If you haven’t read my first
blog about Armstrong, please check it out!
[Armstrong, Whitney, & me]
Last
month in Kenya, I had the opportunity to share about God’s faithfulness in my
life during one of our church services. Each time God called me to do something
and I obeyed, He was faithful to provide a way to get there. And He continues
to bless me for obeying His will.
As you
know from my previous blog about Armstrong, his family was praying for
provision for Armstrong’s school fees because of an unfortunate financial
situation involving some debt (nearly $1000 USD) that his dad, Joel, had loaned
out to trusted friends and had yet to be repaid.
One
Friday night, as Joel was praying at the church, the Lord spoke to him and told
him to forgive the debts of everyone who owed him money. It would have been
easy for him to pretend that he hadn’t heard God’s voice correctly, especially
since Joel doesn’t have a job and he really needs the money. But he valued
obedience to God over having money. He knew that God had called him to forgive
the debts of his friends, and he felt the Lord telling him to trust Him because
He was going to provide somehow. The Lord just wanted Joel to obey what He had
spoken to him and then wait patiently for God to provide.
[me & Armstrong]
That
Saturday, Joel began visiting his friends that owed him money to forgive their
debts. At first, many of his friends were reluctant to let him into their homes
because they thought that he was coming to ask for money. I bet none of them
thought that Joel would be coming to completely forgive their debts. He was so
confident that he had heard from the Lord and he had great faith that through
his obedience, the Lord would bless his family by providing Armstrong’s school
fees.
It was in
God’s perfect plan and timing that I was then able to tell him I had found a
sponsor for his son. He was so incredibly grateful! I had to remind him it
wasn’t anything I could have come up with on my own, it was completely God! It
was God who put it on my heart in the first place to write a blog explaining
the situation, and it was God who put it on someone’s heart to give. When I
shared the news with his wife, she screamed and jumped up and down! It was
exactly what they had been praying for and their time of waiting patiently for
the Lord to provide was now over. Because of Joel’s obedience to the Lord, his
family was blessed through him.
[visiting Armstrong at school]
Our last
Saturday in Kenya, I was able to go and visit Armstrong at boarding school. He
was so excited to see me and he had apparently told all of his friends that I
was coming. It was amazing to be able to see where he lives and studies. It
seemed like a really great school and I was able to sit in on one of his
classes. I met some of his teachers and friends, and he introduced me to
everyone as his sister!! J
It made my heart so happy! I am so proud of the man he is becoming. God has
huge plans for Armstrong’s life and I can’t wait to see how the Lord continues
to reveal more of His will to him.
During
our final church service in Kenya, Joel stood up in church and shared a
testimony of God’s faithfulness in his life when he chose to obey. It was
amazing to see his fire and passion for the Lord, and how he wanted others in
the congregation to be able to experience the same kind of provision and blessing
that his family had experienced, through hearing from the Lord and obeying His
voice.
Sometimes God asks us to do crazy things for
Him, and He always shows up in huge ways.
There is no explanation other than the fact
that God always fulfills His promises.
When God speaks, we must obey and He will be
faithful to provide what He promises.
To Him be the glory!!
