Yokes and Llama Pants

I'm not quite sure why picking a date for leaving for Perú felt like such leap of faith. Maybe it's because I don't want to be wrong or put a date on God's timing. I wanted to go back to Cusco as soon as I could but I remembered three years ago when I was so eager to go and support raising took four months longer than I originally planned. But I eventually got all my funds in and was able to leave - Praise God!

But in my May newsletter I took a leap and announced that I had a time frame. I do have a good reason for having a time frame. If I stay out of the country for more than 183 days I will lose my Peruvian residency card. That residency card allows me to be in the country legally with a religious non-catholic visa. It does cost a good amount for those cards and not something that I want to lose. So, July 19th will be 183 days!

Can I make it back in time? Will I have the 75% support by the end of the month so that I can buy my plane ticket? Will my church support me? Will I get enough other supporters to fill in the gap? There are a lot of questions that could fill me with worry and fear. But I won't allow myself to go down that path.

If this was just about me carrying the burden of support raising myself, I could get pretty depressed. Instead I remember who is carrying the burden with me: Jesus! He's teaching me and leading me as I trust Him and walk with Him.  He says:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.      Matthew 11:28-30

I grew up hearing this verse but never really realized until this weekend that Jesus is inviting me to walk under the yoke with Him! He's not going to remove my burden but instead He will teach me how to walk under it with Him. It's wonderful to know that rest comes in walking beside Him.

So, as I walk under this burden of support raising with Jesus, I'm trusting Him and His provision. He's already being so faithful! When I sent out my newsletter last week I only had 27% and now I'm up to 45% of my support! Woohoo! God is faithful. Thank you for praying for God to come through this wonderful month of June. Here's my llama and his pants!