He Caught the Passion and the Vision

Julie's note: I'm amazed at what God's done in such a short amount of time.  It wasn't long ago Kim's passion for Romania and the gypsy villages was so off the charts she wondered if anyone could understand.  Not long after she met Michelle from Children in the Son and became a board member.  Not long after that Kim's husband caught the passion.

Well...HE is on his way to Oradea, Romania while Kim stays stateside.  Here is her update.  Would you please pray for them?

Hello Family & Friends,

The past week has been busy, busy, busy!  And my husband has arrived safely in Romania!!  Praise God!!!  I am anxiously waiting for a phone call so I can hear his voice.

Yesterday was amazing . . . a true testimony of God's hand and favor.  Here are the details . . . we left for the airport at 10:45 after speaking with Michelle(Children in the Son) about last minute details concerning my husband's arrival. 

He was to fly alone and meet Daniel (Michelle's husband) in Budapest, since Daniel was flying from Raleigh.  My husband flight arrived two hours earlier so we were giving him instructions about where to wait.  Hubby does not like to fly, at all, and had never flown internationally by himself.  (The cost to fly him from Raleigh would have cost $400 more.) So . . .  we arrived at the Pittsburgh airport before noon and waited in line.  

Soon an agent came out and informed all of us that the flights to Chicago (hubby's flight) were all canceled, giving no further instruction.  When we got to the counter we were told there were thunderstorms and he would have to be re-routed . . . not good for the man who does not like to fly.  The agent re-routed him with a 20 minute connection which we were not comfortable with so we kindly asked her if we could try and put him with Daniel, on a totally different airline.  

She looked, everything was booked.  She called USAirways, oversold.  I asked if we could go wait at the gate and try to get on.  So she went and used a different phone and we waited and waited.  She came back and said she had him half way there.  We waited some more and then she said, "I don't know how this is happening, the flight is sold out, but they are giving you a seat . . . with your buddy" at no extra cost. 

We knew how it happened:)  I turned to my hubby and said, "God got you a seat." 

So it was a race to the gate with a quick prayer at security and then he was off to surprise Daniel in Raleigh!!!  Daniel was so happy to see him and here they are:

During check-in in Raleigh, Daniel had two bags to check.  Michelle had cleared it with the airline in advance so they would not be charged for the extra bag; however, when Daniel arrived they were going to charge him an extra $50.  Well . . . since my husband's bag was checked with United in Pittsburgh they allowed him to check a second bag with American, at no charge, saving the ministry $50!!  A friend e-mailed me to say, "God is just warming up!" They have a full schedule, including preparing for the construction team and visiting all the families and children in our seven projects.  I received a text to say they had arrived safely and were on their way from Budapest to Romania.  Please keep them and our families in your prayers. I will try and send a few updates, in addition to Michelle's updates.  You can also view up to date photos and info on Facebook, look under 'Children in the Son.'  Daniel will be doing the posting. Soaking up the Son, Kim Zaksek

Putting the Chains on the Tires

It's mind blowing the ways God uses things to speak to us.  This time around it was through an episode of Ice Road Truckers.

This season a new driver, Ray, is part of the show. He's from "the Lower 48" where he used to have his own business but lost it with the economy.  Driving the ice road and desolate places Alaska is a way for Ray to provide for his family.
These roads are cruel, just like life.  It would be wise on the ice road to be prepared.

Ray had an opportunity to put chains on this tires before going through a particularly harsh part of the journey. If trucks don't have enough traction, they have a spin out. There are guardrails that barely protect from a drop that would lead to certain death.

Ray thought about it and came to the conclusion that putting chains on takes too much time.  After all, he's behind schedule and needs to make up time.

Guess what?

Ray ended up spinning out.  He ended up putting on chains, backing up traffic filled with waiting trucks, trucks prepared for the conditions because they had chains on.

I've been Ray. The short term plan appears too pressing. The long term plan?  Can't go there, won't go there, not until there is a spin out.

The chains not only give traction, they protect against the unpredictable storms, steep hills, all the things that are going to happen.  They just are so much easier to endure when you're ready for them by thinking long term.

I want more than to think long term, I want to be prepared.  The best way to be prepared is to seek wisdom, God's wisdom.  As I read the One Year Bible I read all about Solomon.  Of all the things he could have asked God for, he asked for wisdom.

I want that.

As much as there is ice and wind chills on the ice roads of Alaska.








 

Receiving a Gift I Never Asked For

I should've written this sooner. Truth is, I wanted to make sure.

I'm sure.

If you've ready anything of mine the past three years, you know I've struggled with poycystic ovaries and endometreosis severe enough to need a complete hysterectomy when I was 38. This put me in menopause, which I was experiencing symptoms of anyway, and the menopause issues have been interesting.



Before the hysterctomy my doctor put me on a low dose antidepressant to minimize these symptoms. He warned me to stay consistent with it as going cold turkey or not taking them on a regular basis would bring about not so fun times.

Before the medication I'm transparent enough to say there were days and weeks I was at any given time one, more, or all of the following: depressed, anxious, not sleeping, crying for no reason, starving, sweaty hot even after the smallest of movement and unable to focus.

When I started taking the medicine and then with the surgery some symptoms disappeared, most were so minimal it wasn't even an issue...unless I forgot my meds. That's the funny part about menopause, you lose your mind, and you need your mind to take the meds. I use to bask in my organizational skills and I couldn't remember if I took the meds or not. I'd wait a day and if I was a shaky unfocused mess, I knew I didn't. And so the cycle went.

Last week I attended a conference called Miracles, Signs and Wonders. Even if I was a follower of man, I honestly wouldn't know who to talk about from the conference because the process occurred during the entire conference with different speakers. Bottom line---it was a God thing. I went to that conference seeking Him and His strategies for me to pray for the area. That's it.

The first day I remember sitting down and wondering if I took my meds. The speaker that night talked about love and compassion but she also spoke of divine healing. There was no big fanfare, especially with me. I never went to the altar. I never reached my arms toward heaven seeking a change in my body. Honestly, I extended a hand forward and asked a blessing on all those who did. I wanted their pains to cease, their issues to change. I never thought about me.

I remembered, though, the next day to put the meds in my purse, but I didn't have a drink handy. I got busy listening to another speaker recall his healing, something so under the radar it took him awhile to realize God restored his sight to 20/20. I laughed out loud. I mean, really, who could miss such a thing?

The next morning I realized the meds were still there, untouched. I realize I've missed at least one day and as many as three, which for me should spell off the charts confusion, hot flashes, starving, and the whole ball of wax.

I felt nada. Instead, I felt focused. Warm, but not hot. Comfortable. Content.

Same for the next day,and the next, and the next, and well, same thing even as I write. Now I'm not taking the meds by design. The weather is in the 90's and although it's warm and I get hot like anyone else after working out or sitting directly in the sun, it's not even close to what I've been experiencing for years. Back is the wife who knows where the socks are and can remember to sign the permission slips and pay that bill.

Am I condoning ignoring doctor advice? No, I. am. not.

Am I sharing my story, which I'm proclaiming as a belated healing?

You betcha.

I don't know how God works and why He does what He does, or doesn't do what He doesn't do. All I know is I 'm going on at least a week with no meds and I'm calm, cool and collected. I'm extra thankful because I received something I didn't even ask for.

Blessed?

Um...YEAH!



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