God's Hand

It is very interesting to see God's Hand in your everyday life. As some of our family and closest friends already know, God has tugged on my heart in the past about going into the mission field. Granted, I know I work in one everyday. However, I have always felt God's tug to do more, to go farther. However, he was always met with a resounding "No". We never will have the money to go into the field, travel far, or Elise is too small, I can't do that are you kidding me. Well, God always redirects and directs again.



The story starts like this. I can remember, it seems like 20 years ago now when we were still in Kentucky laying in bed ( we didn't have Elise yet, and Joel was always working nights) praying my heart out to the Lord to open doors for me to teach at a Christian School. I had applied and interviewed several times at a Catholic School but was always turned down because the main reason I am not Catholic nor was I planning on becoming one. Well, there was one night that the nun that I had been interviewing with called and again and told me she would love to hire me if I was only Catholic and needless to say I was again praying. Lord, I want to teach for you, tell me where to go what to do and I will go. As God always does he answered my prayer 10 months later when we found out that we would be moving to South Carolina. You see even though I couldn't at that exact time see that God's Hand was laying the path, I again made a resounding: "Are you kidding. My family is here. I have a job. What about Elise, she is just a baby.' A good friend of mine told me that if our move was truly from the Lord that by the time the moving van pulls into your driveway I would go without any complaints. And by the time the van did pull in my driveway I was ready. You may be asking yourself what does all of this have to do with the opening of this blog. God brought us 400 miles away from everything I have ever known to teach me lots of things. When we moved I felt a little like Abraham not the righteous part of him but the part about him leaving his father's land. As God was faithful to Abraham he has been faithful to us. You see God moved us here for me to teach for Him here in South Carolina at a great school. He also led us to a church that doesn't just sit, we send. It can be in our own community or as far away as you can imagine.



Fast forward about 12 years and here we are again watching God's Hand move, the mission field.... in June of 2007 our youth director was talking to Joel and I about a mission trip he was planning for the youth for the summer of 2008. He said to us that he would let Elise go if she had parents that went with her. It crossed my mind then that maybe we should go. But again, what about the time off, what am I going to do over there, do I really want to expose Elise at that age to cultures like Haiti, and how much does it cost? I probably thought about it for a few days and again, Sorry God.... that is not for me. Well, just like he put Jonah in the belly of the whale for three day he put me in the hospital for four days with a pretty serious illness. As I laid in the hospital bed I kept asking myself "Why didn't I die?" So many people have had blood clots in their lung and died. Why didn't I? Not that I wanted to... but the question would always return. I guess when you have an illness that could have been fatal you really stop to examine your life. I know without a doubt that the guy I married,the move we made,the job I hold, the church I attend,the people He has put in my life especially in the last year are only because God has paved the way to this point. Well, the youth director that I spoke to back in June started to talking to Joel and I again in the first week of December about going to Haiti. This time I didn't answer with a NO but a maybe, we had to let Robbie know by January 1 whether or not we would go. I was still so unsure now it was not only the other things that I mentioned first but also I am medically sound to go? What happens if....? I have a thousand ifs but God has a thousand I Knows. I just wanted to let those of you that know us be a part of this wonderful experience that gets more exciting everyday. These are the things that God will do for you, if we will look past our noses to the other parts of His world.



Dec. 11- there was an informational meeting at church about the Haiti trip Robbie hands me a packet of all the paperwork need saying to me "the Holy Spirit told me to give these to you." My response was "I am glad He is talking to you because I haven't really felt Him yet." When really I had I was just so scared I didn't want to listen.



Dec. 16th- my prayer was God if we are suppose to go to Haiti make it very clear one way or the other, knowing that the two of my biggest concerns were the money and my medical condition, within two hours of that prayer a friend from church called that had found out that we were thinking about going and told me that his father was donating money toward the trip not in our name but in the big pot.



Dec. 24th- I finally confessed to Robbie that I was so scared that we would not get the support we need for our whole family to go. His response was" Tracey, God owns cattle on a thousand hills why would he not provide." I also heard God at that time speaking to my heart "Why do you have so little faith, have I not provided what you have needed thus far." Well that really hit home and that is what I am cling too.

Jan. 4th Praise !!!!! we received our first support check

Jan.6th- Joel and I both have to be together when we get passports because Elise is under 16. We both have to sign the passport request, so it finally worked out that we can both go on Thurs. Jan 10. We begin filling out all the paperwork for the trip itself as well as our passport application, seeing we need our birth certificates we start looking for them. We find Elise's (that was easy), Joel's, but mine, not a chance to be found. Panicking I called my mom, she worked her magic(God used her hands) and for a process that was supposed to take 7 days., my birth certificate was here on Tuesday...so the plans for Thursday are back on.



Jan. 10th Passport Day

Our plans were for me to leave school at 3:30 pick up Elise and be back into Lancaster County at the Court House by 4:30, they don't close until 5:00 that should plenty of time to get our applications processed. Well, as things go Joel decided he would go to the court house early to do his and save time for us. I get a phone call at 2:30 as I was walking my students out to pick up, it was Joel saying that we had to be at the court house before 4:00. What? I will never make it..... I have to get Elise still which is a miracle in itself because the traffic at pick up time. My assistant grabbed her purse, said I've got the class, I called the other campus (someone actually picked up and it didn't go to voicemail which is another hand of God)and ask them to pull Elise out of class, meet me on the street so I don't have to go through the parking lot at pick up time. I left school thinking OK if this doesn't work, is this God's way of saying wrong path.....oh me of little faith. Do you know that not only did I pull through the parking lot at Elise's campus but there was an empty lane to get in and out of. And we made it to the court house in plenty of time.



That brings you up to date on our Journey to Haiti--- I am so excited about seeing God work and I stand in amazement in front of Him only now I am not resounding with a No but a Yes Lord Yes!!!

So tonight I am giving thanksgiving for His all knowing power, friends, a persistent youth director, family, Joel's thoughtfulness,God's timing, assistants,overnight delivery,the school in which I teach, the people who have traveled to Haiti before us to prepare our way, the many of you that will give financially,prayer warriors,pod casts,and the days to come that will only strengthen our faith in God. Let His Glory shine!!!



We will keep you posted on the wheres and the hows of God in our lives, but may He be in yours, that you see Him everyday.



SC Denney's are Haiti bound!!!