CHANGE

_CHANGE

By Laura Davidson, August 14 2017

I am sitting here on my bed, trying to write a blog post while nursing Hannah. Mournful wails are emanating from the bathroom “I need someone to take care of me.” My very capable three year old would rather have Mommy help with every little thing. She does it on her own half the time and we are trying to encourage her to be more independent.

“Mommy!!!! I need you!”

“You can do it by yourself this time, I have to write a blog post.”

“Why?”

“Because I have been needing to write a blog post for weeks!” Or has it been months! I am mortified and embarrassed that I have not been doing better at keeping you all informed.

“Mommy, I would like to go swimming!” Kathryn starts announcing as she is looking in her drawer in her room, choosing what to wear for the day. She has spotted her swimming suit. We are enjoying Grandma and Papa’s pool and have started the process of teaching Kathryn to swim.

Swimming, laundry, doing art projects with Kathryn, grocery shopping, meeting with friends, taking care of Hannah, all these things delightfully fill my days and I just find it hard to make the time to sit down at my computer and write.

Change….. most of us don't like change. Why is change so hard sometimes!? Not a whole lot is changing, but enough details are up in the air that it is hard to know what to tell you, because the details may change tomorrow.

Edwin talked with Uncle David Gates on the phone this morning. It was so helpful, but do we know whats happening now? Not really.

Before we became full time volunteer missionaries, many people who had been-there-done-that told us that the best advise they had was to be flexible, and boy were they right.

Flexibility! I want to be flexible, able to be shaped and molded in the hand of God.

Kathryn has been playing happily on the floor waiting for me. I need to go swim with her for a bit.

*********

Swimming, lunch, bath and nap time routine are completed. Kathryn is in her bed attempting to nap, I have a few more min to write. Yay!

So here's what we know:

• Number one is that we can’t wait to go back to Guyana! And we will, soon, Lord willing.

• James Ash, along with his wife Joy and girls, Jenna and
  

  

  Julianna are retiring from foreign mission service for the time being. Yes, for real, you heard what I said. They have been invaluable in Guyana, how can the work go on without them!? But it must, and the Lord will provide. It could easily be considered that James was doing the work of three people. Doing the grocery shopping (don’t think of grocery shopping in the US, this is way different) and delivering by plane, groceries for many volunteer families, like 13 I think he said. He provided supplies and transportation for the bible workers and medical practitioners out in the jungle, along with transportation for any conference workers who needed to be at special events in remote places. James took care of all of the administrative side of GAMAS (Guyana Adventist Ministries And Services) including helping the many missionaries sort out visa complications and interviewing potential new volunteers. Perhaps most importantly, James provided emergency medical evacuation for anyone and everyone in need. Last week one missionary family’s young son fell out of bed and broke his shoulder bone. There was no way to get the boy to the medical help he

  

  needed. A few days later the father posted on Facebook that they were somehow able to get the boy to Georgetown. I can imagine that there is quite a story of the Lords providence in providing for their needs. The Lord will always provide for His people. The Ash family has been serving selflessly and faithfully for 11 years. It is time for them to be able to let some one else step up to fill their shoes, though I think we need about three people or more to be able to fill the shoes of James Ash. They will be missed in Guyana terribly! 

• David Gates himself will be stepping into the position of Director of GAMAS until someone else can be found to fill that position.

• Richard and Tamara are doing a fabulous job of taking care of things at the flight-base in Georgetown, but they are leaving as soon as some paperwork goes through!

• Uncle David Gates told Edwin this morning that he would like for there to be three working planes in Guyana, Uncle David will also use his Twin Comanche when and where he is able.

• There are four mission pilots in, or soon to be in Guyana. He would like to pair Lincoln Gomez with Daniel Baquerro, And pair Edwin Davidson with Chris Eno. What does that mean? Well, Lincoln’s home village is Paruima, Uncle David doesn't want to take him away from his family and his home village, that is totally understandable. The Eno’s are in Bethany… Uncle David said that he would eventually like us to be stationed down in the southern part of the country. “We will have to see how the Lord leads..” He told Edwin.

• There is another volunteer missionary family living in “our house” in Paruima right now. Housing is in high demand in Paruima. The principle, Steven Williams, asked our permission before he let the new family stay in “our house”. We said "yes".

My first reaction is NNNNOOOOO!!!!! I love Paruima, that is where my heart is, that is where my friends are, I love those people, I wanted to build a house there and live there forever!!!!!!

I was afraid of this. As we were packing up to leave, I had a foreboding in my heart that things would never be the same again. Those last few weeks, living in the duplex that they call “the white house” were the very happiest weeks of my life!

We had the privacy of a place of our own, Edwin was teaching at the school. He was home every day for lunch….Such a beautiful, peacefully and happy place to raise a family. We had best friends living a hop and a skip away….ahhh so many happy memories are crammed into those few weeks!

Why is it that when I feel my selfish desires starting to wrap their clingy fingers onto something, that the Lord takes it away from me. I should have learned by now to live with an open hand, allowing the Lord to give and take what He deems best. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” Job 13:15 But I shouldn't be so selfish to think that it's only about MY heart. The Lord knows the end from the beginning, he knows whats best. What’s best for everyone.

“But when the Savior calls for our possessions and our service, there are many who see they cannot obey God and carry their earthly treasures with them, and they decide to stay by their treasures….We must accept the suffering part of religion if we would sit down with the Suffering One upon His throne." SD page 234

I surrender, I surrender all. I still hope that we can spend at least SOME time in Paruima, but I surrender Paruima. I am willing, all over again to go where the Lord wants me to go, yes anywhere! I DO love adventure and know that I will make friends and be happy no matter where I find myself. We have great friends in Bethany, I am excited at the possibility of being able to spend more time with Crystal Eno and her children, that would be so fun!

Change.

Flexibility.

Am I ready?

By God’s grace, and with His help….

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!