A Three Week Review

Well, I was getting somewhat overwhelmed with all that was going on down here, and when I got behind on blogging I figured I'd wait until things slowed down before I started writing again. (I know this makes absolutely no sense, but I talked myself into believing it. I can be very persuasive sometimes!) So, in short, we have been under attack! We started out breaking down on a highway with no shoulder. So, all three of us girls jumped out and started pushing - uphill. It was great. Of course, nobody stopped to help, but they did a lot of honking and staring. At one point I turned around and asked no one in particular what they wanted us to do! Finally a man started yelling at us in Spanish. We quickly let him know that it didn't matter how loud he yelled, we weren't going to understand his command. After a while we understood that he wanted us to get inside the care and he was going to push our bumper with his until we came to an off ramp. Praise the Lord for our Spanish speaking angel!
That same day, after getting back to the ranch and jogging off some frustration, I jumped in the pool to cool off, only to find several minutes later, my poor phone drowning on the bottom of the pool. I've been told that I should have had a smart phone, so it would have known how to swim.
Several days later, our driver had her phone stollen off her car seat. Around that same time, Kayla Cook, one of my favorite team members, passed out at a Jewish man's door. THIS WAS NOT IN THE PLAN!!! We know that Satan doesn't like what we're doing, but there comes a point that you wonder what part is Satan and what part is just plain stupidity. Needless to say we were getting discouraged. I used to begin each day telling the girls what a great day it was going to be, but I began telling them that we'd probably get run over or kidnapped, but it would still be a good day because God makes no mistakes.
Last Friday we saw 4 people saved and we were so excited! We were able to talk to two Muslim men who were desperately searching for the truth. We gave them the gospel and although they were not ready to claim Christ as their Messiah, the door was left wide open for a pastor to come back and pray with them and continue to share the message of Jesus Christ. We were thrilled... and pretty amazed that nothing bad had happened all day. No literally - we were a little sceptical. This never happens to us! That night I spent the entire night in the ER with Kayla while they tried to figure out what was causing her to faint. So, maybe Satan was still fighting.
It wasn't until Thursday that our whole group was able to go out together again. Sickness was tugging down two of my girls and it was all we could do to get from day to day without losing one or the other. I was tired. They were tired. We were a mess. Welcome Friday - the last day of our work week - and we get hit by a car. We are all healing up well, but there are times when I ask God, "Why." However, it is not my place to question God. As Job said, "Shall we receive good from the hand of the Lord and not evil also?" God does not make mistakes, and through it all I am learning to trust.
We would very much appreciate any prayer that you can spare. Kayla Cook went home to heal and to figure out what was causing her fainting. Her plan is to come back at the beginning of August. Amanda Price went home to heal and found out that she has a spinal injury that is going to require several weeks of physical therapy. Ashley Maynard is experiencing minor back and neck pain which the doctor attributes to tight muscles along her spine. However, she is going to tough it out and has already returned to work. I am experiencing some chest pain due to what the doctor believes is an irritated rib connection that hurts but is definitely not fatal. Praise the Lord I am back on the battlefield!
God is good and makes no mistakes. I must admit that the relentless attack of Satan was beginning to take its toll. However, this morning I was reminded that sometimes we will grow weary and we will fall.

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the end of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
God has not given up on me. It is no3 a sin to grow weary. Even the youngest and strongest will do it. But it is the just man that riseth up again. And it is God that gives the strength to stand.