A TRULY HAPPY EASTER!

I am unable to write an original post this Easter Sunday so I am sharing a prayer I wrote here a few years back along with a photo taken today:

I pray that each of you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus loved you so much He died so you can have new life.

I pray that you will experience the amazing freedom that comes from resting securely in His love.

I pray that the knowledge that He was passionate enough about you to be broken for you will bring the complete healing that you need in your heart.

I pray that you will fall so in love with Him that all the trials and hurts of this world will pale in comparison to His beauty.

Love to you all and HAPPY EASTER!
Elysa

NO MATTER

No matter how you celebrate this holiday weekend --- eggs or no eggs, chocolate crosses or jelly beans, old hymns or contemporary choruses --- I pray you'll experience Jesus in a very real and powerful way. He lived, died, and then rose again so you and I could have new life, eternal life, amazing life in Him. No matter how many rules you follow or how hard you try, you'll never experience the peace and freedom that comes when you trust Him with your life and let Him do His work in your soul, heart, and mind.

He's better than you think He is, more loving and wise than you can ever imagine.  But don't just take my word for it, give Him the chance to show you for Himself.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

  John 10:10

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

John 3:16

GOOD FRIDAY, Y'ALL!

I'm enjoying the blessing of spending Good Friday with my big girl, my sweet mama, and my brother's family, along with all my regulars. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for the people He has blessed me with and the bond of love we share, not just because we're family, but because of Jesus.

OBSERVING PASSOVER

The Passover meal is a much honored tradition at We Will Go. So much of the Passover reading points to Jesus and how He would fulfill the messianic prophecies and be sacrificed for our sakes as the perfect Lamb.

Here at We Will Go, we gather together as a faith family, inviting neighbors and extended family, friends and strangers. It is a beautiful way to prepare for Resurrection Sunday.

(ALMOST) WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

UPDATES AND REQUESTS

I wanted to use this post to share some various updates with y'all as well as ask for prayer about specific things.

First, my daughter Betsie and I will be going to Swaziland in a couple of months to do a lot of prayer walking, talking to folks there, look at housing options, investigate ministry options, etc. We have asked a couple of friends to go with us to help us pray and seek God's direction. A major roadblock has come up for one of them. Would you pray that if she's supposed to go, that God will work the situation out. If she's not supposed to go but someone else is supposed to be with us on the journey, we ask that God make that clear, also.

Our daughter Anna has taken on a second job. She is not only the emergency overnight dispatcher for her large apartment complex but is now working for a photography company. Pray for her as she seeks guidance for this summer. Should she get another job so she can save up for next school year or does God have something else in mind?

Betsie graduates in just a bit. She is working to finish Chemistry plus just a couple of loose ends. She is not working a regular job now that Swirly Treats shut sown but is putting in several hours a week doing babysitting, housecleaning, and other short-term jobs. She would really appreciate prayers for continued money making offers and scholarships for next year at MUW. She has applied for a Work Study position at the college already as she will not be able to count on us for financial provision once Jim retires and we move to Africa.

Lastly, thank you for keeping Merry in your prayers. She had her millions of stitches removed today and was once again a tough, brave girl. We are thankful for no infection or concussion and continue to pray against any kind of lasting damage. After her time at the plastic surgery clinic, I took her to get a Hello Kitty prize for being such a good patient. God's gonna use this little girl in big ways for His Kingdom. She's been made pretty amazing by our Father.

PRAY FOR MERRY?

Would you please pray for little Miss Merry? I will be taking her in tomorrow morning at 10:00 to get the stitches removed from her forehead.

Despite the bruising that has set in above her eye, even that has been limited and I praise God that there has been no infection and there was no concussion.

So join with me in prayers of thanks but also pray that she'll do as we'll with the stitches being taken out as she was with them going in. Thanks so much! She's already looking forward to picking out a Hello Kitty treat afterward.

IT TAKES TWO

My last blog post talked about how each of us is important in the Kingdom and that we all need each other. Preachers need folks to clean the church's toilets and rock the babies in the nursery. Evangelists need prayer warriors to give them spiritual back-up and teachers to train up the baby Christians. We missionaries need other parts of the Body of Christ as well and I was reminded of that this afternoon.

A lady came to We Will Go for the first time this afternoon. I picked her up from a day shelter in the ministry van and at some point, she told me she needed new shoes. Now this lady wasn't saying she needed new shoes like most of us say we need new shoes. For the majority of us here in America, when we say we need new shoes, what we really mean is "I'm tired of the ones I've been wearing and want a different style". But for this sweet woman, when she said she needed a new pair of shoes, she meant she needed a new pair of shoes.

