Betty's article

I just came across this article that Betty wrote. I do not remember who she wrote it for but it has to to with us returning to the US and I thought it was interesting enough to hold on to.

As I sit here pondering how wonderful my Lord has been to me over the years, I don’t know why I sometimes doubt His guidance and plan for my life. I then have Scriptures such as Proverbs 3:5-6 and Matthew 6:33 come to mind. I have to remember that I am to do my part. I am commanded to trust Him with ALL of my heart and not to trust in my own reasoning or understanding. I am to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first and He will reward me with the things that I need. So many times I want to hold on or be in control of just a small part of my heart and life.

Recently I have had a tremendous change in my life that has literally turned MY PLANS upside down! For the past twenty years my husband and I have served with Macedonia World Baptist Missions in the country of Peru in South America. Our four children grew up there and two of the four, along with their families, are serving there now. Our youngest son is on deputation and will be heading back with his wife sometime in 2007. We have one daughter living in east Georgia that works alongside her husband in the printing ministry out of their church. During the many years that we were in Peru, we developed friendships with so many of the people that the Lord so mercifully saved. Marriages were mended and families were brought back together. We watched them grow in His love and grace. What a thrill! In other words my life, my heart and my all were in Peru.

In October of this past year, it became very obvious that the Lord was leading us to leave Peru and start a church with a training center for missionaries in Alpharetta, Georgia. My heart broke just to think of leaving the country, the people and the life that I had known for the past 18 years. I began to doubt the Lord’s wisdom in this matter and look for any excuse to be able to stay in Peru. Funny thing, 20 years earlier I was looking for excuses to stay in the states, when He was calling us to go to Peru. It just goes to show that no matter where we are, if we are in the center of God’s will, He will give us a peace and happiness that humanly we can not understand but which is so sweet (Philippians 4:7).

We are now here in the “good ole US of A,” working, praying hard and waiting to see what our God is going to do. My husband says, “At 51 years old I should be going through mid life crisis, wanting a red sports car, a girl friend and unbuttoning my shirt down to my belly button. Instead I am starting a church!” And as his wife I surely am glad that he has chosen the latter of the above mentioned list. I am scared to death yet at the same time excited to see what my God has for me this time around. I know that He only wants the very best for me. He has blessed me with innumerable blessings so undeserved. I pray that I will never forget all that the Lord has done for me and that I will always put into practice my life’s verse: I Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. “

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