One week left.
Have I mentioned how stressful this process has been? Have I also mentioned how throughout all the stressors, God has remained faithful and shown up in His perfect timing to work out details from big to little. He's shown up just when we need him to give us encouragement. To take something off our plate. To calm our fears.
I was reading in 2 Timothy tonight. 2 Timothy 2:1 says: "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." How poweful is that? Even when I'm faithless, God is still faithful!
This past week has especially been a roller coaster for us. Let's just say that a few short nights ago, we were so discouraged that we didn't think we could go to Haiti. I ashamedly admit we were nearing that faithless point. "If God wants us in Haiti, how come our house isn't sold/rented? There's only one week left! Should we really go? There's a lot of issues to work through in Haiti once we get there. It would feel safer and more known if we just stay in the US. Can we do it? Can God really use the Mulligan family for these tasks and His purposes there?"
Doubt. Fear. Faithlessness. It all crept in. We sat on our (empty) bedroom floor praying that God would answer just ONE of our unknowns right now. Just one. Then, a day later God revealed His faithfulness when my faith was almost gone. A perfect renter came to us, signing a year lease with the potential of adding a second year. An older couple that needs to move closer to family from out of state. God had this planned all along, and it wasn't just about US needing to rent our house, but about THEM needing to find a place this past week. Funny when you get reminded how life isn't all about ME! :)
The verse in 2 Timothy was written by Paul (in a letter to a pastor named Timothy) when he was in prison in Rome. At the time he was expecting that in a short while he would be executed for his faith. He wanted Timothy to know that trials and hardships are a normal part of life. He encouraged him to stand firm and faithfully follow Christ even through those hardships. Something that Paul was such a testimony to. Did I mention Paul was expecting to be executed for his faith while he wrote this???....."God remains faithful"
I'm so glad I have that nugget of truth to hold on to. We've been scared....but we're surely not facing execution (as Paul was) for serving orphans in Haiti. Yet Paul stood firm in His faith in God. You see, all the "roller coasters" we've been on over the past few weeks have served a purpose. I truly believe God has wanted us in a place where we can't do any more in our own powers or manipulations. Where we depend solely on Him to provide what we need next. We're not accustomed to that dependency in the US. We can do a whole lot on our own with our resources and create a false little bubble of security. Haitians know that dependency, though. They depend on Him daily as they lack the resources to create a security bubble. God has wanted us to look to Him FIRST and trust in the him for everything we need. We've been in that state of dependency. Badly. He has remained faithful, and I love the place it has left us. Craving him more. Loving him more. Depending on him more - for everything!
What a refining process it's been. I know there's a lot more refining to do, as always, so please pray for us in the roller coasters to come! We're excited as we enter our last week in the states with energy and confidence in our new journey.
We're excited to get rolling in Haiti. Please pray for our staff in the coming week. Our Haitian staff and American staff. That we would all click as a family and that we can work together for the common purpose of caring for the orphaned and abandoned children of Haiti with the love of Christ, and to ultimately Glorify God.