Yep, that's the pair of shoes she'd been wearing, without socks, on a brutally cold March afternoon.

Normally, we try to encourage folks to come to the clothes ministry on the regular times it is open, but when someone comes to us with a need like this lady had, having her wait til Tuesday is just not an option in my book. So when we arrived at We Will Go, instead of going straight into the worship pavilion, I took her right on to the clothes ministry. She needed a big size and to be honest, I wasn't sure what we had. But praise God! We had several in her size and after I gave her a brand new pair of socks, she put them on and started trying on shoes. After just a few minutes, it was my extreme blessing to watch her walk right over to the worship pavilion in her like-new pink and white, super cute, Sketcher's tennis shoes.

Now I don't know who donated those shoes, but let me tell you, I might have been the one who got the pleasure of helping her get the much needed shoes, but I couldn't have done that without the donor who took the time to bring them to us.

A lot of times, we missionaries get put on a pedestal. We're often sort of seen as the super stars of the church. But that's just not right. We just have a different calling on our life but we still yell at our kids, think mean thoughts about our spouses, and get pulled over for driving too fast. We're not perfect. We're just given a different job. Many days I absolutely love this assignment God has given me. Other days, it is really, really hard. But the thing that makes it so worth the hard times is when we see someone trade an old life in for a new one.

Today, someone traded old shoes in for new ones. It didn't require a lot of work on my part and was really just a little thing. But it was huge for my new friend. Who knows but that this simple act of love put into practice will be the very thing that God uses to bring her to the place that she trades her old life for a new one in Him.

And this missionary couldn't have done her part of the story without the person who previously owned the pretty pink and white shoes playing her part, as well.

REMEMBER WHAT HE SAYS

All too often, we delegate some forms of ministry as more important than other forms. We put the preachers and the missionaries up on pedestals while the nursery worker or the person who comes and cleans the toilets before each church service is often overlooked. But service is service and what matters is that we are doing what the Lord has called each of us to do. If we're being obedient to what God called us to do, then no matter what it looks like, it is being faithful and it is important in His Kingdom.

I was reminded of this over the last couple of days. My husband Jim and a few of our visitors from the International House of Prayer have been working on replacing glass damaged in the recent hail storm.

While he was doing that much needed job over a couple of days period --- a servant's task for sure --- just a few yards away, I was leading groups of volunteers in the clothes ministry. During one of those times, a friend showed up who had been experiencing hideous back pain. I gathered the visiting volunteers and we began praying for her. As one of the IHOP girls began leading the prayers for healing, we were amazed and filled with thankful joy as God literally began miraculously healing not just one person, but several people there that day.

Believe me, it isn't every day that I see legs that are too short literally grow to the right length, so it would be very easy to get so excited that this act of obedience gets exalted above other Kingdom work, and that we must not do. Yes, miracles are exciting. They are tangible evidence of God's power and love. They are a tremendous gift and have the power to draw unbelievers to a saving knowledge of the Lord and bring believers to a deeper faith. But, we are clearly taught in the Bible that when we are in Jesus, difference does not mean more valuable:

Romans 12:4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your a faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, b do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

And then in this passage:

! Corinthians 12:1Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,a and to still another the interpretation of tongues.b 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized byc one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Wow. Each one of us is a part of the body of Christ! ONE BODY with different parts, all working together for His Kingdom purposes.

Let's remember this when Satan tries to convince us that we're second class Christians because we don't have a glamorous gifting or call. Let's not forget this when we're replacing window panes or changing dirty diapers while others are seeing miracles happen or leading dozens to salvation.  Jesus said that we were all not only worth dying for, but we're also worthy of being His body here on this earth. That must mean that in His opinion, despite all our imperfections, we're pretty darn valuable. And isn't His opinion the one that really matters?

TWO EVENTS

Today was dominated by two events: my mama's birthday and a visit to a plastic surgeon.

My sweet mama turned 73 today and though this means that I'm also getting older, the plastic surgeon visit was not related to either one of ours increased number of wrinkles. No, that visit was all about little Miss Merry.

While at a friend's house this afternoon, Merry was running and tripped --- because, as she says, Tom's are not good shoes to run in --- and hit her forehead against the edge of the hallway doorframe. There was a lot of blood and most of us were a lot more shaken up than she was. In fact, through the whole ordeal, she neither cried nor screamed.

I first took her to a local walk-in clinic but upon seeing how deep and long the gash was, they referred us to a plastic surgeon. After about a million stitches, the doctor proclaimed her his bravest child patient ever. The previous clinic's doctor had said the same thing.

