More long visits

I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever. Psalm 45:17

I went out to Douglas again last night. It was tempting to stay home since my miracle laptop had just arrived (more about that later). But I knew duty was calling. As I stepped on to the sidewalk I stopped and bowed my head. I asked for Divine appointments and God's blessing on my efforts. At the first house a little boy answered the door. "Are your parents available?" "Um, I don't know." "Are they busy? That's fine." I didn't want to make him nervous. But he ran off and returned with...the phone. "Oh you don't need to call them." But he got his mom on the phone, told her there was a girl at the door, and handed me the phone. I awkwardly introduced myself and said what I was doing. I told her I would leave information and gave the phone back to the boy. I gave him a Happy D and started to leave. He called me back and said to go down to the house at the end of the street. Now it was all coming together. When I'd said my name on the phone he'd repeated it with a puzzled expression. A few days before when I'd talked to Dorothy she told me about the former post lady whose name is Jennae. She said she lived in the stone house on the edge of town. The same house this little boy was telling me to go. Sure enough when I arrived Jennae was there. I've met her before at the post office. She remembered me and invited me in for a tour. Now this house has always caught my eye. It's just a cute little stone house set behind some trees and hedges. I've always wanted to see it so I accepted a quick tour. It has been vacant and they are remodeling it. It is one of the original houses in Douglas, built in 1876. It was delighted at this extra special treat and how God takes interest in our interests. Jennae asked me to hold both cookbooks for her and bring them at the end of the month when she can pay for them. After a prayer I left.

Many people weren't home, but there were still blessings in store. Janelle, a sixteen year old, wanted to get the cookbook but had not gotten her paycheck yet and had no checks. Her mom wasn't home, but she thought she would be interested in the message books. So I will go back next week. We prayed together for a neighbor lady, Mildred, with Alzheimers who escaped from the house a couple nights before and fell out in the field behind Janelle's house. She found her and called her mom to send the rescue squad. They got her to the hospital, but the doctors said she doesn't have long to live. Janelle wants them to be wrong.

Todd his daughter, Martina, and neighbor girl, Sierra(?) (Janelle's little sister) invited me in. Todd is a single dad struggling to pay the medical bills for Martina heart surgery. She is only 7 years old and will have to have another surgery sometime in the future. He said he couldn't afford the books, but I told him if he took the Happy D with him next time Martina has to go to the hospital it would cut his stress at least in half. So he retrieved a dollar for it. We prayed in a circle there on the living room floor together. The girls gave me hugs and Todd thanked me for praying.

As I started to the next house Sierra called out, "That's Rick's house." Todd said, "I don't know how much luck you'll have there." "We'll give him a chance," I said with a smile. No one answered at the front door, but as I left I saw Rick and two ladies at the picnic table in the back. So I waved and approached. "Are you Rick?" "Oh my," he laughed, "someone knows me!" I knelt by the table as they drank and smoked. The visiting lady quickly left. Rick looked at the books and said his mom would love them. "She goes to church religiously and we talk about God all the time. But I don't have any money right now I don't think. Sue, bring my wallet out when you come back. Do you have any money?" She brought out her $2 and he emptied his wallet. It totaled $8. "Oh I'll just donate it. I won't take a book." "Oh but that's enough for a book!" I said. "Please take one for your mom at least! Does she like to read?" "Oh yeah, she reads anything that's about the Bible!" "Well then take this one," I said bringing the GC he'd looked at to the top. "And this little one is the mini version of the Peace Above the Storms. She can have both for the $8. The last ten chapters talk about what happening all around us right now. I've really been blessed by them." As he turned it over he saw the question Why does God allow suffering? printed on the back. "Oh that's one I have! I think I'll read some of this before I give it to my mom!" (I was jumping up and down inside let me tell you!!) We prayed and I moved on.

It was getting late again, but I was pressed on down the road. I was at the edge of town. I past a trailer unable to find an entrance. Another trailer was set back in a beautiful inlet of trees and flowers. A lady was walking out on the front lawn with two dogs. I called out a greeting and waved. The dogs ran to me immediately as she tried to call them back. I could tell if they were friendly but they seemed so. I held my books down a little lower. They jumped on me in curious greeting. She pulled them back and held them asking while I told her what I was doing. "Honey, I'm on fixed income. What the bottom line?" She was so close to declining and sending me away. But God won this one and we spent the next 50 minutes sharing about her mission with Right to Life in Lincoln rescuing girls from abortion clinics. Just last week they saved 3 babies from being killed. You could tell she we lonely. She said the work can be exhausting and depressing. But the more she shared the lighter she became. I knew what I wanted to do. I held out the Peace to her. "This book has changed my life. I want you to have it. You read it and share it with the girls that come to stay with you. I believe in what you're doing." "Oh thank you so much!" she said as she gratefully and reverently took the book. We went in her house and she gave me information on Right to Life. I think I will go on a Tuesday to pray with them. I at least want to experience it. Abortion has left its ugly mark on my family. I will never have the privileged of knowing my uncle because of its scar. "I am only, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will." {Edward Everett Hale}. I left her with the rest of the Happy D I had in my bag to give to the girls. "I'll put them in the Right to Life center!" She said. By time I left her house is was getting dark. I still had to walk back to my car up the street. But she asked to drive me and I gratefully accepted.
Totals: 2 books, 10 Happy D


I've been spending quite a bit of time with people individually. I believe it is an investment in my community. We are planning to go to the picnic and fireworks show in the park on the 4th. I'm hoping to see some of the people who have bought books there. We've sadly not had much interaction with our community in the 13 years we've lived here. But I think God is opening doors and by His grace we will walk through them. I would love to put on an evangelistic meeting in our town center someday. For now we will establish trust and friendships. Most people have been very open as I share about my love for God with them.

I sank in bed last night exhausted but very happy. God is faithful! And your prayers are seeing results! Thank you!