A Week Full of Surprises!

Do you know what I love most about working in our Master's Kingdom? We never know what things God will bring our way. I think of Jesus and his resolute decision to get to Jerusalem; yet, along the way he met up with many opportunities to bless others' lives. Bernard and I have our general schedule of what our activities will be for the week, but we just never know what other opportunities God will orchestrate to tie into those events. Our first adventure came on Monday evening when our Let's Start Talking reader, David, and his girlfriend, Elia, scheduled their session. David had mentioned bringing over a few friends with whom he had been taking an entrepreneur class. Thinking I would make them a treat, I began to make a lemon pie. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect SEVEN people to show up at my front door FORTY-FIVE minutes early. I had flour over me, Bern was out for the next thirty minutes, and I had not one sip of cool drink to offer. After finding places for all our guests to sit, I scurried Logan off to the corner store to buy cold refrescos. As it turned out, it was a wonderful evening. Four of the guests were from nearby aboriginal coastal towns, and one guest was a tourism promoter for the state of Michoacan. The little group of seven has been cooperating together to bring about an ecologically based tourism business to their land on the virgin Michoacan Pacific coast. They are wanting to offer their land for tourism to the Canadian public. They are hoping we can help them promote their beautiful vacation spots by finding a person in Canada to get the word out about the Michoacan coast. We had a lovely conversation, but the most impressive moment was when we asked if we could pray for God's blessings on their endeavors. After our prayer, David ran out to his truck, grabbed his Bible, and asked if he could read a passage from Job. He reverently opened his Bible and stood to read. The others immediately stood to hear the Word of God. It was a holy moment as David read Job 22:19-30 ...Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you...If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored...You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows...After our guests said their last good-byes, Bernard and I turned to each other and said, "What is God doing in all this???"

Our next surprise came on Wednesday when we got to enjoy the presence of our new Mexican team member, Ivan Ponce de Leon. He, Stephanie and five month old Ethan arrived earlier in the week from Texas. We look forward to seeing how God will use this wonderful couple in La Comunidad de Cristo! I also got to share a classic Canadian food- G'pa's Johnny Cake with genuine Saskatoon Berry syrup (Thanks, Sharon, for providing that from the Berry Barn.) It was a big hit for our Texan and New Zealand team mates. Logan remembered how much he loved it, too.

Thursday turned out to be a big day with my Thursday Bible study. God stirred the participants into deep prayer as we brought the names of several struggling Christians before the throne. God's presence was tangible as we begged His mercies upon our loved ones. Comments were tossed around that we need more prayer in our celebration times on Sundays. God formed an idea in my mind. (More on that later.) Then we were off to a big birthday party for one of our family's five year old, Ximena. The mom was frazzled as she prepared for her 50 plus guests. She didn't know how she would ever entertain the children and serve everyone. Alas, Bernard and Alicia to the rescue. Our years of LST parties gave way to a million party games. The kids had a great time and the parents enjoyed watching the crazy Canadian games their children were playing. The birthday mom was the most grateful as she didn't have to entertain all those kids!! Afterward I rushed home to get chairs set up for our make-shift Bible study since the birthday party was still going strong at the building where we usually host the study. Again, God orchestrated great things as we studied and visited until 11 pm.

Friday brought another set of great circumstances and conversations as five women gathered at Blanca's house to enjoy a morning of food and fellowship. We covered a host of topics from the celebration of Halloween to testimonies of how broken marriages have been healed through tough love. During our conversation one of the women, Julia, who has been worshiping with us for many months expressed her concern that she didn't sense a full joy that she has seen in some of us women. After much probing and questioning, it finally came out that she has been living with a married man for 21 years, with the hope they he would leave his wife and marry her. After much admonition, advice and godly counsel, we took her burden to God. It was a powerful time of prayer for our dear friend who is suffering from wanting to follow Jesus, but burdened by the love of a man who can never be hers- the father of her three children. We saw, first-hand, the power of confession. She's faced with a very difficult decision as she contemplates her "first love".

Now it's Sunday and the surprises continue. With Blanca's admonition that we needed to pray as a church for some of the baby Christians who are struggling with sin, as well as those who have not yet named Jesus as their Christ and Saviour, Bernard and I planned a time of congregational prayer. It was an amazing experience. I think if we had made the time, every person in the congregation would have come forward for prayer today. Rather than feeling shame for their weaknesses, many poured out their hearts as they struggle in their journey to walk with Jesus. Afterward our praise and worship was filled with a renewed joy and determination to live a life worthy of our calling. It was a great day.

And the surprises continue even as I bring this blog post to a close. Our family escaped the trick- or- treaters Saturday night by spending the afternoon and evening at Miramar. We arrived home about 11 pm, glad to see no evidence of eggs having been thrown at our door. However, around 9:00 tonight (Sunday) we were greeted with the familiar songs of the trick-or-treaters at our door. No one told us that Halloween candy beggars peruse the streets THREE nights!!! We had little candy, few coins, and even less desire to explain our oversight, only to receive an egg or two thrown at our wall. (These little goblins are so very persistent.) So we turned out the lights and headed for our team mates' house. We visited for a few hours until we thought the begging ghosts had all retired for the night. Our first order of business for tomorrow is to head for the store and buy a BIG bag of candy for our little beggars tomorrow night. Next year we'll be ready!!!!

Hope you have a week full of surprises from God, too. Until next week,
Alicia for the Krosgsgaards