Sometimes I Wonder - Music Post

"Sometimes I Wonder" is a song I heard for the first time in July 2012 right after a young man's life was snatched unexpectedly from this world. As I pondered the words of the song that night, tears filled my eyes as I thought of the joy that surrounded this young man and all the believers that have gone before us and I wondered. I wondered of what heaven must be and what glory must be surrounding them.

As one reads through Scripture, one catches a glimpse of what is waiting for us, but if you are anything like me, it is more than you can fathom. 

• No night there
• Streets of pure gold
• The lion laying down with the Lamb
• No tears, pain, or sorrow there

Though only a few of the glories that we, as believers, will experience on that great day. When a loved one passes I often spend time wondering just how heaven must be for them. 

Sometimes I wonder!

I challenge you to place your eyes on the Lord as you think about the glories of heaven. When my eyes are fixed on the glories of heaven and what awaits me, so often the troubles of this world don't seem so big. Not one of us knows when our time is up and when we pass into eternity, will our loved ones wonder about the glory that welcomed us? Or with bitter tears in their eyes, will they weep because we weren't ready to meet our Saviour?

Heaven awaits you! The joys there are beyond what we can even imagine. 

3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 

4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:3-7

Are you ready? He is coming soon! It may be tonight, or it may be tomorrow. Answer His call today.

Sometimes I wonder about the glories of Heaven. Do you wonder?

Blessings to you!

A Mother's Touch

            The temperature of the day seemed to be 110 degrees in the shade. Animals could be found under the trees and the people of the town did not stray far from the comfort of their shaded hammocks. But the heat of the day did not stop us from driving through the little town of La Palmerita to spend time with our Nicaraguan friends and hold a few Bible studies.  

While Virginia was out inviting children to an afternoon of activities and games, she found out that Yeral was running a high fever and one of the ladies made it sound as if he was seriously ill.

Celebrating Johana's birthday

Now Yeral was the middle son of Johana, a young mother and a sweet friend, who had been a member of La Palmerita Mennonite Church, but had strayed away and was living with a young man. We were told that Johana had left on Saturday the 12th, and left Wilbur-11 and Yeral-10 in La Palmerita. She told them she would return on Sunday the 13th. However on Tuesday, she still had not returned.

After our classes, we decided to go see if we could find Yeral. We found him in the neighbor’s black plastic shack. When Virginia called his name, he responded by calling my name. We found him in the back corner on a cot. He was running a fever and seemed a little delirious. After talking it over, we decided to ask him if he wanted to go to our house. Without any hesitation, he said “yes.” He told us that he had a headache and fever when he came home from school, so he had walked to the clinic. They had given him some pills but he still had a fever.

Sound asleep in the hammock

When we arrived at home, his fever was 102° - 103°, so we gave him a Tylenol and some juice. We brought him over to our house as Randy’s were headed to Managua. It took him a while to relax and so we asked him if he wanted to listen to some music. He was out in 10 minutes. He slept for several hours and he still had a fever when he woke up. We gave him an Ibuprofen. When he woke up at 9:00pm, he seemed much more himself and was hungry. We prepared some supper and then he went off to bed. He had no fever the following morning, so Randy took him back to La Palmerita so he could go to school. Wilbur told us that he did not go to school, because he started running a fever again. Johana returned sometime Wednesday afternoon, but did not come to the evening service.

