Gap Standers

God’s ultimate goal is for each lump of clay to be fashioned according to His design and for His purposes, not ours. “We are the clay, you are the potter,” Isaiah writes, “we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). I am. You are.  Whoever you are praying for today is.  God shapes and molds. You pray and intercede.

That is from a devotion I read online today.  I think it is really helpful as I think about "standing in the gap" for Vita, since she has returned to Latvia - praying for her that God will be at work, molding her through her circumstances, to become what He has planned for her.  We are fighting the heavy sadness that came over us like a cloud when we put her on the way to the plane yesterday that would take her thousands of miles away from us.  I find some comfort in trying to have His perspective, that this is part of a complex plan for Vita.  Now  we have to keep that in our minds and in our hearts, each time we feel that sadness, whenever thoughts of something she did here with us pop up, or things of hers left behind appear.  Our prayers for her each day are not just a last resort, or "the only thing we can do."  Rather they are exactly what to do, God is moved by them, we know this!

Trinity Burge playing Skipbo with Vita, after the delicious dinner her mom made for us.

Now YOU, reader, must know something:  I am so sure that this MISSION TRIP (hosting Vita) that has just concluded, is not really over.  YOU have had such a mighty role, through your prayers, your encouraging words, your presence in our lives shared with Vita.  As we were singing in church yesterday, surrounded by many of you, I felt convinced that every smiling face or greeting extended was a memory being seared into Vita's mind, that will support the decisions and choices she has made while she's been with us.  On Tuesday, January 7th, after reading the Bible together, and going over the verses in her own Latvian Bible that I shared with her, Vita's decision to place her trust in Christ was (we believe) a sincere one.    We saw many changes in her, and one of them was her singing, in such a heart felt way, along with us at church.  As we tuned the radio to hear some news she asked us to switch it to our favorite Christian music instead, and that was most certainly a change from what she had requested in her first week or so with us.  We had so many teaching opportunities, and we pray that now that she's apart from us, the growing in her faith will continue!  THANK YOU so much for being in this with us, at the risk of repeating myself, we sincerely felt your  support, and it made a huge difference!

The Hart family so graciously gave us their time and energy in sharing their home, family, and horse!

What is next?  We will be asking God to show us that, and waiting with great anticipation!