Ukraine Update

We really need to come up with a better title/name for our trip... any suggestions??

I just received a call from Michelle, my sister-in-law and partner in crime. We have a house!!

I have been concerned that we wouldn't be able to reserve or even find a house that would be able to house the two of us, plus a translator, plus the 6 other women, who we pray will come! But again, God has provided.

I think it was last fall I was praying. I had already been praying for a year, asking God to lead and direct me and call whoever else He was going to have join me. But up until that point, I think it was still 'my baby'. I was trying to make things happen. I had a tentative plan to go to Ukraine in October, that eventually fell through. I just knew it wasn't His time, nothing had come together or fallen into place. God really used that to show me that unless He was leading and directing, then it was all vanity. So my prayers changed.

I began to pray in this way, "God, if this is from you then you need to do it. I am done trying. Not because I am giving up, but I just don't want to get in the way anymore. Show me this is from you and just make it happen!"

What happened after that was amazing. Not that anything really happened. No, nothing happened for another 7 or 8 months. But what did happen took place in my heart. It was no longer 'my baby' so to speak. I was no longer stressing about it, I wasn't even really trying! I was just praying that if this was what God wanted then He would do it!

Over the past few months I have been watching Him work things out. First by calling Michelle and Yura and, not just opening doors, but ripping them off! But I still wasn't convinced. I was being overly cautious. I just knew that even if all of the 'little' things came together, then the one 'big' thing wouldn't. The house. I really wasn't being overly cautious, I was just being disbelieving.

But as of this morning, it is reserved for January 2-5th to house the 9 of us. It is a house that belongs to Operation Mobilization, a mission agency. They built this house for ministry purposes. They even have a full time staff that will be there to cook and clean for us. Every detail, God is providing for.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain  you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves. "               Psalm 127:1 & 2