God Sightings Part III

Really Living Television Interview

Jamie and I were interviewed on April 29 by Elder Don Schneider for “Really Living” TV. What a wonderful opportunity to tell about how God has led and is leading; to share how awesome our God is. In a way it was like posting the stories of his leading on the doorposts and wearing them on our foreheads. (Watch for this program to be aired in July on the Hope Channel.)

It was also very humbling to recall how God could take two miserable sinners and give them life and breathe and depth. Thank you, dear Jesus, for loving us.

“He found them in a desert land, in an empty howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions.” Deuteronomy 32:10-11

Small but important things—The Lord provides!

I am leading an ENT team to Chuuk starting Thursday, May 7, 2009. We needed two things to happen for the trip. The first is that the shipment of medical supplies and equipment that had been shipped by container, needed to be picked up in Chuuk and delivered to their hospital. The second is for the shipment from our orthopedic trip to Kwaj needed to return to U.S. and clear customs so that I could retrieve the anesthesia box and take it with us to Chuuk.

The evening that we came back from the interview on “Really Living”, I received an email telling me that Dr. Kennedy had been unable to locate the shipment in Chuuk. I was also told that the boxes from Kwaj might take two weeks to clear, which would be too late for me to pick them up. The staff prayed! And the next day, the shipment was found in Chuuk and the Kwaj boxes had cleared customs in the U.S.! God is so good!

“So don’t worry about these things, saying ‘what will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:31

written by Jacque Spence

God Sightings Part II

Tickets

Last week, I was finally able to put my attention to ticketing our ophthalmology, dental, building, evangelistic team to Pohnpei – that’s over 25 people. Our travel agent said that there were no more seats available for the date that we wanted and that the best group rate price Continental would give was $2,500 – $900 higher than I had budgeted for. I gave an alternate date and our agent went back to Continental. You can imagine the prayers and the sleepless nights – Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – no response back from Continental.

And then finally on Thursday, Continental came back to us with a very good group rate and all I can say is, “Thank you, Lord.”

Our Need is a Pastor for Pohnpei

A week ago I was meeting with some of the La Sierra students who had expressed an interest in going to Pohnpei in June. We were talking about various issues such as the need for male participants for the building project. We were also talking about the challenge of evangelizing in Micronesia; that we needed to understand and show respect to the local cultures. This discussion only enforced a prompting that I had already been feeling; that we really needed a pastor who could guide, direct, and nurture the students on the team. One of the qualifications we needed was that he would already be familiar with Pohnpei.

So, just then a man came into South Hall and one of the students said, “Here’s someone who should go with us. He used to be a Student Missionary in Pohnpei.” So, of course, we start talking and guess what, he’s a pastor!

He told me he would love to go but would have to get permission from his church and his boss. Well, the long and short of it is that Pastor Branden, in just one week, was able to get permission to join the team.

What a powerful witness He will be to the students and families that he touched so many years ago. Thank you, God, for answering our prayers, for paving the way, for putting a call on Branden’s heart.

written by Jacque Spence

God Sightings – Part I – Trip Preparations

This has been a hard week of praying and waiting and feeling extremely stressed. The checkbook balance has been nearly down to nothing. I’m putting charges for the ENT Chuuk trip on my credit card – the team leaves next week and we still don’t have the contract funds. With no money in the bank, bills mounting, my stress has been at an all time high. And all through this, I constantly hold onto the fact that God has never let us down. I remember that all things have always worked out for good, and that His timing is perfect.

So, although there is worry, there is also an acknowledgement that I must wait patiently for the Lord. “But Lord, it is so hard not to panic – the waiting is so hard”, I mused. I started to think about the Israelites who saw great and miraculous wonders and the next day would complain and panic. They were scared and terrified. Although they saw God work in their behalf, they couldn’t quite grasp that God was their Father, who would protect and care for them. Even for me, who has seen many of His miracles, it’s hard to truly walk with this confidence. How could God really care day in and day out, night and day, minute by minute about me?

Well for one thing, it’s not about me – it’s about His work. This is His work and I am His servant.

“Worry weighs a person down.” Proverbs 12:25

How true, how true. I have felt so weighed down this past week. Sleep has been troubled and my heart has been heavy. Why do I go down the worry path? Lord, teach me to go down that path of faith when I come to that fork in the road!

Hold onto to Jesus and know for sure that He is God – He loves me and will not forsake me.

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6

written by Jacque Spence