Thanking God for This Opportunity

In July, Emil and I had been praying about what the Lord would have us do next in ministry.  Different ideas arose, but the Lord seemed to close the door on each one.  Then He laid the idea of joining the Ecuador team on Emil’s heart.  The purpose of the trip was to upgrade the skills and equipment of the GRN recordists in the Americas.  We aren’t recordists or trainers and were not exactly sure how we might be of use to the team, but we offered our services nonetheless.  We were told that the team needed help with food preparation, childcare and accounting and we could fill those needs.  We love to serve and serving others as a family is especially sweet, but I had a difficult time believing the Lord would send us all the way to Ecuador for something so simple.  So we prayed that He would use us for His glory.

As I, Stacy, write this letter I am sitting in an airplane, headed for home, after 6 ½ weeks in Shell, Ecuador.  I can’t believe the time has already come to a close.  The Lord is so gracious.  He had so much planned for our family and it was through our obedience in going, that we were blessed.  Yes, we prepared food and took care of the accounting, which ended up to be a blessing for those on the team who already had so much to do.  And yes, we had the privilege of watching Hannah (age 6) and Keisi (1 ½) while their parents (GRN recordists in Shell) participated in the course.  Our girls fell in love with these girls and bonded quickly as sisters.

But the Lord didn’t have us there for just that, we were there to connect and grow.  Over the course of 6 ½ weeks there were a total of 25 people on our team working in eleven different countries.  All 25 work with GRN, all serving the least reached people with unique and varied ministries, all with a heart of obedient service to the Lord.  To learn about their lives, their work, their burdens and their love for those without Jesus Christ was certainly the highlight of our experience.  Connecting with each brother and sister not only encouraged us, but allowed our vision for our ministry to grow.  We saw what the Lord was doing around the world and how we, working in distribution for the USA, could join together to further this work.  We learned new distribution strategies and of new opportunities.  And as a result, the Lord has already begun to open doors to new adventures.

Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy in our lives.  We are so humbled that He has given us the privilege to be a part of such an amazing experience.  We sincerely thank each one of you who prayed for us, encouraged us and supported us.  The Lord opened the door and you supplied us with the tools.  We are deeply moved by the love of you, our ministry team, and look forward to the next step in our ministry together.

For future local outreach opportunities or short-term mission trips check out the pages to the right!