As I took time that day to take care of Yeral, my heart cried out. How could a mother abandon her children like this? How could she leave these young ones to fend for themselves while she was out, "enjoying" the pleasures of this world? A verse from Isaiah came to me: 

"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Isaiah 49:15 KJV

But as I mothered to this young individual, a sense was awakened within in me - that of a mothering sense. Taking care of him, as if he were my own child. Being by him and making sure he was feeling better. Scripture came to mind as I spent time with Yeral:

Juancito, Yeral, Wilbur

"Leave your fatherless children; I will [do what is necessary to] preserve them alive. And let [those who have been made] your widows trust and confide in Me." Jeremiah 49:11 AMP

Though I was not his mother, I could take care of him as only a mother could: by pouring my love out to him, showing him that he meant the world to me and I cared about him. In thinking of the love that one shows to their children, whether biological or "adopted" children, I was reminded of the love that God has towards us:

"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life." John 3:16 AMP

You may not be a mother yet, but as a female, God has blessed you with "mother" instincts. You are all born with the gifts of compassion, nurture, care, love, feelings. These gifts allow us to reach out and touch another's life. As a young girl, embrace these gifts. They may fill you with hurt, place burdens on your heart, allow to rejoice, question "why", spend sleepless nights praying. These are gifts that God has blessed you with as a woman. 

Be a woman! Be a mother! Touch someone's life! Be burdened to pray as only a mother can!

PS. This was a true experience that happened in February 2011 while I was serving in Nicaragua. As of today, I still have contact with this young man and his mother. She calls me from time to time to talk to me. On Wednesday May 28th, my sister and I have plans to travel to Nicaragua to visit my friends there. Pray for us as we spend time there that God might be glorified.

Here Am I, Send Me

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with

the tongs from off the altar:  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Isa 6:1-8 KJV

            On April 30, 2009, the above verse became alive in my life and forever changed me. That day started as any other normal day. I went to work at my secretarial job from 7:00am to 5:00pm. Little did I know the change that would take place before the sun set that day. After supper that night, I was just doing things around the house when my mother called me and announced a phone call for me. She announced the name of the caller and I knew immediately why he was calling. Answering the phone, the caller introduced himself and the mission he represented, asking me if I might know why he is calling. To which I answered the affirmative. The caller was contacting me on behalf of the Olive Branch Mennonite Mission. One of the single girls serving in Nicaragua was scheduled to leave the mission field in August and they contacted me to see if I was open to serving for two years. We closed the conversation with the caller asking me to pray about it and contact him as soon as I had an answer. I hung up the phone, relayed the message to my parents, before grabbing my cell phone and leaving on my bike.

Biking down the road, I first called my pastor’s wife to let them know of the call and to ask for prayers. Hanging up with her, I headed to the local park. I needed to sit down. At this point, many questions were running through my head. Why me? Is my dream coming true? Can I really do this? Will I be able to be separated from my family for so long? I want to go but… I called my best friend, telling her all that had happened, asking her for advice. After I hung up, I still felt overwhelmed, but I knew the God who called me on this journey, was also the God who was faithful and would be by my side, if I would only lay aside my humanness and trust on Him.

As I searched God’s Word and His will for me, I was guided to Isaiah 6. Yes, I had heard this passage many, many times; but on this particular night, the passage took on a new meaning. I felt as Moses did. Inadequate for the task that was before, but I was called. I felt the call of God on my heart. Would I shrink back from the task? As much as it was tempting, I wanted to be where God wanted me and He was calling me to serve in Nicaragua. He was asking the question: who will go for us?

As I near the 5-year anniversary of receiving that life-changing call, I look back in awe of what God has done in my life, not only as I served in Nicaragua but also as I continue to serve Him in my hometown. The call of “whom shall I send, and who will go for us” is not only  a call to the foreign field, but it is a daily call. As believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are daily called to serve Him and “stand in the gap” for those who are seeking. Let it not be said as was in Ezekiel’s day:

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30 KJV

Daily accept the call that is placed upon your life. Seeing the Hand of God in my life when I am truly committed to “standing in the gap” and being willing “to be sent” has humbled me. The blessing that comes from being “available” to be used of God cannot be explained. Being used in my hometown has brought just as many blessings as serving  in foreign lands. You may or may not be called to another land. Be ready and willing to go where He wants you to go and fill in the gap where He has called you.

