Rejoicing in Suffering

The kids have been sick all week long. Jonathan has had a fever every day since last Sunday and Erin has also run a fever this week although not every day. Once the fever went away for Erin, she had a sore red throat with what looked like pimples on the back it. Jonathan now has a sore throat also with white patches on the back. We really feel like we are being attacked by the enemy. He doesn't want us here, he doesn't want us following through because he knows that God has a plan for us here. God has called us here. Have we been discouraged? Yes! But, even the kids are praying and recognizing it for what it is and praying for us not to be discouraged. They see Satan trying to get us to pack up and leave.

Romans 5:1-5 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance; perserverance , character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Having your kids sick everyday for a parent is certainly suffering, but we know that God uses that to produce perserverance, character and hope in us that might not otherwise come. Is it hard? Oh yes, I have felt very unuseful this week but I know that God is building something bigger in me - a determination to continue on in spite of adversity. I can't imagine this week without all the prayers that I know have been raised on our behalf. Thank you so much for those prayers. They are needed every day.

This next week, we have another group coming which presents more challenges. If the kids are still sick, I really need to be with them but I also have jobs that need to be done with the groups. So, I will do what I can with the groups, and seek help from others for the things that I can't do. We will get through this.

Romans 8:37 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."