One more week !!

Only one more short week to go and we'll be taking off on our first ever family mission trip. God is so good!!! I'm not just saying that, either. It's a very cliche' statement, but SO TRUE!!

I could write a short story, or possibly a novel on all the ways God has made himself evident JUST in the preparations for this trip alone. And, He's shown up in all other kind of ways, too!!!

Just to encourage some hearts and refresh my spirit a few of the MAJOR hurdles/events God saw us through during the preparations of our journey!

• The timing of that initial phone call from Elijah to our pastor. This just "happened" to be the very DAY that Kelsie, Randy and I were having a conversation about the "what-ifs" of going overseas this very summer!!!
• Receiving a note in the mail regarding Daniel's non-citizenship in the US. If we had not been planning this trip, his VISA would have expired THIS YEAR and who knows how long and how difficult it would have been to get the process finished then!
• Referals from our pastor and friends regarding a lawyer-we didn't know where to turn, but, again, GOD did and led us to a wonderful Christian lawyer!!! PTL!!!
• Receiving Daniel's AMERICAN passport in break-neck, recording-breaking speed! Thank you Lord for putting us in touch with people who know people!!!!
• Finding Kelsie's long-lost passport! In the glove compartment of my car after searching for weeks on end the Lord led me to look there and....well, God is always ON TIME!!!!
• Fund-raising-God has been faithful in providing funds in various ways for this trip. Praise him for our church body, our family and many, friends who have contributed to this effort. We have raised enough to completely cover the costs of our airfare!!! We felt this was impossible, BUT.....Nothing is impossible with and FOR God!!! $6500 tickets, PAID IN FULL!!! Thank you Jesus!

That's just a small, but OVERWHELMING list of items that God has done for us and through us during these past 8 months. We started planning and thinking about this trip in late November of 2010. Our first concert was held after Christmas, 2010 and our fund-raising was on it's way. I'm so encouraged, and so overwhelmed just recalling all the many ways God has made himself REAL to our family these last few months.

Praise Him with me, rejoice with Me!!! He is so worthy of our praise!!!!

Now, since we KNOW He is listening to the prayers of His people, here are a few specific needs you can join us in prayer!

1. We will practice TONIGHT! Pray for smooth practice, calm nerves, gentle spirits, and family harmony! (In more ways than one)
2. Randy and I both have felt the devil attacking us this last week and trying to get at us, pray that we will remain strong in our Faith and testimony.
3. Pray for Randy as he continues to work on the program for our concerts in both Oradea and Croatia! We don't want this to JUST be singing, we want the gospel CLEARLY presented.
4. Pray for the success of the gospel in Oradea,(Romania) Slovinski Bord, and Nova Gradiska (Croatia)

You all are precious to us! Your encouragement through words, actions, and finances has simply overwhelmed us! Praise be to God who, according to Ephesians 3:20

	Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,