I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go by The Kauffman Family

My Plans Towards You

Have you ever felt despair of not knowing what tomorrow holds? Faced the unknown with fear? Became sick just thinking about the final exam tomorrow? Worked yourself up at the thought of your job interview next week?

The truth is that all of us have experienced the same or similar experiences some time in our lives. If you are at all like me, I can work myself up at that slightest thing abnormal or unknown in my life.
For example, I recently applied at PA College of Health Sciences as I work towards an Associates’ Degree as a Registered Nurse. The deadline to apply to class was February 1st. All my paperwork was into the college by that date, except for my GED transcript. That transcript was coming from the state of PA and the college did not receive it until two weeks after the deadline. Any applications that are received late are reviewed according to available space. So I began to wonder, was I too late? Would I be admitted to the August class? Should I accept the offer from the other college? After I declined the first offer, I began to wonder, did I make the right choice? Time began to slowly tick by - days developed into weeks. I continued to question my decisions and then started selling myself short.
My faith was quite small at that point and worry was taking over. I was struck with the thought that God is in control and He already knows the outcome. All I need to do is trust Him to lead me in His will. I was reminded of a verse from Jeremiah 29:11

I realized that I had so quickly forgot that God was in control of the situation. After surrendering my college issue to Him, I felt peace knowing that He would work in His perfect time. Although worry continued to surface, I reminded myself to let go and let God take control.
The challenge I leave with you today is to trust all your worry to God. When you surrender it to Him, leave it in His arms. Don't bring it back into your arms to worry and fret about it. He is faithful! He knows where you will be tomorrow, next year, and even ten years from today.
For me, the answer came once I fully surrendered my worry to Him. I received an acceptance letter to the college and the first thing I did before I opened the envelope was to thank God and ask for His continued guidance wherever He was leading me. Sometimes He answers in the way we were hoping, other times He says "No" and yet sometimes He says "Wait"
He is faithful. Trust Him moment by moment!

Blessings! Andrea

We All Have a Purpose

Tears streamed down the little girl's face. She just didn't understand why mommy and daddy weren't coming home. And why was her little brother laying in that bed, surrounded by so many wires and people. What was wrong? Why was mommy crying?

Everything seemed so strange as she stood there, waiting for someone to console her, but nobody realized the little girl's tears right away. They were all listening to the doctor as he explained his latest discovery about her brother. But what she didn't understand was that her little brother was very, very sick.

Her little brother had been born with a rare disease, one known as Maple Syrup Urine Disease or MSUD. Having MSUD meant that her little brother couldn't eat the same food she did and he got sick so quick, often going to the hospital as was the situation this time.

As you fast forward a few years, questions still plagued my little mind. I asked my mother why Jordan couldn't eat or do the same things I did. Taking me aside, my mother began to explain that God did not make a mistake when Jordan was born. He was born for a reason and God had a plan for him.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV).

As I got older, I began to understand that although there may not always be a visual reason for why things happen, God always has a plan for each circumstance. We may not see it right away, but many times looking at circumstances several weeks, months or years after it occurred, we can plainly see what God’s plan was.

Maybe learning comes slowly for you. You wonder what tomorrow may bring. Why can my friends do this, but I can't? God has a plan for you and is working through your life at this moment.

All in a Day's Work

Once upon a time, in a land south of United States lived 2 beautiful, single women, who were just settling into life living together: one spoke fluent Spanish - the other was just learning! It so happened on this certain day, these young women needed to travel to a little town 15 minutes away (driving distance that is). However in this certain day, one woman would need to use a bike and the other woman would need to ride a horse; because the other bike had been stolen.

Such was the situation one Tuesday as Virginia and I prepared to head out for a day of visiting and Bible studies in a little town called La Palmerita (little palm) Nicaragua.

