Prayerful Rest

Growing up I remember looking forward to family vacations.  I knew that at some point during the summer, we would wake up during the early morning hours, cram our family of 6 into our van, and ride off to wherever the road would lead. I still wonder why my dad would drive across the country time after time with 5 females.  It's like he was asking for a death wish or to be medicated.  I think this may be part of the reason he is such a quiet man.  Whatever the reason may have been, his decision made for some of the best memories in this little girl's life.  When I got married, this tradition of vacations carried over into my new family.  My husband, Derrick, on the other hand, didn't grow up with this tradition.  His father was a pilot for the Hurricane Hunters, and had to travel during the summer and into the fall months.  Derrick's first concern he expressed to me was, "Angie, isn't there a better way we should be spending our money?" After a few trips and three kids later, he grew to love vacations as much as I did.

Our last trip to Disney World in 2011

When we are stressed, overworked, or just need a break from our day to day routine called life, we tend to think, "I need a vacation!"  So why is it when we return from our little getaways we are often just as tired or more stressed than when we left?  When we look closely at Scripture we can find that when Jesus needed a break from his day to day routine of a life where people followed him constantly demanding or wanting things, he withdrew himself from the crowd as well.  The only difference is that Jesus didn't retreat away to some beach or amusement park to refresh his mind and regain his strength.  He set the bar for us to follow.  All through the Bible we find statements like, "He went off to a solitary place,"(Mark 1:35) "He went off to a mountainside to pray,"(Luke 6:12) "He spent the night praying,"(Luke 6:12) "He was praying in a certain place" (Luke 11:1).  Jesus showed us what "prayerful rest" truly looks like.  So, maybe we don't need a vacation at all.  Maybe we are confused about what our real needs truly are.  Maybe it's as simple as prayerful rest with our Father.  This type of rest where we choose to spend alone time with God brings real strength into our life, it brings rest to our tired souls, it brings insight into complicated situations, it brings answers to difficult questions, it brings peace that God is in control of all things so we need not worry, it brings wisdom to choose right from wrong, but most of all it brings us love for a Saviour who gave us His all.  This is more than Disney World could ever offer me.

I mentioned in my previous post how my trip to Guatemala changed me forever.  One of the ways I have noticed change is in this area of vacations.  Derrick's concerns he first expressed to me now ring in my ears, "Don't you think our money could be best spent some other way?"  He was right!  I find it very hard to spend so much time saving money to be spent on our own pleasures when I have visions in my head, like the ones below, of people suffering.

Philippians 4: 9 says, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you." Not only have I learned and I see how Jesus modeled prayerful rest for us, I have also seen pain and suffering in the eyes of human beings.  A type of suffering Americans have never experienced in our land of fullness.  I believe Jesus would have spent the money he was given on helping others, so how can I model anything less?  I read this morning, "Ministry in a hurting world is ineffective if we lack the power to make a difference."  I believe this power only comes through prayerful rest spent with our Lord. 

Above are a few pictures from Hope of Life where they have rescued these poor children.  Nearly 3,000 lives are rescued each year due to starvation and sickness.....and I need a vacation??? Am I saying people are wrong to go on vacation?  No, not at all.  I believe it is important to make lasting memories with our children, and there are all sorts of lessons to be learned and good to be done, even through vacations.  What I am saying is a true vacation from life is found in prayerful rest with our Lord and Saviour.  Through this, we will gain proper perspective on how to live, including things we spend our money on.  As far as family memories go...for me, I want my kid's most memorable moments to be those when they were being the hands and feet of Jesus!  

Mission Minded

GUATEMALA....A place I never really thought about and to be honest probably couldn't have even located it on a map.  Now, it's seared into my heart in ways that can't be undone.  This past summer, I went on my first international mission trip to Hope of Life International in Guatemala along with my husband and two oldest children.

Derrick, Ambria, River and myself with two precious
teenagers from the orphanage, Gaby and Blanca

When we returned, I couldn't get the faces out of my head.  I would drive along the road and just envision the people of Guatemala standing along the roadside with their sweet smiles.  They have so little and yet are so happy and loving.  I would go to the grocery store and just stand in the aisle staring at all the choices we have available at our fingertips, and I would start to feel angry inside.  It was like I couldn't wrap my head around what makes us think we are so deserving to have access to anything we could possibly want.  I was angry at our culture and at our way of thinking as Americans.  I was angry at how we take things for granted.  I just kept thinking this is not right.  It's not right...kids are starving and malnourished while we eat 3+ meals a day so easily.  It's not right that people are dying because of sickness from lack of clean water while we drink it so freely straight from our own kitchens.  I know life is not fair, but we only get one shot at it.  I don't want to waste the little shot I have been given.   My hearts desire is to help people, any people.  That may be my neighbor or someone in a foreign country.  A need is a need and if I can fill it, that is what I want to do.   I started this blog because this is something very near to my heart.  A burning passion of mine that could only come from God.  I don't want to miss a single thing HE has for me.  So, the intentions for this blog is simply a way I can keep track of what God is doing in and thru the Gates family! I don't know what His plans are for us, but I know our lives were changed this summer by a small little country full of people with hurts, pain, and needs.

Child at the local dump

Some people believe we should serve the needs in our own cities and country first before traveling all over the place helping others.  I believe we should serve the needs wherever the Lord leads each of us and if that is someplace else, I pray we are all obedient to that calling.  No matter the place, serving is not an option if you claim to be a follower of Christ.  It's a command.  Whether you do that locally or internationally is up to the Lord.  He knows where we are needed the most.

Local dump feeding site

Average home

After MUCH prayer and MANY obstacles we have booked a trip to return to Hope of Life Intl. this December.  I don't know what the Lord has in store, but I just know we are supposed to go.  Financially, it doesn't make sense.  I have recently quit my job to homeschool my three children, and things are as tight as ever before with finances.  So, to most people this decision makes no sense.  It would be much easier for us to take the money we have raised to put towards our summer mission trip where we will return to Hope of Life Intl. once again with a group from our church.  But, God never said when we follow him it would be safe or easy.  We aren't called to do easy.  With much confidence that He is telling us to go back in December, I have no choice but to say, "Yes Lord...I will go!" The way he chooses to provide financially will be nothing short of a miracle.  I trust him.  That's all I can do.  So, this Christmas instead of buying gifts, we hope to bring Christmas to Guatemala.  If you want to walk this journey with us, feel free to read updates to the blog.  As for the Gates' family, we are His and will follow His commands.  My prayer is that God will make His light shine "thru His Gates!"