Are you a Threat?...

As promised, I am following up with blog #2.

November, as I mentioned before, was truly packed with lots of people, baking, travels, & life....

but, it was also filled with a few more little things,

Trials...   Frustrations...  Worries...  Problems...

Often times we (meaning everyone) face trials & we try to ignore them or act like it is just "the hand we were dealt." We might even think we deserve it or we say, "oh well, that's just life!"

But living life overseas as missionaries has caused us to understand that indeed sometimes... problems are just part of life; However, we can never let our guard down... we must face the reality that we are fighting a spiritual battle.

Time is short...  The enemy is resorting to drastic measures... he is pulling out all of the stops!

We are the target... we must be prepared... we can not be spiritually lazy!

Some might argue that spiritual warfare is real or that God protects us through the process...

I am inclined to say that those who feel that way are often times not a threat.

But after the journey that our family has been down the past 2 years alone, I have no question in my mind that it is a REAL battle.

But I am even more convinced that God is REAL & that he has a divine plan & purpose for us all.

What a relief to know that we are not in this battle alone!

I mentioned in the last blog that Chris officiated a wedding about 2 weeks ago. As far as timing, it was not a preferred time for him to travel but when it's a wedding... what do you do?

A month filled with birthdays, Thanksgiving, a week of teaching, & stressful staff dynamics.

Our kids were sick, or homesick, or stressed (kids feel the struggles too!)

And now... it was time for another trip! Trips always effect our family in a different way now after the trip to Maracaibo in 2011 that changed our lives forever.

We don't walk in fear... but the memories are still there.

Chris, Isaiah, & Frank Yu (one of our team members) headed off friday after Chris finished teaching his last class.

I stayed home with the other 2... I was sick... & ended up cooking all weekend for a house full of people.

(never a dull moment around here!)

The trip went well... The wedding was successful

This is Jose & his lovely bride, Dina as Chris officiates the ceremony.

I am told everything was quite lovely... that is, at the wedding!

The following picture is to give you a little "taste" of the culture! *smile*

Ok, bad joke!

Actually, this meat was strung up to be prepared for the wedding & was in the kitchen of the family of the newly weds.

As you can see... Isaiah was dying to take a bite!






After doing the wedding, Chris was asked by the local pastor to preach for the sunday morning service. And for those of you that know my husband... you know he said "YES!"

Sunday afternoon they began the trip back.

All was going well until it started to rain. Chris noticed the van sounding a bit funny.

He told Frank to pull over & get some fuel because not all gas stations sell Diesel.

They were only there for a couple of moments & then got back on the road.

They noticed the traffic was standing still.

Frank & Isaiah ( against his father's advice that it could be scary) walked down the road to see what had happened???

A double decker bus had mis-turned & flipped over onto the car next to it completely crushing the driver & his passenger. People were trapped in the bus & Isaiah actually saw severed body parts lying in the road.

Both guys were overcome with grief... memories of Chris's accident flooded their minds...

But the thing that nearly brought them to tears, was the reality that had they not pulled off for gas, they would have been the flattened vehicle. They pulled off from behind the bus just moments before the bus flipped onto the car that pulled up after they turned off!

What a surreal moment... In the blink of an eye... how quickly life can change!

They drove about 100 miles further with the van having more problems until finally they were forced to pull off of the road.

Again, they were at a gas station... this time, it was literally at the base of the most evil mountain in Venezuela.

They couldn't figure out how to make the van start so they finally called home so I could find a wrecker. We called a local pastor friend to go to their aid since they were about an hour away.

The pastor arrived around 11 pm. with his son.

A wrecker passed by & Chris, the pastor, & his son took off running to catch it.

Frank & Isaiah stayed with the van.

In the couple of moments that they were gone, the gas station manager called a friend to come & rob Frank & Isaiah.

An armed man came up to them making threats & demanding money or they would be killed.

Frank literally had nothing to give them & even had no phone since he had forgotten his in our office. They were both trying to convince the man that they had nothing knowing that it is often said here, if you don't give them something... they will kill you!

Isaiah suddenly remembered that he had 50 BsF. in his back pack (the equivalent of less than $4) that he had received in tooth fairy money.

He quickly grabbed it & told the guy that he had what he wanted & to leave them alone!

The guy ran into the shadows just as Chris & the others returned.

Never have I ever been so thankful for tooth fairy money!

Chris & Frank stayed with the van since no wreckers were available late on a sunday night.

Isaiah went home with the pastor since he was pretty shaken up.

The next day they returned safely.

And so that brings us to today.

Our family has spent the last 2 weeks in a state of numbness.

We have been prayerful... stressed... confused... overwhelmed

yet we know that God is in control of it all.

God has placed us in front of quite a few ministries here in Venezuela.

But for those of you in leadership, you know that being in charge comes with a price.

Right now we are dealing with both the good & the not so good that accompany leadership.

The enemy knows our buttons...

Is it money???     Is it safety???    Is it lack of control???    Is it disunity???

For us, I can say that it is definitely all 4 of the above mentioned things.

Satan has tried to hit us where it hurts... But we are determined that he will NOT win.

It is indeed a spiritual battle... but we serve a God that will forever be victorious.

We will overcome because Christ has already overcome.

We will walk in authority because we are children of God.

May you be encouraged that the battle is not yours... it's God's!

Walk in victory my friends... God has a plan & purpose for your life & no one or nothing can change that! Even when buses fall from the sky & crush your body or robbers threaten your life & try to bring you fear... God will use those experiences to make you stronger.

Satan only uses his time investing in those that are a threat to his plans because they are fulfilling the will of God.

My question for you: Are you a threat?