God Encounters

We arrived home late last night, very thankful to be back. This past week was not one I'd like to experience again any time soon, as it was stressful and we are all very tired. But God took what could have been a very serious situation and turned it into a blessing. We had several things happen during the week where God showed us clearly that He wanted us exactly where we were with a number of God Encounters.

One encounter that stands out was after our second round of car trouble. While we were thankful that the problem didn't seem serious, we were frustrated because we were all ready to go home. We made it to the mission guest house (driving all the way in third gear), and to our surprise, we found out that some friends of ours were also staying there. Mel and Mandy, single women from England, who have spent a little over year up in Vilanculos, Mozambique several hours north of us. They were waiting for their ride back to Mozambique after being stuck in Nelspruit for over a week as the bus they needed to take home wasn't running anymore. We first met them in Brazil where they were attending our language school. It was such a treat to see them again as I haven't seen them since Brazil.

Earlier on the long drive to Nelspruit, Scott had felt strongly that this extra delay was for a reason and that God wanted us there, but we didn't know why. Mel and Mandy shared with us many things about their work, including that they had been praying hard that God would give them a car. They often walk two hours one way as a part of their ministry with women and the elderly. Without a car, there are a number of things that they are not able to do, including helping a local midwife build a delivery hut way out in the bush with money that had been donated to them for it.

In South Africa, we owned a second car that I had to use on a daily basis with the kids, but here in Mozambique, we find that we don't use it very much--which meant we have a car we can loan them until another family joins us. We all know that God had arranged us to meet, even if it meant a problem with our transmission and frustrating delays.

I was reminded of Joseph's words in Genesis. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done." And I continue to be amazed at how God continues to lead and guide us to accomplish HIS good will.

These are photos of Jayden's eighth birthday party. The sweet hostess where we stayed made a birthday cake for him Friday night enabling us to celebrate with old and new friends. What a blessing that God would even arrange for Jayden to have a cake on his special day.