Man’s Plans vs the Lord’s Steps
One of Dawn’s favorite Bible passages is Proverbs 16:9. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” We found this to be true on our recent ministry trip to Oaxaca.
A few months ago Dawn and I planned to visit Pastor Eliel and Jessica Osorio from August 10 – 16. We were excited to see them, and they expressed their enthusiasm to have us come for the visit. Then everything changed!
Maria’s Battle for Life
On the Sunday before our trip, Eliel’s mom, Maria was admitted to the hospital, and on Tuesday they performed a major surgery. Eliel went to Mexico City to be with his mom. We considered whether we should cancel the trip, but after talking it over with our friends in Oaxaca we decided to go.
When we got off the plane in Oaxaca Dawn and I still had doubts about whether we made the right decision. We got our luggage, and there was Jessica waiting to greet us. In all of our life, I don’t think either one of us has ever had anyone greet us in such a warm and loving way. Jessica hugged both of us with tears in her eyes. She is like a daughter to us, and the Lord has blessed us with a beautiful relationship!
That night while we were with Jessica we learned that Maria wasn’t recovering well from her surgery. They told us that they were considering intubating her and that she might not make it. I called Eliel and his sister, Bitia to pray with them. When I got off the phone I must admit my faith was weak, but I have a lot of friends in Mexico, Cuba, and the US that love to pray. I sent out prayer requests to a number of friends, and it seemed like slowly things began to shift and Maria began to stabilize.
The next morning we had breakfast with Jessica. Dawn and I were trying to encourage her as she grieved the situation she was going through with her family. She was very concerned for her husband, and her mother-in-law. This was an excruciating time for the family. What made it even harder is that Eliel’s dad passed away suddenly from a massive stroke on January 1st of this year.
Since Eliel wasn’t doing well he felt like he needed Jessica’s support, so she booked a flight to be with him for the next day.
We only had one full day with Jessica, and we could understand the need for her to go to support her husband and her family. Yet I began to wonder whether we should stay or not.
God Surprised Us in the Midst of Change
Even with all these changes, God continued to surprise us and lead us. We had the most special day with Jessica before she left. We cried and prayed together as we shared heart-to-heart. It was a day that I will never forget.
On the next day, now both Eliel and Jessica are gone. What do we do?
The people from the church stepped up and they took care of us. Dawn and I led a seminar on prayer on Saturday, and on Sunday I preached at church. Every day the Lord opened up amazing opportunities for us to minister as we loved and encouraged the people from the church.
On different occasions when we saw the Lord touch someone in a special way, or use us to minister to one of our new friends Dawn said to me, “This is why the Lord wanted us to stay.” At the end of the trip, we realized that we would have never had these opportunities if everything had gone according to our original plan.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in Genesis 50:20. When Joseph said to his brothers who had sold him into slavery. Joseph said, “…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” That was what it seemed like at times during this trip the enemy meant to harm us and cause trouble, but the Lord used it for good.
Join us in Prayer
- Eliel’s mom, Maria moved to heaven on August 31st.
- Pray for the family as they mourn the death of Maria, which happened just 8 months after Eliel’s dad moved to heaven.
- Pray for the church, Hospital de Fe as they continue to preach the love of Christ in Oaxaca, and as they care for their pastor and the family.
- Hospital de Fe church is raising $5,000 USD so that they can reach the $5,000 USD matching gift they’ve been given to build a sanctuary.
- You can help the church by making a donation today so that they can purchase land and have a permanent place to meet.
- This will enable them to make a greater impact in reaching Oaxaca for Christ.
- Would you prayerfully consider joining us, and making a commitment to help us accomplish this God-given vision to impact Oaxaca for generations to come?
Make a Donation Today.
Thank you for joining us in prayer, and for considering making a gift today!
Video: Lives are being Transformed by Jesus in Oaxaca
In His Grip, Dave
P.S. Help take the gospel to the Border, the Baja, and Beyond
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