IT'S HERE!!!!

LOA ARRIVED TODAY!!!  Praise the Lord!  Let me tell you just how awesome this news is...even moreso today...

Last fall, right before I was ready to leave on the mission journey to South Africa, I experienced an attack from Satan.  Those of you who have traveled on mission journeys before have most likely experienced this.  It was hard and I did NOT want to go on the trip.  I didn't want to go and leave my family.  I didn't know hardly anyone else going and two weeks was a long time.  Then a week before we departed, my brother passed away unexpectedly.  I was devastated and then not only did I not want to go, but neither did my family want me to go.  It was a hard ugly time.

When I got back to work after my bereavement leave, the sweet cleaning lady, Brenda, who cleans our building during the day passed by.  We often speak and she knew I was going on a mission journey soon, but obviously knew nothing of my internal struggle.  That particular day, she stopped her cart outside my office door and said, "The Lord spoke to me and I have a Word from Him for you."  Internally I was rolling my eyes because how hokey does that sound right??!  But then, she said to me, "He wanted me to encourage you as you go on this trip.  HE is sending you and HE has gone before you and everything is gonna be OK".  HOLY. COW.

Needless to say, it was all I could do to keep it together.  God may not speak audibly but I heard Him loud and clear through Brenda that day.  It was a little freakish.  But, while I still didn't look forward to leaving my family, the fear was gone.  It was an amazing time.

As I had my emotional breakdown earlier this week while waiting on my LOA, I jokingly said to my work BFF, Katelyn, "Maybe I need to have Brenda pray for my LOA!"  Katelyn, more seriously said she thought I should.  I saw Brenda a few times throughout the week, but it was never a convenient time to tell her the story and ask her to pray.

Until this morning.  Normally, another co-worker and I go down to get water or breakfast.  She is off today, so I went down alone...an unusual occurrance in and of itself.  When I walked into the cafeteria, who did I see, sitting there alone, eating breakfast?  Brenda.  And I knew, it was now or never.  To say I felt a little silly is an understatement, but I just plunged ahead telling her about the paper I needed from China and how long we had waited.  She knew I was adopting, but I showed her new pictures of Kylie etc.  She grabbed my hands and right there in the cafeteria prayed for my LOA to come.  And then she said, "It's on its way.  Mark my words.  That paper is coming."  The end.  Brenda had spoken.

2 1/2 hours later, I recevied the news that the LOA, indeed, had shown up at my agency.  If that isn't another direct word from God, I don't know what is.  And if you don't believe there is a God in heaven who hears us when we pray, you should think again.

Next up, Brenda is praying for Steve a job!!! :) :) :)

More to come...