There are times when I feel awash with God's goodness. He is always good. He is always faithful. Even when I don't stop and see it. His character never changes. And then there are nights like last night that just blow you away when you realize just how faithful and good He really is.
The church I have been attending here in Kearney since moving here in July hosts an annual celebration dinner each Thanksgiving. They serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal, hold a worship service, and have a baptism celebration. Last night went above and beyond anything I could have dreamed God would do.
Over 800 people ate dinner and then found their way into the auditorium for the worship and baptism service. What a precious time that was. About 35 people came forward and shared their story of how God had changed their life. An entire family (father, mother, and child) were all baptized together. On more than one occasion a father was able to baptize his own child. Tears regularly fell from my eyes as I heard story after story of life change, and witnessed life after life boldly proclaim their faith and identify with Christ! What a beautiful scene.
But the thing that really amazed me came at the end of the night. For months our church has been praying about providing a well for the people of Koat, Sudan. This village has 4500 people who right now walk a half mile to the Nile River to get their drinking water. The Nile River is not clean and many people continue to get sick from no clean drinking water. Through a course of events, we learned about this village through a man who spent time with our church family over the past year. He is now home in the Sudan with his wife and daughter.
With Aid Sudan it costs $17,500 to drill a well for clean drinking water. The village of Koat needs two wells. We were praying we could provide them with enough money for one well. The campaign will last for four weeks. Just last night alone, the church gave $39,000 for the wells! PRAISE BE TO GOD! Amazing. Enough for both wells, and to send someone over to Koat and document the process for those of us back here in the States. What an amazing night.
As we were driving home, my husband called to tell his kids the good news about the money raised. He said "God really came through!" It was then that it hit me, GOD ALWAYS COMES THROUGH! This should be no surprise to us. It was His will and desire to bless Koat through our church. God is always faithful. I'm proud to be in a church where His people were also faithful and obedient and joined God in the work He is doing in Koat.
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