Like the air in my scuba tank, time seems to have compressed now that we are only five weeks away from leaving for the mission. We are deep in the final preparations for this important call and I seem to be using up time even faster than normal. The needle on my time gauge is rapidly heading toward the red zone.
It seems every event in our lives, every decision we've made for the last several years has directed us toward serving this mission. As surely as I know my name, I know this mission is what we need to be doing, where we must be. For the last few years I've peered ahead, squinting into the future, and the only thing I've seen is my husband and me serving as missionaries. When I tried to envision alternative futures, I saw only grey fog.
I feel the Lord has important things for us to accomplish because the forces of opposition have raged against us at every turn. We've been assailed with challenges spiritual, moral, financial, and physical that seem uniquely engineered to distract and discourage us from this commitment. But the forces of Good have prevailed also at every turn. It seems to be with us as it was with the prophet, Elisha, when the king of Syria sent his army to capture him. Elisha's servant cried out, "Alas, my master, how shall we do?" Elisha counseled him to "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." Elisha prayed for the Lord to open his servants' eyes. When He did, the servant saw the mountain full of "horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha". (2 Kings 6:14-17)
So it has been with us. In moments of doubt and fear I have cried, "How shall I do?" and I have felt the Comforter speaking peace to my soul that all will be well, to stay the course, to be faithful and diligent because they that be with you are more than they that be with them.
And so here we are, poised on the edge of this great adventure and opportunity of dedicating the next two years of our lives to serving our fellow brothers and sisters, and by so doing, serving our God.
Please click back here from time to time. We invite you to come with us through this missionary diary on a wonderful journey of love.
May God be with you 'til we meet again.