Our little trooper is now sleeping and my phone is programmed to sound an alarm in two hours. I've been instructed to wake up every two hours and check to make sure she's responsive. We are praying against a concussion and infection. I am thankful that despite the nastiness of the injury, that she handled it well, we live in a nation with superb medical care, and we have great insurance. Please join with us in praying for her full recovery and that tomorrow, as I'm working with volunteers and running on little sleep, that the Holy Spirit will fill in all my empty spots.

Oh...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! I love you so much and today brought back memories of you holding me as we raced to the hospital for my forehead's stitches over 40 years ago. Thanks for always being there.

P.S. Y'all can all thank me for not posting the before-the-stitches gash photo.

AM AND WILL

What I am reading...

...and what I will be reading.

(KIND OF) WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

BIG NEWS ABOUT OUR FUTURE

I wanted to take the time to thank all of you who have supported us in varying ways as we journey toward living in Swaziland. The outpouring of love, demonstrated through prayers, emails, offerings, messages, and just the willingness to listen, has really made such a huge difference in this process.

We still don't have all the answers, but the joy, love, and peace we are experiencing during this season in our life is truly a gift from the Lord.

This past weekend, as most of you know, we traveled up to Zion, Illinois, and met with the folks at the ZEMA headquarters. We had applied to be missionaries with them and for the last year or two, really thought this was how we'd be serving in Swaziland. After long discussions and much prayer, we have all come to the conclusion that we are not a good match for their ministry. We really respect and appreciate what they are doing in Southern Africa. Many are coming to Jesus and being strengthened in their faith and leadership as a result of ZEMA, but it isn't the direction the Lord is taking us.

At this moment, we are still seeking God's will for the direction He does want us to take. We are still very sure of our calling. We know that He does want us serving Him in Swaziland. We know that we have a heart for orphans and my husband especially has a heart for teaching and ministering to fatherless boys and young men. The whole family desires for us to be involved in a ministry that will allow us to all serve together. We have gotten used to this style of ministry living here at We Will Go and look forward to having Jim around us even more once he retires.

We need your prayers even more as we seek God's will for the specific ministry He wants us to be a part of, where we should be living, and other important aspects. We have some very interesting possibilities at this point and know that if they are God's best, then when the time is right, He'll confirm them and make them all work out.

I'll keep you updated on news and prayer requests as we keep traveling this road. Again, thank you all for your support. We hope to see many of you before we move to Swaziland, Lord willing, in 9 to 10 months. If not before we move, you'll just have to come visit us in Africa!

With excitement and overwhelming joy, Elysa

OH HAIL TO THEE

At my alma mater, Mississippi University for Women, we sang a song pledging loyalty to our college that started with "oh hail to thee". Today, we experienced a different kind of hail --- the hard, cold kind that, in this case, is thrown from the sky. Physically, we are all fine. It was actually pretty exciting while it happened. Unfortunately, the damage done to some of our ministry buildings was not very exciting. Our son David had a bedroom window broken out, two skylights in our attic were shattered, and holes were literally punched thru the roofs of a couple of out Base 2 houses.

It could have been a lot worse and we praise God for a ministry family that comes together during times like this. They truly are God's provision in the storms of life.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Hope your and yours have had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.  We love this day.  In fact, we love and respect so much the missionary who this day was named after that our oldest son is named in his honor.  As a result, it is a pretty big day around MacFaith House.

So what are the elements of our St. Patrick's Day?

Green clothes*Reuben sandwiches*Hey Paddy by The Electrics*green and white cookies*more music by The Electrics*VeggieTales St. Patrick's Day video*cabbage slaw*holiday door decoration*pinching non-green wearers*introducing friends to our holiday traditions

So what about you? How did you and yours celebrate this holiday?

SOUTHERN BOUND

Woke up this morning and loved being greeted by African voices. Much better than a cup of java to start the day for sure!

After breakfast, a meeting with ZEMA's director, snow play, lunch, and lots of pictures, we packed up and did some touristing.

The Mars's Cheese Castle was deliciously fun and Lake Michigan was powerfully beautiful. The icy wind was impressive but way too intense for this Mississippi family.

As wonderful as it all was, we were ready to get in the van and head home.

Pray for us as we travel this South bound journey, but even more, pray for us as we continue our journey toward living in Swaziland. God is speaking to us for sure. We are all sensing some of the same things. Now we look forward to seeing what specific steps He will direct us to take next.

THE VERY BEST THING

Today has been full, full, full. We had an impressive campus visit at the Moody Bible Institute, a memorable first lunch at a Rainforest Cafe, a lot of fun with all the snow scenery, and a really nice time at the ZEMA business meeting tonight.

