God Wants A Willing Heart.
When we felt that God was leading us to Cle Elum, Wa., we were excited to see what He had planned for us. It didn't take long before we met an amazing couple, Dr. Richard & Vicki Nelson, who had lived in Cle Elum for 30 some odd years. Once a year, for two weeks, they would go over to Ukraine on a mission trip to work with the children . They worked mostly in orphanages and with street children. They were planning a quiet retirement from the Dental practice that they had established here in Cle Elum, maybe playing some golf and sitting in their easy chair. Well, God had other plans.
After much prayer and a very willing heart, God lead them to sell their practice, home, car, and belongings to move to Ukraine and establish a medical facility in Kiev. This building would house medical offices to take care of the immediate needs of the children and open a path to their hearts to hear the gospel. We came into the picture when they were having their garage sale. We were so drawn to this couple and they to us. We went to dinner shortly after we had met and for the next two hours, we shared our love for our Savior. We all had a passion for Jesus and felt like we had had a divine appointment.
God opened the door for us to be part of His ministry in Ukraine. We are on the board of SAI with a very diverse group of people who just want to serve and see God work in Ukraine. We have witnessed miracles as the doors opened to paths that other wise would not have been possible for SAI to go down.
Richard and Vicki are now living in Ukraine. They have bought a building and are in the process of remodeling it. God is continuing to open doors for them and show them that He is their provider. It's not been easy for them and at times, they've had to walk down some pretty rough roads, but God has been faithful and He continues to show them that He is an awesome God.
We are thankful for this lovely couple that opened their hearts to God and answered the call when it came. You can read more about their journey at
www.livinginUkraine.blogspot.com
Going over the pass.
We are going on a trip today. We will travel over the pass, the Snoqualmie pass to be exact. It is always interesting to go over the pass because it has a weather system all its own, therefore, you better check to see if you will be heading into snow, fog, or rain and even then, the weather can change very quickly. In other words, there are no guarentees on this trip.
Isn't life the same way. We think we are going into a safe future, when bam, our lives change and all of a sudden we are going into unknown territories. We have no control over the changes that can happen, but we do have a God that can take the fear away and walk with us. He really does more than that...he comes to live inside of us and along the journey we realize that we are seeing more and more from His eyes and not our own. Sometimes it takes going over an unknown (pass) to get to the place that our lives are turned over to Him.
I once said that I would have never written my life story quite this way, but God has authored
the perfect plan for me. His plan is to go into the unknown stormy places so that He can show me that He is my strength, He is my comforter and He is my beloved Savior.
Life guarentees us that we will go into fog, rain, and blinding snow. Isn't it wonderful that Jesus guarentees us that He will go with us, lead us and not forsake us. So, over the Snoqualmie Pass we will go and the journey will be interesting....so interesting.
The past three years have been the best and worst years of my life. My journey has been meshed with trials, tribulations, and excrusiation pain and hurt, yet I would live it all over again to learn the beauty of walking with my Savior. I have a Friend, a Father, a Comforter, and a Councelor, and His name is Jesus Christ. He walked every step with me and taught me some of the most valuable lessons I could have ever learned. Through the Holy Spirit, i found peace, joy and a yearning to know more about Him. I owe my life to Him and I want to live my life FOR Him, and in doing so, bring honor and glory to my Father in Heaven.
Some day I will give my testimony, but right now I will encourage all that are seeking to know that there is a God in Heaven. He is real and He knows your name and the bible says that He even knows how many hairs you have on your head. He LOVES you and is waiting for an invitation to come into your heart. May God bless you in your journey to find the TRUTH.
These are seven blessings that we thank God for every day. They are our sunshine.
David & I are in Moscow, Id. enjoying our children, grandchildren and experiencing God's blessings for a life filled with trials, tribulations, and the greatest life possible with our Lord and Savior.
