Kyle G., Jenny, Taylor, Kyle W.

And last but not least…

The Thompsons will be back in Lima next week! Thank you, thank you, for all your prayers and support! Here is the link to their blog post about them coming back– Let the Games Begin.

In less than three months Justin and Alison have raised seven months of their salary for 2011 and their entire working fund for 2011 as well.  Only God can do this!  He continues to graciously provide for them!  We know that God is in control.  And we also know that He knows our hearts and desires.  We desire for the Thompsons to be able to join us back in Peru as soon as possible. Even as early as January of 2011.   That’s really soon, people.

Getting straight to the point, here is how you can help make this happen.

1.  Gifting them with one month’s salary ($4400).
2.  Gifting them with one week’s salary ($1015).
3.  Gifting them with one day’s salary ($145).
4.  Pray and get the word out as they try to find a church family to be their main supporting congregation starting the year of 2012.

You can send your tax deductible gift to their interim overseers at the Hope Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas.

Hope Church of Christ
attn: Lima Missions
P.O. Box 3775
Abilene, TX 79604-3775

Thank you for your support of our dear friends!  They are an important part of our ministry here in Lima and we anxiously await their return!

Words can’t describe the emotions that flood your heart and soul when something like this happens. I know for some, they say it is times like this when they grapple with God the most. It is comforting to know that it’s okay to be mad at God. That it’s okay to wrestle with difficult emotions and have thousands of questions that you want answered. Because no matter how you look at it or what happens in the end, it’s like Steph said on her blog post, “God is still God.”

I heard this song by Derek Webb for the first time last night. It’s called, This Too Shall Be Made Right. It’s a song full of simple verses that have a powerful message. These are the lines I heard:

Yes there’s a time for peace, there is a time for war.
There’s a time to forgive and a time to settle the score.
A time for babies to lose their lives.
A time for hunger and genocide.

And this too shall be made right.

Oh I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door.
And I join the oppressors of those I choose to ignore.
I’m trading comfort for human life.
And that’s not just murder it’s suicide.

And this too shall be made right.
Oh this too shall be made right.

We love you, Lee and Stephanie. And we love the little boy we never got to meet, simply because he was a part of you and a precious creation of our awesome God. Time will heal the wounds, but the scars prove he’ll never be forgotten.

And this too shall be made right.

Many of you have been wondering how our fundraising is going. According to our schedule, our training will end mid-December and our internships with our supporting churches begin in January. Next August is when we’ve had in mind to move to Costa Rica for language training. Each family unit has made some contacts with different churches and individuals, but as of right now we (The Yoakums) are the only ones who have a commitment for a partnership with a supporting church. We are praising God for His provision, and we are so thankful for the Kaufman Church of Christ! Wes and I will be moving to Kaufman at the end of the year and are looking forward to building strong and lasting relationships with the believers there. Please keep our team in your prayers! The rest of the team has been in communication with churches and individuals and they are still seeking for opportunities of support. We are confident that He will provide and we are anxiously waiting to see what He has in store for us!

As for now, this weekend we were all able to stay home here in Abilene for the first weekend in about a month and a half. Sometimes it is so comforting to just stay home and sleep in the comfort of your own bed. This week we’ll be right back in the swing of things again with our training with the Halbert Institute for Missions.

I am also moved by the tears of a woman I had the chance to talk with last Tuesday. She is an elder’s wife at church, and we had an opportunity to talk over a lunch that our Ladies Bible Class shared. She may be the most tender-hearted woman I’ve ever met. Tears welled up in her eyes as she talked about how special the Uganda team [supported by First Colonly] has become to her over these past nine years and how she is just amazed at what the Lord is doing through them and for them. She has truly walked this long road with that team and has a passion for mission work. In my short conversation with her I have seen why–she is an amazing woman of prayer and is fully connected by a heart of compassion for the lost and for those that seek the lost. When I told her about our team and our goals she was thrilled and earnestly wants to join us in prayer.

How great is our God? How loving is His family? We are truly blessed to wear His name.

Another great thing about this morning was the interview style service we had. Ronnie (preacher) had questions for four members, three of which serve on the Missions Committee. Jerry Morris (the chairman) had some encouraging things to say when Ronnie asked him what the future looked like. Jerry said, “God has opened so many doors for us that it has become very breezy in here.” He said they have been in a season of prayer and are earnestly asking God to show them the direction He wants them to go. Then he mentioned by name a few of the efforts. There is a growing Chinese population at First Colony that is looking to extend the Word of God back to China, there is another member of FC who is starting a brand new inner-city work similar to Impact in the DFW area, and he mentioned us saying, “Wes and Stacy Yoakum have joined a mission team headed to Peru.” He made it clear that these are all mission efforts that they are excited about, that they haven’t made any decisions yet, but that they are trusting God to lead them every step of the way.

As a team, we are so encouraged! The Lord has given His people everywhere a heart to love Him, and the compassion they have to spread the Good News is more than enough to reach the people of Lima, Peru. What an honor it is for us to be a vessel of the passion shown by lovers of God!