pray for goats

This weekend was fantastic.  We usually stick to single-adventure weekends, but this one was a double...and such a gift!

Saturday we drove and then boated way out to the beach to finish of our current group of visitors time well, and then Sunday some of us drove then hiked to the top of the world to worship with our brothers and sisters of Coup-a-David.  The beach was fabulous, and our church trip, a blessing.  Inspiring.  

from our little wood boat, Royal Carribean's cruise ships always look...just IMPOSSIBLE.

I love this picture :)

While this looks like Phil was leading a seminar or something, we were just hanging out.  SO nice...so beautiful.

Sofie spent much of the afternoon playing imaginary games with one of her favorites, Miss Emily.  Here, she was brining Emily pretend snacks or something.

I love how much these girls care for each other.  I'm always telling them that "each other" is one of the sweetest gifts they will ever have (I know from experience!) but I love that they KNOW that.

The snorkeling was great, too!!

Lily has finally mastered how to dive through the water and not just float...and loved exploring with us.

Phil and Ethan found a friend...

and so did the girls.  Such a gift of a day, and full of laughter!

This was our final destination, the church of Enick (class of 2008).  His little brother, Walnique (class of 2015) was up to preach today, and we started the climb with him.  He preached on affliction and how God can use our afflictions as signs of joy, of victory...using unleavened bread, the parting of the Red Sea, and the cross as examples.  It was a great message, and wonderful to hear it and worship together with Our family in the mountains.

This lady in the pink dress was one of the very first people to give their lives to Christ on that mountain range...the lady in white, her blind best friend.  They were a JOY to talk to, and I even got my cheek patted several times :)

Today was the first day I did NOT get to see Don end up soaked across this creek...shame.  I was ready with my camera and everything.

Lil was her typical mountain goat self...until the VERY end when she wiped out and bloodied her knees.  She was very distressed by all the blood until Haylie told her her wound looked "cool".  After that, she was on cloud nine.

Uncle Don, Rod C. of Normal, Illinois (here to help finish of the Weaver apartment and a fantastic help, at that!), Haylie and Lil.

It is incredibly dry right now, and most of the gardens along the way have been abandoned after months with no real rain.  

Let me finish with a testimony of four goats.

A year ago, we helped Enick get a goat project going up there.  We helped him by three goats, two female and one male.  His plan was to multiply them and then to sell them, using the profits to help the church take better care of it's own.  The Creole description Enick uses is literally "to bring them in closer to our ribs."  

The old lady above in the pink has no family and lives in a house that "takes in sun in the sunshine and takes in rain in the rainy season," falling down all around her.  She is growing old, and the hiking all through the mountains to get to church is growing impossible.  SO, little by little the church is building her a tiny little house...small but dry and secure, near the church.  It is their plan for the woman to be close to the church so that they can care for her in her old age. 

The goats are to help pay for work like this.

So, three weeks ago, Enick stopped by the house for a minute when we had dinner guests over from town.  I couldn't talk long, but he gave me an update on the goats, saying one was pregnant, due to deliver soon.  

"According to my calculations," said Enick, "We REALLY need this mom to deliver at least two babies, because the last only delivered one, and we need at least two to stay on budget."

"Well, Enick," I said without kindof joking, "If you need her to have two, let's pray for three!"

"OK!" he said, unexpectedly bowing his head for me to pray.

I felt kind of foolish ACTUALLY praying for God to somehow make this mother goat have more babies than she possibly already had in her belly...for praying for a goat, at all.  But he was waiting for me, so I dove in, and together we prayed that God would give Coup-a-David three baby goats.

This morning, we made the final climb only to see this:

That mama goat had her babies...and she had FOUR.

Unheard of.  I've never seen it.  Never heard of it!

Enick said people have come from around the mountain to see the mama goat who had four babies, all alive and doing well.

You think I felt foolish three weeks ago praying for three goats, imagine how I felt this morning, me of little faith.

God knows what we need, He is at work, even in the small things.  

Let me challenge us today.  

Pray for your "goats", and pray boldly with no shame.  Prayer isn't about our requests or about getting ahold of His answers.  It's about getting ahold of God.  

He reminded me today that He knows, knows before we ever pray, and that He hears.

What's He been showing you this weekend???