yes.

So my last post was kind of soul-baring for me. I realized as I was writing it how difficult it is for me to be honest about the things I hope for, particularly where my faith is concerned. I get scared that I will look like I'm asking too much. And honestly, I know that 3,000 bucks is a LOT to ask.

My bloggy friend Lynz left this comment on the previous post:

'I heard a fabulous thing the other day. 

"God answers our prayers - sometimes the answer is no." 

Is that not just perfect? I hope you get what want. But if not? Mick said it best - you'll get what you need!'

This is something I've been taught since I was a kid--that when we pray, God always answers, and sometimes that answer is yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait. After a lot of prayer, and conversations with my husband, I realized that God was probably trying to tell me no, or at least "not this time." The timing of the trip, the fact that I'd missed all the meetings, had not a penny of money, and all the craziness of needing to fly out while my mother-in-law is visiting from Russia, plus getting someone to watch my boys...needless to say, it seemed like something that would be better suited for the next trip. Y'know, adequate planning, ducks in a row, that kind of thing. 

God definitely says no sometimes. 

And sometimes He says Yes. 

On a Saturday afternoon I got a call from my friend Lynda. She told me that one of the team members for the Swaziland trip had hurt his back and wasn't going to be able to go, and they had prayed about it and felt like they should give his ticket to me. Not just the ticket, but lodgings, food, and recreation day expenses...all paid for. Every bit of it. She said my only expense for the whole trip is to pay for the ticket to be switched to my name, and any extra cash for when we're in the airport, or souvenirs. That's it. 

I stood at my kitchen counter, in my pj's, juicing celery and crying my eyes out. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I'd totally resigned myself to the fact that this would not happen. I said I believed in miracles, but really I only believed in them when they made sense, fit within a time frame, and were convenient for everyone. I worried about the timing for my mother-in-law's visit, but my husband said everything would be fine. I wondered if it was too late to find someone to watch the boys, but my mom is taking care of them for me while I'm gone. Everything is taken care of, and all I had to do was sit back and see God work. 

I'm going to Swaziland, everyone!! In twenty days, no less. Agghh!! God is amazing!