But the very best thing? Getting to spend the night with our sweet new friends, a ZEMA missionary family who had been serving in Southern Africa but is originally from Rwanda.

The kids are having a blast together and we grown-ups have been sharing our God stories and talking about Africa so you know I'm in blessed bliss!

READY OR NOT

Here we come!!!

To Chicago, that is, for a ZEMA meeting and some bonus activities such as visiting Moody Bible Institute, oohing and aahing at the critters housed at the Gurnee Mills Reptile Zoo, freezing for a pic by Lake Michigan, and buying lots of cheese just over the Wisconsin border.

We MacMillions know how to roadtrip!

COMING DOWN FROM THE TREE

Bright and early yesterday, a neighbor came knocking on our door.  It wasn't someone needing a ride to the bus stop or asking for money so they could by medicine.  It was a neighbor with some very good news.

I've been asking for prayer here on my blog, at facebook, in my children's church class, via text messages, and just through word of mouth, all on behalf of my neighbor and her cat Kitty Baby.


Anyone who has ever lived alone and owned a pet knows that the little critter becomes more than just a possession, it becomes a beloved companion.  The only time during my two years in Swaziland as a single missionary, that I wanted to leave and go back to the States, was when my cat was killed.

Understanding this, and also really wanting to demonstrate love towards my neighbor, showing support through visits, sidewalk chalk messages, and prayers were a top priority for our family since Saturday, when we first found out about Kitty Baby's dilemma.


I am very happy to report that the neighbor's good news was all about Kitty Baby coming down from the tree.  My neighbor doesn't have much money so a friend frequently brings over canned cat food.  The cat food friend came over on Monday night to check on the situation and when Kitty Baby heard his voice, down he came.  Kitty Baby's human companion said they think it is because the cat associated the man's voice with one of its favorite foods, plus it had been up there for 5 days by that point.


But more importantly than that reason, my neighbor is crediting God.  She flat out called it a miracle.


We read in James 1:17 ---

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Each blessing that comes our way --- whether it is beautiful sunset or a recovered pet, a hug from an old friend or a supernatural healing --- is a gift from our God.  A gift not because we're perfect, but a gift because He is perfect and loves us more than we can even begin to comprehend.  Each of these gifts is a love letter from Him to us.

Just like Kitty Baby can't even begin to comprehend how much his person loves him and how much it was hurting her heart to see him suffering, so we are with God.

He is there as a daddy, just waiting, like my neighbor was waiting.  He's got our favorite food waiting for us, a dry place to sleep, and a big ole papa lap for us to crawl up in.  But we let things keep us up in that tree.  Finally, His faithful patience wins out.  We let the voice of provision and concern overwhelm our cries and fears and we make that journey back to Him.  And when we reach Him, He's not vindictive.  He doesn't turn a cold shoulder to us because we stayed away for so long.  He scoops us up, pours His love on us, and then goes and tells everyone that His beloved is safe.  His beloved has come back.

Is He waiting on you?

LIVE YOUR LIFE

“You ought to live your life with such freedom and joy

 that uptight Christians will doubt your salvation.” 

**********

Steve Brown, A Scandalous Freedom: The Radical Nature of the Gospel 

If you are looking for some freedom and you hunger for grace-based joy, I highly recommend the book that this quote is from as well as many of Steve Brown's other books. God used him greatly in my life about fifteen years ago to set me free from so much stuff that was holding me back from being who God wanted me to be. You can find more information on his writings, listen to podcasts, and request free materials at this website: http://www.keylife.org/

A BIT OF THIS, A BIT OF THAT

Just thought I'd share some bits and pieces of news and prayer needs in today's post. Lots going on in our lives and in the neighborhood around us.

*My mom just spent a few days with us. She, Laura, and Merry got the entire kitchen reorganized while Betsie and I were at MUW for Scholar's Day. She also helped a lot in the clothes ministry and it was just nice having her around. We cherish these times together knowing that soon we'll not see each other very often.

*The cat I wrote about it yesterday's blog is still up the tree. Today makes the 5th day he's been up there. Please keep praying he'll come down. The fire department has been by twice and they can't do anything. We've called animal control. A volunteer at the ministry even called a relative who works for a construction company. All avenues have been pursued. Now it is up to the cat and God.

*Patrick shared his testimony publicly for the first time yesterday during the We Will Go Sunday afternoon worship service. He was honest and funny. I see a possible career as a Christian comedian in his future. He especially had the teenaged girls sitting behind me laughing a lot.

*The auction for Chris Howard's painting ended last night. Karen McGivney is the winner at $60.

