Grace Begins
Since November 2009, our family has been inviting people to help us
reach the Ama for Jesus. Now, by God’s grace, we earnestly hope to
attend training this summer and launch soon after that. God has provided
for us in every difficulty and, in doing so, has laid up for us a
supply of faith and courage. Like us, if you sometimes find yourself
financially, physically, emotionally or spiritually depleted, don’t lose
hope. We are finding that when our strength runs out, God’s grace can
begin.
Recently, God allowed us to experience in a small way a few of the
difficulties that will impact our family in the mission field. After
selling our home, we moved into a smaller building consisting of a main
room, small office and very small bathroom. We began to understand what
it will be like to live in close quarters. At about the same time, we
went from two vehicles to one, leaving my wife and children at home with
little opportunity to get out of the house and feeling a bit isolated.
Over time, these conditions, combined with additional pressures placed
on our time and finances by our responsibilities as missionaries in
training, began to take their toll in the form of frustration, shorter
tempers and generally strained relationships. We knew we needed
forgiveness and healing but seemed unable to find it.
Lying in bed one night after a contentious evening, I prayed, “God, if
we can’t even love each other, how are we going to show Your love to the
Ama people? Please help us love one another.” The next morning, God
woke me up early and poured out a blessing of repentance, forgiveness
and love that flowed out to my wife and family. He worked on Pam’s
heart, too, and together we began the healing process.
We thank God for granting us a small preview of the difficulties we will
face in the mission field and the way they exposed our weakness. We
pray we will remember that when our strength runs out, God’s grace can
begin. —John Lello
