Changes…Frustration…Learning to Trust

Tuesday….
As I sit down to write this blog post my heart is hurting…part of me is angry…frustrated…worried…confused. I want to be able to change a situation that I can’t. I want to play God & make everything better & I just can’t with this one. As I sat with 2 amazing missionary friends I was reminded that I need to let God be God. That I need to TRUST my BIG GOD is really what I just said BIG…I need to trust that He is El Roi the God who sees. I need to surrender & release control…I need to lay my heart, my desire, my will, my problems, my fears, my everything at His feet…I need to lay my burdens down & let him lift them up. I am not ready to talk details about this situation but I do ask for prayers. I ask for wisdom for all involved in making some huge decisions for many programs in the Miriam Center. I ask for peace...ability to surrender…guidance…a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit…and the ability to be the face of Jesus.

“Committ your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)

Wednesday…
So after some long talks with Courtney, Heather, & lots of prayer over the past 24 hours followed by a 3 hour meeting with Janiel, Courtney, Stephanie & I my heart still is hurting but with great Hope & some huge visions for the Miriam Center that include re-organizing For Jonathan’s Sake completely & narrowing the focus of that program because at this point that program is not thriving & in fact is really plundering if you really look at it as we have it defined now. There is so much potential for this program with some practical changes. One of the practical changes is making FSJ their own space a building that we will be able to run FSJ all day long. The hope is to eventually make each child their own visibility box like what we have been doing for each Miriam Home the past few weeks. We are looking at re-organizing how the Miriam Home runs both staff wise, kids schedules through rotations, & expanding space. We are looking to add an outdoor play area for the kids that the kids can go outside get sun, have an area to run, climb trees, play in a sandbox, have swings, & a place to kick/throw balls around. It will be like a big birdcage without a roof. Then off the back of the Miriam Center we are looking figuring out an area where Nahum can go to do 1:1 therapy with the Miriam Home kids & a place where the Americans can take the kids for 1:1 time to use their visibility boxes. We are having a huge response in the past week of Americans taking advantage of the Visibility boxes. The past 3 days 2x I have gone down & 6-8 boxes were out at a time meaning 6-8 kids were receiving 1:1 time working with a new friend. In order for these visibility boxes to be fully beneficial & used to their full potential we need to find a safe area for the American’s to take the kids to have good 1:1 time.

We also spent a lot of time talking about the new Luke 2:52 school & brainstorming what that is going to look like. We are so blessed to have Stephanie join out Miriam Center team with her special education credentials & experience. I am so excited to get this program up & running. So many of our Miriam Home & For Jonathan Sake children are so eager to learn & have so much potential.

For the new play area & a place for For Jonathan’s Sake we are in need of raising around $20,000 dollars. We are trusting in our BIG God who always provides for our needs. We are so excited for the huge potential these 3 projects bring to improve the quality of care of the kids, allow potential for huge growth physically & mentally as well as make progress toward their educational & therapy goals.

So as you can see above we are on the verge of many huge changes that I believe are going to open up so many new possibilities & potential for these kids. These changes are going to make huge leaps towards making the Invisible…Visible. I covet your prayers as we continue to make many big decisions & implement new strategies over the next few weeks. I ask that you pray for wisdom & guidance for all involved. That we would not run ahead of God but wait patiently on the LORD & his perfect timing. Pray that our staff will have open hearts to all the changes. Most importantly pray that God will be glorified in all we do.