So Needy!

This weekend was our first India team meeting. The excitement and anxiousness of 9 months of waiting for this first meeting had me bouncing off the walls (if you know me, that's not really a surprise). I mean, I've been buying anything I can get my hands on from India since January.

We went through the meeting explaining all the needs: money, clothing, packing list, immunizations, visas, passports, hopefully a brain left at the end of the list!

Then, we watched Born into Brothels, sans subtitles...interesting, a documentary of children in the brothels. They were chained, shameful, some shy, some hardened, all in need of hope and love.

The endless to-do list compounded by the harsh reality we will face was similar to feeling like Wiley Coyote when an anvil fell on his head.

During prayer time, we all prayed in agreement that we should prepare ourselves, but only God knows what we will end up facing. So we prayed for preparedness and peace. Only God knows the hardships we will face, not only there, but also here in preparation for the journey! Things you'd never imagine...like emergency puppy surgeries and crazy people stepping on your feet with high heels leaving you broke, broken, and literally bruised.

But thank God He knows! And thank God He provides! My excitement is still very high, but my prayers are much deeper. Please pray for our team. We don't know what we face, but He is a lamp unto our feet. He promises in The Great Commission that He will be with us till the end of time.

This thought was spurned by an email my mom sent. We are all in desperate need of something, whether it be financial, emotionally or physically. God knows our needs, and will provide. We simply need to pray for His will, ask that it come to pass, and have faith that it will.

Here is the really cute email my momma sent:

SPECIAL GROCERY LIST
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store.

She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.
Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.'

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.

The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?'
Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O.K.' he said, 'put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.'

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down.

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.'

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:
'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.'
The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs.'

So dear heart, trust God to heal the sick, provide food for the hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do. Amen & Amen

Thanks in advance for all your prayers!!!

Love always...