Stumbling blocks build endurance

The country music lyrics go something like,“whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance....” Well, doors are closing, but we're faithful that other doors will open because we believe that God is continually opening the right doors at just the right time. Since we've gotten back to Chiapas, we've learned the following:

• A surgical team canceled their trip to Chiapas that would have opened up a whole new world for a young Tzeltal boy born with a club foot.
  
• A church who had pledged $20,000 for clinic construction and help for a student's tuition has not been able to do so despite their strong commitment and desires to help.
  
• A paperwork snag with Rotary International required the postponement of the well-drilling team trip to drill the well for the medical clinic.
  
• And the young woman who was building relationships within state government that could have yielded financial aid from the government to help finish the medical clinic was fired for uncovering specific incidents of corruption.
  

Yes, there have been several complications in our work in Chiapas lately, and yet facing and overcoming obstacles are aspects of life in any setting. We're reminded in James 1:2-4 that we grow mature and complete as endure: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and the let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

These are indeed trying times, and yet we are faithful that God does offer comfort, bring relief and accomplish God's plans in the end. Please join us in praying for deliverance from some of these complications, wisdom to find solutions, confidence in God's ultimate authority, and patience in the meantime.