Waiting

So we haven't written in awhile...as if you haven't notice. Sorry about that. It's amazing how life can just carry you away sometimes!

It's been an interesting month and a half. It seemed, for awhile, that our plans were changing daily. They have now settled into something more concrete...we think. We were hoping to go to the Shawnee Gathering in Illinois in October with the rest of the Traveling Jesus Kitchen. And then from there out to Massachusetts to visit family and friends. However, I (Teresa) was only able to get one week off from work, which was a bummer. So we had to make a decision about where we were going to go in our one week off. We decided that we should get out to Massachusetts to see Ben's family since we haven't been there in almost a year.

I was feeling a little defeated when we had to make this decision. I wanted to do both. And I had been looking forward to going to this Gathering in Illinois. And yet, I feel like God is saying that we need to wait. We need to wait so that we can keep working and save the money that we need to get a vehicle to travel in. We need to wait on God to provide a vehicle for us. We need to wait to start traveling full time.

It's hard to wait.

I feel like I have been waiting for a really long time!! I have always wanted to do missions work. I got a taste of that right after high school (10 years ago), but then the Lord sent me to school in Bemidji, MN for 4 years. Which was great and I learned so much. When I finished there, I thought, "Now I get to go out into the world and do mission work." But instead the Lord challenged me to lay down my right to do missions and sent me home to Minneapolis. I love Minneapolis and it has been wonderful being here the last 5 years. During that time I got to know a lot of wonderful people and got married to Ben. I wouldn't trade these years here. But then a year and a half ago, the Lord gave Ben and I a dream to go out with the Traveling Jesus Kitchen. We have been waiting...we paid our debt off and now we are waiting for a vehicle to travel in. And so we wait, wait, wait.

I had a bit of a break down the other day, because I am tried of waiting. I want to go. I feel like I have had this amazing meal prepared for me and it's been set down in front of me. I want to eat it and my mouth is watering, but I am told...I need to wait.

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4 NIV).

This is a verse the Lord showed me the other day and I have been hanging on to it. I must persevere through waiting...and in the end I hope to be mature and complete, not lacking anything. I am trusting the Lord to provide the right vehicle at just the right time and I must be patient.

So prayer requests:
-That Ben and I would be faithful in waiting.
-That the Lord would provide the perfect vehicle for us so that we can get out on the road (hopefully in January).