Carla’s Blog
– Thursday, April 12, 2007
Our family is trying to raise over $13,000 to go to Mongolia this summer. Recently, I made a Bible Drill CD for my brother’s church to help the kids there learn their Bible verses through songs. Mark worked his magic on the disc and what came out of our printer was a very professional looking CD with awesome songs to boot! People who have been using the CD keep saying it is so good that we should sell it! Well, I never intended to make money from it. But then I realized this could be an awesome opportunity to help our family go to Mongolia!
I quickly began putting together all of the songs I have written over the years. I was able to put together two more CD’s and even include a song written by our girls for my oldest sister when she went to Heaven last August. It is so precious! After only a couple of weeks selling these CD’s, we have raised over $700! I find it incredibly humbling that God would use me and my songs (which are like pages from my diary – how humbling is that) to get us to Mongolia! I know I’m supposed to say something like, ‘we are going to be able to bless the Mongolian people because people here have supported us so amazingly.’ But the truth is, the Mongolian people are going to bless us! I know – I’ve been there before!! Last summer I was able to go and I cannot wait to get back and share my family with them, and especially to get to share my children with their children!!!
Just two weeks ago, God gave us an incredible confirmation to even bring our girls. One couple was giving a large amount to our church on our behalf. They told me that God began impressing on them that they needed to double the amount they were giving because they believe it is so important that our children go with us. They said that our girls will have a greater impact on the Mongolian children than we adults could. And furthermore, when we return, our girls will have a greater influence on American children regarding missions than any adult ever could! It was like God Himself was telling us, “Yes, I want you to take your children with you halfway around the world!” WOW!
OK, here’s another WOW! My other sister is using that Bible Drill CD with the children in her home church. Here is an amazing story she sent me about how God is using those little songs in a mighty way:
I want to tell you a story about using the bible verse songs you shared with me. I focused the kids on learning Genesis 1:31 starting 3 weeks ago. Two weeks ago, I let the kids volunteer to stand up individually to quote the verse. After a couple of kids volunteered, I noticed a girl in the back timidly raise her hand. (I hadn’t met her yet.) I instantly called on her and saw a visible reaction from the teacher she was sitting next to as well as the other children. (This was during our combined time with about 50 kids.) She very timidly got up and recited the verse perfectly. However, it was immediately apparent why everyone winced when I called upon her. She has a speech impediment and is developmentally disabled. One of the teachers came to me after with tears in her eyes and told me that this little girl had never said a word in the 2 years she had been attending the class. Last week when I asked for volunteers, her hand was the first to go up. I asked her to come to the front and stand by me to help remind the kids of the words. She walked up by me with as much confidence as you could have. When she was done, she beamed and jumped up and down and clapped for herself. I thought you would want to know how your gift is helping others in unintended ways. After church Sunday, her bible study teacher said she actually participated during her class. She attributed her change to her ability to focus and learn the bible verse with enough confidence to recite it in front of everyone. Thank you for sharing your gift with me and all of us at our church.
Isn’t God amazing? He takes our feeble offerings and makes them into something beautiful. And it’s always more than we could ever have imagined!
