A Night To Remember...

Dan had the honor... and daunting task to preach at our home church. It is kind of akin to teaching a class to every teacher and professor you ever had in your whole life... and every aunt, grandma and high school bully all at the same time! 

He has been preparing for this night for a few weeks now. I was getting sweaty palms for him...! 

Our church streams on JustinTV and you can listen to the whole message here if you would like to. I highly recommend it! Dan was preceded by a true friend and mentor in the faith, Mike Ireland, who jokingingly said before service that he was Dan's opener. He really set the tone for the message amazingly well, and I am sure that was a thing of the Lord! 

I dont have a camera... it was a casualty of our chaotic move in January. I did go to justinTV and take a few screen shots of the service! 

 It was a great message on "open doors", and how the Lord will give us opportunities that are not going to be easy, but they will lead to the Abundant Life! There will be doors that are challenging, that require change, that have a season of "being open", and lastly filled  with ADVERSITY. It was a great and challenging message. Truly one born of experience with following the Lord through many doors... several of which we had thoughts of turning back around and going right out them again! Alas the Grace of God kept us where the Will of God called us!

Pastor Grace closed the service in a very unique way, and truly we are blessed to be part of such an amazing home church. He complimented Dan telling him, "Dan, the Lord has blessed you with a good mind. I love you and I appreciate you. That spoke to my heart." Wow!  God is good!! Not to say I don't agree with Pastor, but his words carry quite a bit more weight than mine :)

Then he hugged him. **pass out tissues here**. Pastor has been my pastor since I was a pre-teen. First he was our youth pastor, then the Sr. Pastor of the church in the early 80's. He is someone we both look up to and respect. This was quite an evening for us. An honor. Humbling. Challenging.

Then he asked us to come to the front of the church, and made some comments that were completely unexpected. He said it was his goal and prayer that if the Lord wills, and with the help of our church, we will be ready to leave for the field at the end of the year.

THIS year.

2012.

For sure.

That has been our prayer for months. The Lord has given Dan and I complete peace about planning for then. It is only when I thing about the reality of gaining the additional 40% support and the massive start up fund that we will need do I begin to wonder if that peace is based on reality, or my delusional dreams!

Well it seems the Lord has led my Pastor to the same conclusion, and where two or three are gathered together, there HE Is in the midst of them!!

Mike Metzger, Pastor Grace, Mike Ireland. Heros of the Faith to us. 

He then called anyone from the congregation who has a connection to us or a vested interest in us and our ministry to Zambia to come down and gather around us and lay hands on us. Then he asked three people to pray to that end. WoW!! A Surreal moment that is burned into my memory as one of the most encouraging and affirming events I have experienced.

Thank You, Lord, for the good gifts and perfect gifts you continually give to me. You truly are worthy!!

Next Step... TICKETS!! :)