However before leaving, I attempted to mount the horse. But Perezoso, the horse had an attitude, thus living up to his name of lazy. Finally, I mounted and attempted to try to test ride him in the yard before attempting to take him on the road. However he had a mind of his own, refusing to cooperate and I didn't know what to do. Randy, our pastor, decided to mount the horse to see what would happen. He took the horse to the water tank and left him drink before trying to re-mount him, but to no avail. We decided to finish getting ready before attempting it again. Once we were ready, Virginia attempted to mount him, but he kept backing around. She whacked Perezoso on his rump and mounted him. However when she attempted to go on the road, he refused to go through the gate. Randy led him to the middle of the road and off we went - one on a horse and the other on a bike. However Perezoso simply had a mind of his own and would not listen.

Finally, Virginia was at the end of her tether and she went to visit the neighbors to ask to borrow one of their horses. The neighbor lady lent us Chiquito, one of her horses, and took Perezoso and made him lug water out of the well. Once again we attempted to make our way to La Palmerita. Everything went along rather smoothly, except that Chiquito trotted horribly.

We arrived in the town and began to visit different people. When Virginia went to mount Chiquito, the homemade bridle came apart. I led him to Johana’s (a native lady) house while Virginia, who had been riding, visited with a young lady. I spent time at Johana’s house attempting to use my limited Spanish-speaking ability. After spending time with her, her sons fixed the bridle and we rode to the church to unload our heavily-loaded backpacks.

While at the church, we decided to partake of the wonderful morsels of food before going to visit some other women in this little town. I, who had biked in the morning, now took to riding the horse, with a switch in hand. We rode down Center Street. However we didn’t find the girl we were looking for, so we headed over to 1st Street to see if she was there, but she was not. But since we were there, we saw month-old twins, who had been born a month premature. They were so small! Upon preparing to leave that house, one man re-did Chiquito’s bridle, as he did not like the way the young boys had done it. When I went to mount, the stirrup broke apart. Virginia mounted and off we went again - this time up Center Street to visit another little baby.

This was when catastrophe struck to a certain young lady on a bike - namely me.

I had been riding through water puddles all morning and had not encountered any problems. However this next puddle wasn’t so kind. This puddle spanned the whole road and into the field. There was a small dry strip through the center, so I started to bike through, but what I had not realized was the small section that was under water. BUT it was too late now. SPLASH!!! into the water I fell. I called out to Virginia. She looked back but looked away as she knew all too well the feeling of despair!

Embarrassed, I drug myself out of the water and to the side of the road while Virginia went in to see the baby. Maria, the lady of the house told Virginia to go bring me in.  All mud-bogged and wet, I went in and Maria offered me a chair. When we went to leave, Virginia offered the horse to me and off we went, but not home yet, as we had one more class for the day. Returning to the church, we found young girls were waiting for their class. Of course they all asked me what happen and I explained the story.

 We had just started the class when Virginia heard a familiar sound - the sound of the mission truck. But we poor women had been in the sun too long and it had affected our brains, so we didn’t think fast enough to stop the truck. Bone-weary and exhausted, I led Chiquito to the well and mounted him - or rather plopped on his back. Off I went on the horse, trying to go fast enough to catch the truck, but not so fast that I would fall off the saddle. Seeing the truck up ahead and coming up from the bottom of Center Street, I saw Randy and Jason from the mission. After asking them to stop at the church on their way home, back to the church I went.

After class, we cleaned up and soon heard the familiar sound of the truck. Virginia told me go in the truck and she will ride Chiquito home. I got home soon but wouldn’t know till later the issues that Virginia encountered. She apparently was having quite a time.

When she left the church, she worked him into a full gallop out of the little town. When she got to the main road the broken stirrup fell completely off! She dismounted and picked it up and once again mounted the horse and continued to its owner’s place, where she returned the horse and was met by Jason, who gave her a bike to continue the rest of the way home. All in all we had a great day in the little town, but we were bone-weary and sore that night! But it was good memories and laughs for everyone near and far!

This is a true story that took place in November 2009 in Nicaragua, while I was serving as a missionary.

-Andrea