The plans were made at the beginning of the month.
- Emails were sent, parent's had responded with video surprises from their daughters.
- Invitations had been delivered.
- Candles had been bought.
- Live music and a "dance floor" were ready.
- 11 roses had been ordered.
- Games were planned.
- Love letters from God had been written.
All that was left, was to pick up the cupcakes!! I snuck away with Beth my teammate this month to go pick up the cupcakes. We arrived at the bakery hoping to get a discount on 13 red velvet cupcakes, but God had so much more in store for us. 2 glasses of fresh juice had been prepared for us and the family insisted on us tasting not only the red velvet cupcakes, but also the blueberry cheesecake tart, and the chocolate cupcakes. 6 desserts for free!!! We sat around the table and talked to this Muslim family like we were old friends. They asked about where we had been, where we were going next, about America, etc. I didn't have a voice (part of being sick for the past week) and the family gave me medicine and told me I had to come back so they could hear my voice!
We left the bakery promising to come back when I could talk! As we walked away with our sweet tooth satisfied, and our hearts over flowing on how God blessed us not just with free desserts, but with new friends to minister to this month we couldn't help but smile. After our Valentine's surprise party for our teams was over and the mess was cleaned up, I laid on my sleeping pad and just smiled.
You see, Malaysia is a closed country. We aren't allowed to talk about God, pray in public, or even wear our World Race t-shirts. But I serve a God who uses EVERYTHING to bring glory to Himself, and today He used a family who doesn't even believe in Him or worship Him to pour out His love on us!! This family ministered to us in ways I didn't even realize I needed to be ministered to. This family and this community might not recognize God as the one true God, but He doesn't need their permission to use them to bless His daughters!!!
A HUGE THANK YOU to all the parents, boyfriends, and friends who made Valentine's Day 2013 unforgettable!! The looks and reactions from our teammates was priceless!!! There were tears and laughter!! It was a great night!! Love you all!!
