Final Preparation and Gathering

T minus 4 days and counting.  The garage is filling up with furniture and housewares.  We still have a little shopping to do, but the lists are made and tasks assigned, and the excitement mounting.

Prayer requests:

• health and safety for all team members
• that all the pieces of the puzzle come smoothly together
• that we are listening to God and doing His will, and putting our own on hold
• that we are an encouragement to the men who live in the Birdhouse
• dry and cool weather

Many thanks to all of you!

Shopping

This morning we went to Garden Ridge on the hunt for bargains for the BirdHouse. We found some! We spent just over $400 for all of this stuff. All of this goes to the upstairs team, with a little for a bathroom downstairs. We got complete bedding for 4 beds, 2 small tables, towels for 5 guys, rugs for two bathrooms, shower curtain, 4 lamps, 4 pillows, curtains, a beautiful wrought iron cross and a couple cute ceramic birds. Those are the only kind of birds allowed in the BirdHouse now. The most fun day of the mission trip will be when all of the painting is finished, the carpet down, the furniture in place and we can put in the small touches. It is the curtai,s rugs, art and lamps that make a place homey.

Counting Blessings

I went down to Grace Centers of Hope last night with a small advance team to gather a bit more info for the mission trip. We wanted to do some more measuring, and talk to the men that live in the house. Our objective is to encourage the guys that live there, and that won't happen if we change their living spaces so much that they don't like them. It is a big challenge. Jerry lives in this room. It is 8'x8'.

I try to imagine that I sleep in a room that is 8'x8'. Everything that I own is in that space. Everything. I share this room with another adult who is not my friend or relative. All I want is a little privacy. I have to thank God tonight for all that I have. No way could all of the things I own fit in an 8'x8' space along with my bed. And I have a list of other things that I want. And I will eventually get them. And I will have space for them. One of the things that strikes me when I am at GCH is how hugely God has blessed me. No matter what kind of stuff is going on in my life that I think is hard, He has blessed me with way more than I need.

Prayer needs:

• God's provision for all that we need for the men
• health for all team members
• for all of the men living in the birdhouse: for their continued growth, health and safety

My New Best Friend

My new best friend is Ron. He is the manager at Value City. With a smiling face, he gave us a terrific deal tonight on furniture for the living room and dining room. We got a sofa, 2 chairs, a dining table and four chairs for under $500. Thanks Ron!

Upstairs at the BirdHouse

We had a distracted meeting of the Upstairs Team. We came to the conclusion that the bedroom is a major challenge, in two ways. It will be challenging to figure out how to make a small bedroom hold 2 men and all of their belongings while making them feel comfortable. It will be a challenge to find the budget that will cover the storage items we will need to do it.

They have alot of stuff in that room!

I was not kidding.

The closet is no help, it is piled to the ceiling already.

We have alot of decisions to make and alot of work to do upstairs......

Prayer Needs:

• For God to provide the financial support we need for all tasks.
• For the wisdom to figure out how to make the best out of the bedroom.

What touched us

I am gathering here the words for my art project......

Kim
"But if the way were plain and easy, where would be the room for confidence in God?"

Janet
"I lost all disposition to murmur at any providence, assured that such a Being could not err in any dispensation."

Kathy
"Is not this one instance of the power of divine grace more than a compensation for all our days of darkness and distress, formerly spent in preparation for our work?"

"On earth we serve God-in heaven we praise Him".

Peggy
What shall we render unto the Lord, for all his benefits towards us?

A view of His purity and holiness filled my soul with wonder and admiration

Karen F.
"The sacred Scriptures were sweet to my taste."

Ann Judson speaks

This year, we are not doing a bible study in conjunction with trip preparations. Instead, we are reading a book: My Heart in His Hands, Ann Judson of Burma, written by Sharon James. It is the story of the first American woman in foreign missions service. We are reading about the struggles of sickness , politics, lost children, emprisonment, and uncountable more horrible things she endured. But as we are reading about her trials, we are seeing her heart. No matter what was thrown in her path, her focus was always on God. She always trusted that He was in control. It is an amazing and inspirational story.

I would like to make a piece of art for the BirdHouse that uses the thoughts of Ann Judson's missionary heart. I am going to ask the team members to give me a phrase or sentence that was particularly striking. Then, I will go from there.

Several of Ann's thoughts touched me as so truthful:

• While thus recounting the mercies of God to my soul, I am particularly affected by two considerations: the richness of that grace, which called and stopped me in my dangerous course, and the ungrateful returns I made for so distinguished a blessing.
• ...constantly to bear in mind that I am in the presence of God.
• ...the obligation I feel to try to be useful, has induced me to comply.
• I ought not to consult my own ease; the question should be, how can I be most useful in the world?
• I am a creature of God and He has an undoubted right to do with me, as seemeth good in His sight.
• Blessed Jesus, I am thine forever. Do with me what Thou wilt; lead me in the path in which Thou wouldest have me to go, and it is enough.
• But if the way were plain and easy, where would be the room for confidence in God?

Prayer Needs:

That each team member will connect with God in a deeper way through this service.