I don't know why, but I'm constantly amazed at how God orchestrates things. Things don't just happen, He knows all along what is best. When we take time to look, we can see His hand upon even the smallest of details. To take 32 people from different places, different backgrounds and incredibly different personalities and put them together in Honduras to work as a team....impossible for us. God knew exactly who and what He needed here to accomplish His purposes and today that was sooo evident. Over 500 people came through church and the clinics today, 285 of which were children.
As we gathered this morning to pray and sing at the site before beginning our work, the people came to watch and some even came in to join us. They didn't know what we were saying, but they knew it was a Holy moment and they prayed with us. Pretty cool how God can connect us in ways a spoken language never could.
We got to church to discover that the local pastor was already preaching and the porch and yard we had scoped out for children's ministry was full of people. I couldn't do children's church the way I had planned...but of course God's plan was much greater than my plan. We had children's church up front, after preaching, giving them salvation tracts and other items, while taking time with each one and showing them God's love. It worked so well that we continued to do the same for the rest of the services and it was Awesome! I had about 10 different plans - lessons, puppets, drama, etc. for children's ministry ...that was not one of my plans. God knew just what would work all along.
While the pastor was preaching to the people, He was preaching hard about where they would spend eternity. He proceeded to tell them all about what they would receive from the mission team today, then added that the most important thing they could leave with today was medicine that gave them eternal life. He explained that everyone has sinned, but God gives them the free gift of eternal life. All they have to do is accept the gift. Such a simple basic message...but the most important one. The pastor knew that some of those people were only there for the free clinics and he knew he had one chance to tell them something that would change their life. How many times does God bring someone across our path for one time- for His purposes- and we miss the chance to make a difference?
For me, it's easy to come to Honduras and see God move all around me....no distractions. The challenge is to watch Him move in everyday life, and see where I can join Him.
God is Good! All the time! ....and His plans are better than my plans.
