The excitement continues to grow as we further prepare the mission house. The Internet service was installed last week. We also purchased some office desks and more furniture. Lord willing, we should have most of the items in place upon our return. There has been a bit of a snag with the Ranger pickup that we purchased, apparently the chassis number and paperwork do not match. It is unacceptable for EchoAfrica to own anything that is not 100% correct. Tony and I conducted all of the due diligence necessary to purchase the vehicle. Part of that involves taking it to the police station and having it checked out, so everything is legal and we now have the proper paperwork. With the discrepancy that we have discovered, we still do not wish to keep the vehicle.
Fortunately for us, the gentleman that we purchased it from is willing to give us a full refund. I told Tony that it was probably the enemy trying to get us sidetracked. In the grand scheme of things, it does not even amount to a speed bump. In Malawi, there are too many variables to consider when purchasing from an individual. We will be purchasing our next vehicle from a reputable company. Then, we can validate all the appropriate chassis numbers and paperwork.
I have pushed the envelope a bit with my wife and Pastor Rick. Initially, I indicated our trip would be a couple of weeks. Now, it is actually 22 days. Our outgoing flight is nearly 40 hours. We will be having a 15 hour layover in Germany. Hopefully, we can take the opportunity to explore a little bit. Our exuberance will probably be on empty by the time we arrive. I believe the Holy Spirit will revive us though and we will be ready for what the Lord has in store.
Some kind families from the Fraser Road Church have blessed Pastor Felix. We praise Jesus for their giving hearts and hope many more will follow. The Lord has laid on the hearts of the Echo team to diligently pursue truthful and honest areas to support God’s servants. Even when we make mistakes, we will report it. Through our transparency, we will build trust with many. Only God knows what His full plan is concerning our involvement. Our efforts will be focused on being good stewards of our time and resources.
There will be many opportunities for people to get involved as we solidify certain objectives. Once we arrive in March, the daily blogs will continue again. I do have a very touching story that I would like to share with you. Tony, our Executive Director of EchoAfrica, is a wonderful young man. If any of you have not read the experience I shared with him on Christmas day, please do. In short, we went to his father’s house and Jesus did too.
Describing Tony’s life growing up as “difficult,” would be an understatement. Through Jesus Christ, Tony has a unending love for his family. As a child, he was practically disowned and told he would never be part of any inheritance. This did not deter Tony’s love in any way. He would go out of his way to be kind and thoughtful. When he had extra money available, he would give it. He was the epitome of what Jesus described about loving others.
Last week, Tony informed me that his father contacted him and gave him 10 large goats. This is a miraculous event, if you understood the family background. He also told me that Jesus is moving in his family in a mighty way. My heart was touched to the point of tears. I am aware of the many untold details behind Tony’s upbringing. This just goes to show you that all things are possible through Christ. Tony’s words are; “My father called me and said that he is giving me 10 big goats. Imagine, 10 goats. I love Jesus Christ, my father has changed. God is changing my family. I love God with all my heart.”
I am including myself in this scolding, so how many of us get this thankful for things that God is doing in our lives? When was the last time that you heard someone use words like this to describe a gift they had received? The real gift here is that God is changing his family. When we surrender ourselves completely to Him, our lives will never be the same.
