For the past 1 ½ years our family has been living in South
Africa by faith. We never asked people to
support us financially, nor do we have a church that supports us
financially. Just us, the proceeds we
made from selling what we owned and our trust in the Lord. He has grown us substantially in our faith
and trust in Him. I’ve grown in
surrendering my plans to the order of His steps, resting in His presence and
being content in all situations. With
that said, the Lord has also spoken to me about fighting for things of
importance with passion, conviction and commitment and ridding me of any
attitude that might think, “Well, if it happens it happens. If not, then I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” I would say that during the past 3 years the
Lord has been helping me to grow out of my passivity and truly fight for and
have a voice in the things that matter to me.
As I’ve been in conversation with the Lord about our needs,
the question that kept coming to me was, “Why
don’t you want to let others know about your needs?” My response, “Well, Lord, if others know about our needs then that’s
like saying I don’t have enough faith for you to provide and that’s just not
the case.”
That is when the Lord
spoke to me and said, “Yes, it requires
great faith to remain silent and expect a miracle, but it is no less faith to
let your needs be known and still trust in Me to move on people’s hearts. Either way, it requires trust in Me and I
will receive the glory.”
You see, faith is faith and obedience is obedience. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. It matters how you react in the process. He simply wants us to listen to His voice and
follow His lead. He told me that asking
for help doesn’t mean we’ve failed or have less faith and trust in Him. It means we’re allowing others to share in
the glory of what He’s about to do through them and us!!
When Josh and I were talking about our needs this past month,
I told him how I’d been pondering what it is the Lord wants to grow me in
during this time. Right away I knew the answer. Trusting the Lord for a miracle doesn’t
stretch me, but being vulnerable with my needs and asking people for help
does. I’ve always been this way. I used to not even like to ask the Lord for
specific things because it made me feel selfish. I’m hardworking and have an independent
spirit. If I can do something, generally
I will do it without asking for help. If
someone asks me what I need or want, typically the answer is, “Nothing. I’m good.”
The Lord has spoken to us many times that in order for us to move
forward with the things on our hearts for this farm and the community of
Sonskyn, we’re going to need help from others.
Oh, the plague – asking for help from others. I don’t like to do that, but there’s a reason
for the Lord wanting to grow me in this area.
After many tug-of-wars with the Lord, He won!
I received a prophetic word from someone back in November
about stretching. “I got a picture of taffy. The
more taffy is warmed up, the longer it can stretch without ripping. God said that He will stretch you and to hold
on to Him so you won’t break.”
So, here is my (our) first attempt in asking for specific help…
WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL HELP!!
The odds have been against us financially, yet it has been a
miracle that we’ve remained in SA for this long. Following is a quick snapshot of our current
financial needs.
Monthly Expenses on
Farm: $1,300 (minimum)
*We
currently receive $430 in committed monthly support and have enough funds to
sustain us through April.
Plane Tickets to
America (roundtrip): $6,500
In
order for our family to remain in SA, we must renew 3-year visas in America
this year. We are planning a trip for mid-May funds permitting.
Visas = $220
Passports = $400
*Kids’
passports need renewed before December.
LA Plane Tickets =
$600
*Josh and I must travel to LA to
turn in visa applications.
Advanced Payments:
$1,650
*This will cover rent, power &
maintenance on the farm while gone in America.
TOTAL NEEDED: $9,370
+ monthly support
The Lord has been leading Josh and I to take some steps that
seem backwards to us because we currently don’t have the resources to back
these plans up, but yesterday I read a great article that really spoke to my
heart about the odds being against us.
“When the odds are against you, God also may require you to act in what appears an unreasonable manner. While God may seem to require what appears
illogical on the surface, He will never instruct us to disobey His word. We may not understand His actions, but He has
His own divine reasons. When the odds are against us, God will lead us to do that which brings Him
the most glory. When the odds are against us, God
will strip us of all dependence on anything or anyone else other than Himself. When
the odds are against us, God is
always at work in another area. Finally,
when the odds are against us, God will give us specific instructions for
victory.
God sent Gideon with an army of 300 men to fight against an
army of about 135,000 soldiers. God’s
strategy of attacking this vast encampment seemed ludicrous to some. In the natural it didn’t make sense. We, too, are making decisions that don’t make
sense, and even at times, seem foolish or against all common sense. But God!
All we can do is follow His lead, be open and vulnerable and then trust
Him with the outcome.
“Even when the odds are stacked against you, put your trust in the
Lord’s goodness and favor and see Him exceed all your expectations!” – A Woman
of Faith
We’re excited about some opportunities that are developing on
the farm and within Sonskyn and what role we’ll be playing in those, so please
be on the lookout for our next blog post “What’s Happening.”
If the Lord tugs on your heart to help contribute in any
way, we would be very appreciative. A
tax-deductible and secure donation can be made online at www.Four18.org by designating funds for Josh
& Mindy Mason – Mossel Bay, South Africa.
You can also setup donations to be sent automatically every month. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
