 women have to come to bless and be blessed. May God guide this week.

Pray for Robersy as he fends for himself (I’ll be staying with the women) and of course for all the ministry he is involved in this week!

GOD BLESS!!!

PRAISES

1.       Robersy turned 26yrs old on Saturday! Thank you for the birthday wishes J

2.       A vehicle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3.       Safety in the midst of riot.

4.       Reeses Pieces (thanks Jodi!!!!)