Provision

Declaring and Shifting...

It's amazing what happens when you praise your way out of dark holes. When I wrote my last blog, "Rejoicing through the trials",  I was in a bit of a hole and doubted our whole "American Adventure". I honestly felt like we were crazy and irresponsible and the thoughts in my head sounded like, "what on earth are we doing here, what were we thinking?!!" 

Yes I felt like Eeyore with a dark cloud over my head and I had many good old moans at God :). Thank goodness He loves me so much!

Its amazing what happens to your "atmosphere" when you praise your way through it. While I was typing the last blog I actually physically felt something shift and lift; hope rise and the childlike excitement we had throughout our journey returned. When I read the blog aloud to Pete it was like I was declaring truth and it put all my icky emotions back into line with what God had said. 

The Car...

The day after I wrote my last blog, we received a phone call from Toyota to say that our car actually had nothing wrong with it. The mechanics were apparently quite confused as, three days prior, there had been a blown or cracked head gasket which would've cost $3000 to repair. Now, after 2 days of testing,  there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. They had test-driven it for 120 miles, stuck cameras down almost every pipe, checked and re checked the head gasket and .... well it was perfect. With relief we went and fetched our car and received a full three page report of all the tests done. The car salesman (who goes to Bethel) actually said, "Dude God totally healed your car!" ha ha!!! Come on!! 

The Girls...

When we arrived in Redding we found out that formula is quite expensive compared to South Africa! And so the advice we were given was to put Katie onto cows milk as she doesn't need formula because she is over 12 months old. I think mums need to trust their gut more because a mother does, after all,  know her child better than anyone else ever will (can I hear an amen?!). So often we doubt ourselves and look to everyone else for help when, in fact, the Holy Spirit often tells us what to do first. After 2 weeks of being on cows milk Katie fell really ill and after running back and forth to the doctor and trying different medicines; I finally trusted my gut and took Katie off cows milk. Well the difference was frightening!! Katie's ear cleared up and her rash and swelling disappeared after a few days. Once her ear was totally clear she started to walk and is now unstoppable :) Peace returned to our home and hearts.

I guess it has taken us about 6 weeks to find our groove. Pete is loving school and is receiving so much! I have been doing some courses in the evenings at Bethel and am spiritually feeling so alive and inspired. Amy is loving her school and is growing daily into a confident, kind and beautiful little lady. I really am SO blessed and feel totally humbled at what God has given us.

Provision...

Do I miss home? Yes! Sometimes I miss home so much that my stomach actually aches. I miss my own culture; being fully understood by my friends and having a support structure of family around me. I miss going to the shops and knowing my prices. I miss Ina Parman's spices and Woolies Sales :) 

I miss knowing that money will be coming into our bank account at the end of every month ha ha!!! 

Over the last six weeks God has really been showing me that HE is our provider. When we did our first grocery shop I was shocked at how expensive it is to eat healthy food here and I actually got quite stressed every time I went to the grocery store. My stomach would be in a knot with every item I put in my basket, and my small basket of basic foods would ring up to $50. My hand would shake as I handed over the cash knowing that it was actually R500 and especially knowing what R500 could get me at home. It sounds silly, but our money in the bank has to last us for the year and if we are really diligent, we can stay longer which is our hearts desire. We aren't allowed to earn any money during our stay unless it comes in the form of donations or offerings.

The word "budget" was coming out of my mouth far too often and I didn't like it. "It was for freedom that Christ has set us free" and I know that we are designed and destined to be free. Not free to be stupid and irresponsible; but FREE from fear, FREE from anxiety and FREE from the poverty mindset that always says " I cant" and "I don't have enough" or "I can't afford". We are sons and daughters and part of being a son and a daughter means that we are ALWAYS provided for and NEVER in lack. 

I felt that I needed to watch the words that came out of my mouth because with those words and that poverty mindset I can disqualify us very quickly from receiving blessings. And with words of LIFE and faith we open ourselves up to blessings and freedom. It really is simple hey?

So yes, God spoke to me clearly on that one!! AGAIN the familiar words, "Lisa do you trust Me?" YES I do Lord! "Then feed your family and feed them well." :) 

Trust...

