A portion of last week’s blog:

As I went online to place the order, I almost fell out of my chair…  Fifty programs was EXACTLY $700…which meant 100 (what they wanted in the first place) was EXACTLY $1,400.  EXACTLY what I had received for my car…  

I could feel my heart’s thoughts . . . Oh ye of little faith…  I hung my head as I remembered their words.  God will provide.

I had returned to Africa with the Moses program to another orphanage last year.  This time, the organization that I’m the director of, The Options Pregnancy Center, allowed me to go on their time.  I didn’t have to use my holiday time.  We started the program at Options to help adoptees.  The Board felt strongly that the borders that divide countries are man-made . . . but emotional pain transcends borders, race, color, religion and economic status.  “Same work, it’s just a different continent,” they said.

I was so excited when I realized the proceeds from the sale of my car were the EXACT amount for the cost of the one hundred programs the young men had asked for.  I could hardly contain myself!  I called the Chairman of Options to tell him the news. 

“Well, I have a bit of a problem with this,” he said. 

What are you talking about? , I thought as my heart sank. 

“My problem with it is . . . I think Options should be paying for the programs . . .” he said.

I almost dropped the phone.  I was speechless. 

As I hung up the phone, I realized that God was waiting for me to be obedient.  Only then would I be blessed.  The scripture immediately came to mind: Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.

Within a few days, something else was brewing.  There was a problem with the couple that would be taking the programs to the orphanage in Africa.  They (Dwayne and Julie) and their four children had previously volunteered there.  In fact, they had helped facilitate the rest of the program after I had left.  The timing of it all was impeccable.  Only God could make this all happen so succinctly.  But now there was a chance they would not be going.

Another woman and I prayed with them, the couple sitting between the two of us.

“Melony, do you see anything?”  the woman asked.

I cringed when she asked the question.  It had been a long time since I “saw” anything when praying, but a vision formed in my head.

“I see a train made up of two cars.  It has no engine.  The strange thing is, the cars are sitting on a set of tracks that ends.  The tracks go nowhere.  And it’s a picture . . .  There’s a frame around it.”

I almost didn’t even say what the vision was.  It just seemed incredibly “out there” to me.

The next day, I asked Dwayne and Julie if anything came to mind yet about what the vision meant.

“No,” Dwayne said.  “But I recalled shortly after we prayed that there is now a five-star dining train that goes by the orphanage.  It takes tourists on excursions into the game park.  It has an engine and one car.  The orphans run to the window all the time to watch it as it goes by.”

My brow furrowed, wondering what it meant.

A few minutes later, as I was talking with someone, her voice became very distant.  She was talking, but I could not hear a word she was saying.  My eyes widened as I realized what the vision meant.

Dwayne and Julie listened intently as I told them.  “The vision I saw is the same vision that the orphans see every day through the window.  The window is the “frame”.  They see two “cars”.  What do you think are the chances of any of them ever being on that train?  In their minds, their tracks are going nowhere.  And they have no engine.  God will use YOU as the engine to bring them out of their despair and hopelessness.”

“My heart is at peace,” Julie said.  “I know now that the vision means we will be going.  There won’t be a problem.”

Within a few days, I received a text from Julie.  We just received confirmation.  We’re going.

My heart leapt.  I have a HUGE smile on my face, I responded. 

Apparently God has plans.  I can’t wait to see what happens!!!