Hurry Up...And Wait

Ministry can be joyous and difficult...all at the same time. Starting a ministry where there is no clear path is a challenge. There are a lot of orphan & adoption ministries out there...but we are all in the same boat: starting at square one. This is not like starting an Awana program or using a new Sunday school curriculum where all the "how-tos" are in a neat package! This makes it even more important to have God in front and center, leading the way. When I hurry up and get ahead of God I experience trials that simply would not have been there had I waited.

I am a planner. I make lists, I look at the consequences from all angles, I calculate risks. But for all my planning, my mouth still speaks when I should remain silent, my heart still hurts when my plans go awry and God continues to teach me to wait upon Him. What would I do without such a loving Father?

My devotion this morning struck a chord and convicted me to be still once again:

"Wait on the Lord" and He will work (Psalm 37:34). But don't wait sulking spiritually and feeling sorry for yourself, just because you cannot see one inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our own spiritual fits of emotion to "wait patiently for Him"? (37:7) Waiting is not sitting with folded hands doing nothing, but it is learning to do what we are told. ~From My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers.

My prayer today is to wait and learn to do what I am told...it is the same lesson my children must learn over and over again, as well. Maybe we can learn this lesson together.

CLARITY

What a whirlwind the past six months have been for our ministry! God has spoken directly to our hearts and given us a new name and truly focused and stilled our hearts. Introducing...

New Family Tree - Orphan, Adoption and Foster Care Outreach

A Ministry of Salem Church of God

Information and opportunities will be available at our new website: www.newfamilytree.net

This blog will remain open, but will be used as personal reflection of how God is working in the lives of our family and ministry.

I hope I see your family at Salem soon!

Blessings,

Heather Bench

Serve Opportunity for Families

I received this opportunity today. Your family may be interested, so I thought I would place it on our blog:

I would like to extend an invitation to all students, family and
friends to participate in a project I have been coordinating to raise
funds, package, and ship nutritional meals to support child nutrition
programs in the impoverished nation of Haiti. This long fundraising
effort will culminate in "Bagging Day" where we actually will be
preparing the meals. The meals consist of a dry soup mix type food
that was designed by Kids Against Hunger with help from multiple
cereal companies to provide 75% of a child's daily nutritional
requirements in one meal. I have had the opportunity to venture to
Haiti twice and see this program work first hand throughout my
medical school career. IT WORKS!!

So I invite you to join us as we will need HUNDREDS of volunteers to
make this effort a success on May 16 and 17th. The actual bagging
will take place at Apex in Kettering and the food will be shipped
from there directly to Haiti. By registering you will sign up to work
a 2 hour bagging shift where we will mix the materials and package
them. We ask that you get sponosored to help us cover the high cost
of shipping the food to Haiti (recommended $20 minimum). You can
register by emailing the requested information to
feedhaitiproject@gmail.com. We ask that you register by May 7th.

Thanks in advance for your help and we look forward to seeing you as
we work to promote good nutritional health to the children of Haiti.
If you would like any further information feel free to contact me at
any time. Feel free to involve your friends and family!

Thanks again and good luck to everyone as we close out the school year!

Ben Mack, MS4 (& his Haiti Crew)
mack.13@wright.edu
419-788-0764