Saturday, August 6, 2011

Didn't See This One Coming....

As I have laid in bed many a night knowing I need to update the blog, I think, "Where does one even begin".  I realize the last post was in March and look back on that date and realize I never knew what was coming. 

We arrived in the States, excited, and ready to travel.  To see our friends and family.  Excited to share all the things that God is doing and extend our gratitude for all those who have made it possible.  

Little did we know what God had in store for us.  

The trip progressed as normal.  We traveled from place to place, realizing that we wished we could stay longer everywhere we went, and realized that wasn't possible.  Enjoyed the fellowship, the late nights, card games, and visits.  But, there was an underlying theme going on that not many saw.  

In Branson, our first stop, the conference was amazing.  The Lord spoke and we enjoyed the fellowship as we always do.  Then, the Lord said something about coming back to the States.  WHAT!?!?!! We didn't see that coming.  We weren't even sure if that was the Lord.  Can't be.  So we just kept that in our hearts, the back burner, and continued our trip.  It seemed as though someone would say something about coming back to the States or taking a break, nearly everywhere we went.   We both were simmering on that internally.  Not even discussing it amongst ourselves.  Then one night came where we were receiving prayer and, again, it came up.  OK, now this is in a group setting.  Can't ignore it.  So we went there a bit.  Discussed. Cried. Thought.  

The days following Roger and I (Rhonda) were in some serious meetings with the Lord and each other.  "Was this really His will?"  "We've always said we'd stay for the people of Nicaragua." "We love the people."  "Our hearts are with them."  "They are going through, and are getting ready to go through, such a hard time."  "Could this really be?"  We cried more, talked more, thought more, prayed more.  Later in April we came to an agreement, the two of us, that we felt peace about returning to the States.  (Even as I write this I can't believe we did it.)  

We kept it between us, for the most part, until early May, when we told family.  It was one of the hardest decisions I have been a part of, to date.  It was hard for all of us.  The kids have never lived in the States. It was a totally new thing to them.  They weren't returning to a life they once knew.  And we, Roger and I, weren't returning as the people we once were.  We've been changed and molded by the time we've been out of the States, 9 years, and the people we have met and the God that has seen us through.  

We were about to embark on a journey like no other....

1 comment:

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.