So on my way to the store I began to surrender to God; our money, our lives; our children; our marriage; our future. I cant hold onto anything anymore, its just so exhausting and stressful. My quiet prayer turned into a song-type-shout-of-praise and I am sure the people in the cars next to me could hear, but I didn't care! Joy and freedom flooded my soul!! Amy was in the back of the car, as quiet as a mouse :) When I was done she piped up, "Mom what are you doing?" 

I actually forgot she was there ha ha!

A couple of days later we received very timely financial gifts from dear friends and a dear family member. 

God really loves it when we trust Him!

The Message says it pretty well in Proverbs 3 from verse 5...

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
dont try to figure everything out on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He's the One who will keep your on track.
Dont assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bone will vibrate with life!
Honour God with everything you own;
give Him the first and the best.
Your barn will burst and your wine vats will brim over."

:)

Rejoicing in the trials

This week hits the one month mark since we left South Africa. In a sense it feels like we have always been here yet every morning I wake up thinking I am still in Hillcrest and it takes me a second to remember that we aren't.

This blog post is a bit of a tough one for me to write because these last two weeks have been incredibly trying for us. I am not the kind of person who moans and likes to let everyone know when we are struggling. But in my very first blog I wrote that this would be a place where I would be honest and open about our journey :) (blush) so yes, its been a very hard week. Pete starts school tomorrow and it seems like everything; including the paw paw; has hit the fan lately. We know where and why its like that... intense opposition means we are obviously doing something right eh?

Rejoice in trials for they are a testing of your faith...

So after a very long and frustrating search, we finally found a Toyota Camry with a relatively "ok" mileage of 130 000 miles...yes miles. (Yup, every car we looked at within out price range had almost 200 000 miles on the clock. Shucks deluxe!)
When we saw this car at the Toyota dealership, it had just come in and we had to make a decision about buying it that afternoon, otherwise it would be taken quickly. The reason why we hesitated was because it was $1000 over our budget. The Rand was not in a good place and we felt a little confused as we had really been praying for a car within our budget but it was proving to be very difficult. At this stage, the more money we spend, the less time we have to live here; and we are really believe we are here to stay for 2 years.
That afternoon I went for a walk and asked God what He had for us and what He wants us to do. I felt Him whisper, "Lisa do you trust Me?" "Yes Lord." "Then spend the money, get the car and I will handle the rest."
GULP, I walked inside and Pete called the dealership.

Three days later Pete noticed the coolant fluid was empty after it had just been filled the day we got the car. So we took the car back and they said they would have a look at it and let us know. Straight after that happened SARS lets us know that they are going to audit our tax return this year. Thanks for that!!
So we had to source all our docs while we are half way across the world!

Then Katie got sick and when she gets sick, she does it properly! As a mother I felt very helpless and worried being out of our usual comfort zones and our usual support systems. We don't know any doctors here and we aren't familiar with the medicines either. We went to a walk in clinic that is for low or no income earners. We aren't medically covered in the USA and we told them we are not allowed to earn money while we are living here and we are living on savings and they allowed us to see a doctor for free (praise God). Turns out our poor child's ear drum was about to burst! The three days after that visit we had to go back to the clinic twice as she had major fevers and an allergic reaction to the medicine they prescribed - she had a rash all over her body and her face and throat was swollen - and Amy got a nasty cold and ear infection too.
Then we got a call from Toyota saying that our car has a blown head gasket and it would cost $3000 to repair! Pete and I looked at each other feeling totally discouraged and exhausted.

Again I say REJOICE!!

NO! Anger rose up in me like a volcano and I refused to let this take our joy, rest and our peace!
We had a family prayer time and we asked God to handle all this because He is our Defender and our Protector; our Healer and our Saviour. HE called us and HE will sustain us because we are HIS and not   ruled by the world and the things of the world. We lifted our heads and chose to rejoice in this time because every morning when we wake up, the enemy gets scared! Yeeehhaaa! I actually want to do flick flacks when I type this. Gods children are victorious in everything.

So yes, that has been our week so far. We wait and see what God does and we will be fine. Little Katie is on the mend in Jesus name and our car will be a blessing and not a curse! We spoke to the salesman and he said he will see what he can do with regards to fixing it.

Thank you to everyone who has held us in prayer and supported us.

I keep hearing the words of my God... "Lisa do you trust Me?" And I do with all my heart....