Early Christmas Gift

I received an early Christmas gift... a personal phone call from my dear friend, Leigh, who is a missionary in Guatemala. In the days of connecting via e-mail, Facebook, etc. it was just so fantastic to hear her voice! For those of you who don't know Leigh and Josh, here is a little bit of their story:

About two years ago, Leigh and her husband Josh shared with us that God had placed a call on their hearts to move to Guatemala and serve on staff at Missions Frontier in Chichicastanengo, Guatemala for at least three years. Their mission: "Use our gifts and abilities to further God's kingdom through ministering to those in need and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ." I have to confess that Mark and I were stunned. While we knew that they followed Jesus with a passion, we just didn't think that they would choose Guatemala as their mission field. (Not to mention, they were so effective at ministering right here in Pittsburgh. Mark and I - case in point!)


Fast forward to January 2009. Both Leigh and Josh resigned from their professional positions in Human Resources and Finance fields respectively. Their home was sold. Their cars were sold. Their belongings were sold with the exception of their dog Jeffrey and anything that fit into the five or so bags that they were permitted to take with them to Chichicastenango. (According to Mark, "End of story. Any questions?")


They "settled into" Chichi in late January. By the end of February, I received an e-mail from Leigh informing us that they were expecting their first baby! (I can remember thinking Hmmm...God's timing is really something else. However, a friend of mind challenged me to think of it this way: Perhaps that is God's way of blessing them for being obedient to His call."


So, I am all over the place here. My intention of this post was to share some of the details of our conversation (the mice that frequently visit their apartment, the plumbing problems that make washing baby bottles by hand even more of a hassle, etc.) However, I am feeling a nudge to revisit Leigh and Josh's mission statement and take a good look at how I am using the gifts that God has given me. What better time than now?

Merry Christmas!

Beth Ann

(Learn more about Leigh and Josh at dustysandalswalk.com)