*We are have painting days on almost a weekly basis and would love to have you join us in creating pieces to auction off for Patrick's mission trip to Africa. If you can't be here but you're artistic, let me know if you'd like to create something to be sold on his behalf.

*Two other teenagers in our life are going to Swaziland this summer, Nick Hodge from our church and Katie Wilkerson who volunteers here at We Will Go. I love the chance to talk about Swaziland even more than usual.

*I also love dark chocolate. A lot.

TRAPPED BY FEAR

One of our neighbors showed up at my house yesterday morning quite upset. She lives alone with her cat. Kitty Baby is her only family here in Jackson. But four days ago, Kitty Baby was chased up a tree by a gang of wild dogs.

Merry and I went with her to look at the cat way up in the top of the tallest tree around. The fear was that the cat was tangled up in vines and couldn't get down, but as Merry and I prayed for the cat, it started moving from branch to branch. It didn't come down, but the movement at least assured his human companion that he was capable of getting down. We stayed for a while and prayed and talked. Someone from down the street heard the crying kitten and came with cat food in a bin and shook it long in hard of hopes that Kitty Baby would come down. He didn't.

Merry and I had to leave and get back to the ministry base, but we assured our neighbor that we would keep praying.

And we did. In fact, this morning, I told my children's church class about Kitty Baby and asked them to pray.

Just a bit ago, our neighbor came back. It is raining quite hard and the wind is blowing but Kitty Baby persists in clinging to his treetop retreat. The cat is like many of us. We run away to escape dangers or hurts, and for a while that place of safety is exactly that, a place of safety. But all too often, we stay in that place much longer than we need to and the very place that was initially a good place for us, becomes a trap. A place that actually is hurting us and even could be hurting the ones who love us. We are afraid of the process involved in getting back to normal. Sometimes the process is hard. It can even be dangerous, but it is absolutely necessary if we are going to live life to its fullest, and not stay isolated and stranded on the top of an old dying tree.

Tonight, I want you to pray for Kitty Baby and the neighbor who is worried sick over her kitten. But I also want you to do something else. I want you to ask yourself if you might be like that kitten. You're trapped in a place of your own making and you desperately need to take the steps necessary to be set free. The journey to freedom can be extremely difficult. You might have to face the demons of your past before you can be free from them. But that freedom is so worth it. You are worth that freedom and the people who love you are worth you being set free.

Just as my neighbor stands and sits and stands hour after hour calling up to Kitty Baby, encouraging him to come down, so our Savior is calling. He is waiting patiently and persistently for you to take those first steps.

But unlike Kitty Baby, who has to take the journey to freedom all on his own, you don't have to. The very Spirit of God is absolutely willing and able to actually give you the ability to take those first steps and God promises to empower you every step of the way. You just have to ask Him.

Kitty Baby is up in that tree howling and yowling. His master is powerless to help him.

Our God is not.

Our God is able to do anything and everything needed to bring you home.

[Jesus] came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act! ”He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”

Luke 4:15-17

SERVICE SATURDAY

Every Saturday, volunteers converge on We Will Go. Sometimes it is a church group, other times a family or even an individual. Most groups come on a Saturday morning and they do a variety of service tasks such as organizing in the clothes shop, packing up canned good bags, cleaning up empty lots, and weeding the flowerbeds. The whole We Will Go ministry family joins in to lead the volunteers as well as work alongside them. Even the youngest missionary kids get in on the servant action.

Most Saturdays, we wrap up the work by 1:00 and have the rest of the afternoon to do family stuff or get our own housework and errands taken care of. Some Saturdays, the service and ministry goes on all day long.

This was one of those times.

After a lunch break of sandwiches and some time of planning, the Florence-Richland Homeschool Group's teen club arrived at Faith House for an afternoon of service and fellowship.

Fellow missionary Levi, one of our neighbors who frequently attends We Will Go ministry events, and I shared about the ministry. Levi also told them about how God brought him here to We Will Go.

Then it was time to do a tour of Base 1 and prayer walk to Base 2 while we picked up trash along the way.

Once we got to Base 2, Laura and Jay Sims shared their God story with the group including a lot of details about their time in Mozambique last year.

Finally, it was time to take the requisite group picture and send everyone on their way after one of the teenaged girls admitted that being at We Will Go wasn't half as scary as she thought it was going to be, in fact, most of them seemed to have a really good time while here.

But more than a good time, I pray that God spoke to each of them and revealed something about Himself and His plans for their lives. Who knows what seeds planted today will grow into something much bigger than those small plastic bags filled up with trash. That was the results that we could see with our eyes. The Lord can see much deeper and further than just that.