6th months...

This weekend we have to leave Costa Rica, crossing the border into Nicaragua to get our passports stamped. We do this every 90 days. This weekend also marks a ministry milestone, in that we have now been here for six months. One thing hasn't changed in the time that I have been here. That is, the understanding that we ALL have natural and spiritual gifts that God has equipped each of us with. God won't use those who are unwilling and fight against Him. He cannot and He will not force us to serve Him. But, He did promise that He would empower us to do His work and He would prepare us for it. I think there is a misconception that missionaries are spiritual Super Hero's. I can promise you that we have been tested over the past six months in our faith. I can promise you that there have been days when we have really struggled with wanting to come home. There have been frustrating days because of language barriers. But, I can also tell you that on those particular days God was present with us! He has used many different ways to meet our spiritual needs and to encourage us in our ministry; emails, an opportunity to have some free time and check our mail and not ironically find that we had received something from home, specifically a letter from our parents, or from our church, phone calls that we "out of the blue" received from friends at home and the list can go on. I guess, what I am trying to say, is that we are ALL "called"! Faithfulness and availability is all that HE needs because He can, and is able, to fill in the gaps. And while I wish I was "Mrs. Incredible", I realize that these times of hardship and frustration are intended to continue to mold me; my attitude, my actions and my heart so that I might be more like Him.