In March of 2009 Lauren was at work at Dallas Baptist Univ. A friend saw her and said “Lauren, I went on a mission trip to Peru over spring break. I went to a place you would love! - an orphanage of about 800 children!, but I don’t know the name of the orphanage!” This really spoke to Lauren’s heart. She tracked down another friend who went on the same trip, but not to the orphanage. She borrowed her friend’s trip itinerary and found the name of the orphanage. Then she googled the orphanage name to get a contact name and number. She and Nancy began making plans to live in Peru at the orphanage 6 weeks during the summer of 2009.
By May, Nancy had decided not to go to Peru, we told Lauren she couldn’t go by herself and that was the end of that! Until….
Wednesday, May 13 Bruce Troy called me into his office to read me the flyleaf of a book that had mysteriously appeared in his office – The Hole in Our Gospel. We later found out that the book had been mailed to pastors across America by Rick Warren’s church. I asked Bruce if I could borrow the book. Wow! This book is about all the pressing needs of the world – poverty, disease, contaminated water, hunger. And it is about God’s great ability to use anyone to change the world. This was the kind of statement I was reading that week “What if there are children who will suffer somehow because I failed to obey God? What if my cowardice costs even one child somewhere in the world his or her life?”
Early the next Monday, May 18, I was driving to my parents’ house, praying as I drove. Suddenly it hit me to call Lauren. This is what she heard, “Lauren, it’s Mom. Listen, I need to talk to you about Peru. I know we told you that you couldn’t go this summer. What if we take a group from Southmont there at Christmas break? Those orphans who don’t know Christ keep sticking in my brain.” Lauren gasped and told me that in her very first conversation with the orphanage contact he – Scott – had asked her if she could get a large group of people together to do something big for the orphanage at Christmas. Her response to him had been “I don’t know a big group of people who have money for something like that!” That moment as I was driving to Meridian, I realized that I might be on a journey, and the destination was not my parents’ house.
Over the summer I began to share what God was doing – was He doing something? – with the college students and friends – anyone who acted remotely interested in Peru.
In October, even though it looked like Peru was off the table at Southmont, the missions committee graciously (faithfully) paid my way to Peru for a pre-trip truth-finding trip. That made no sense to me, but God had a plan.
God supernaturally revealed His will for Southmont’s involvement with the school and for VBS while I was in Peru. Here was a prayer I prayed regarding Lauren while I was there “Please prepare Lauren for this trip. Impress Your Holy Spirit on her, O Lord. ….Please give her an awesome job – just exactly the one YOU have for her…..Please bring it to her in Your perfect time.”
I could go on and on about the prayers God led me to pray, about the answers He so amazingly supplied. 17 days after hearing about the trip and how much it cost ($1880), 30 people had signed up and paid $1150, or someone had paid $1150 on their behalf. During the Thanksgiving, Christmas, end of school, college graduation craziness, God brought together crafts, curriculum, and a perfectly balanced team for 735 children. God placed it on Lori’s heart to gather a huge amount of curriculum and supplies to train the teachers – in the midst of all the holidays and a new grandbaby and a blizzard. Almost $100,000 was given for the trip in 54 days, and everyone got their passport in time!
I must confess that my biggest hope for this trip really had little to do with orphans in Peru. My main hope was expressed in this prayer: “O God, show Your mercy to this congregation at Southmont. Father, unite us for Your purpose, for Your vision, for Your great commission and great commandment. O Lord get us out of ourselves”. Certainly I and many others have prayed for this congregation over the past few years – that God would unite us and show His glory. The first day we were at the orphanage, the children greeted us in the now famous “kissing line”. After a while, I stepped out of line to take some pictures. As I stood there with tears streaming down my face watching my friends being greeted by precious children, I heard the Lord say – Lisa, all the prayers you have lifted up for Southmont have been answered today. Thank you Lord!
And that perfect job for Lauren? On Wednesday of the trip we met with Miguel. I mentioned that Lauren would be staying 5 more weeks and that she had just graduated from college. Miguel asked her major – education and Spanish. He said “Would she want to teach this coming school year – March to Dec?” I said, “Probably not. Her job is to tell people about God.” Miguel replied, “Then she could be our professor of religion!”
God reveals His will for our lives in the daily communications we have with Him; in our weak moments and in our times of praise. He will reveal Himself to us in the valleys of despair. He will send us a song, a friend, a breeze, a whisper. If you want to know God’s will, spend time with Him. Talk to Him, listen to Him, struggle with Him, tell Him how you really feel. Obey Him, move forward with whatever light He provides. II Chronicles 16:9 says “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His;” Proverbs 3:5-6 back that up with this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
What appears to be a teeny tiny step of weak obedience, just may be the beginning of the most amazing journey of your life!
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