unplanned rest.

It's great how God knows what we need. He made us. It's His plan for our lives that He is completing for His glory. Well, I shouldn't be surprised when things don't go as I plan. I'm writing from a guest room at the South America Mission Guest House in Santa Cruz.  It feels like a second home to me. It's nearly 2pm, and I'm just now coming to grips with the fact that the girl from my church (Iglecia Cristiana Misionara) who, on Sunday night, so desperately wanted to have lunch with me today, is not going to call and we are not going to have lunch as we planned.  So I need to find some lunch. The two oranges I had in the market this morning are not going to cut it.  But I praise God for giving me what I need rather than what I think I want.  I needed this time to sew a button on some capris, do a few other little things and now finally write on here. I've been thinking about writing, but as Daphne Stowe and many others know: I have a habit to run run run, and not stop to breathe. But yesterday and today I've had breathing time.  Right now I have two hours until I need to be on the north side of town at Jimena's church. We will go from there to the retreat center of the Bolivian Baptist campgrounds, for the annual convention/ retreat for national Bolivian Baptist missionaries. It starts tonight and will go until Saturday.  On Sunday at Jimena's church,I will present a power point of what she and I have done in San Fernando.  At night I'll go to my church. We will fly back to San Fernando Monday morning September 6th.  I just called Greg to comfirm our return flight for the date I wanted: Sep.2nd.  He has another flight booked.Oops, I should have confirmed a week ago. Well, back to the fact that I am not in control of my life. God is in the driver's seat. That is for sure.

To fill in a few gaps and recap a little: Jimena and I were not planning on going to Robore last week, nor Santa Cruz. The opportunity came up while we were in San Fernando.  We would ride in a truck to Robore to stay for a few days. We both jumped at the opportunity. God just slowly kept on shocking me with good things from there. While in Robore we were strongly encouraged to go this Baptist conference, and here I am. God knew my dear Jimena and I needed some serious intervention. In Robore God moved through a pastor and his wife as well as another young woman I met. Her name is Yudelka.  God used them to counseling  us.  It was perfect. It was what we needed. Yudelka "happened" to be traveling back to Santa Cruz by bus, so we went with her. Complete restoration of the broken unity between Jimena and I happened Tuesday morning at Yudelka's house in Santa Cruz, before we all went our separate ways. God heard your prayers, and mine. I had been pleading with God for something supernatural to happen to bring communication and understanding to Jimena and me. God used Yudelka as a modern-day prophetess.  She is beyond mature in her faith. In everyday conversation she cannot contain all the amazing things the Holy Spirit has done through her. She sees truth and lies in situations and speaks truth when it needs to be spoken. She spoke into our lives, and basically took the authority she has in Christ to speak truth and claim authority and told Jimena and I we NEEDED UNITY AND WE DIDN'T HAVE IT.  Yudelka left the room, and I felt  convicted of a handful of things I had been guilty of with Jimena. I asked Jimena to forgive me and wanted her to know what was on my heart. Jimena then shared why she had been silent for the last 2 months. The Holy Spirit moved in that place, and unity was restored between us.  Thank you for praying. It all could not have been more perfect.... God's story is so much better than anything we could dream up. I am so sure of it.

That was a week ago. I didn't get here to the Guest house until that afternoon. Then a missionary friend here had a party for me that evening. The following day was just as crazy, but so great to be in Santa Cruz, and in the evening to go to our weekly prayer meeting and see all the SAM missionaries! The next day, Thursday, I went to SCCLC to see MY COUSIN DANIELLE POTTER AND FRIEND ALLY LEE as teachers at SCCLC! It really is a miracle and answer to prayer! My cousin is the art teacher! Years ago I prayed for someone to replace me... And, Thursday, as I sat in my old desk and she stood telling me her plans, and as I watched her teach some little kids, it was a surreal feeling. She's not me, but she is herself and a GREAT ART TEACHER FOR SCCLC!  She is a perfect replacement for me. Watching Danielle was like watching myself 6 years ago. It's just awesome! Thursday night I was invited to a prayer service at a church called Cristo Vive, to share about what God has been doing in San Fernando. There were many youth and adults in attendance. They take praying for me and San Fernando  very personally. I had spoken there before I went to San Fernando. God moved in that church. Pray for them. I feel like some young man from that church will replace me out in San Fernando some day. Later my friend who had originally invited me to that church told me there are a lot of young men from that church studying to be pastors, and that church is very focused on missions and evangelism. Friday I had some meetings... with Dan the SAM BOLIVIA field director, and with Dina, the young woman who is going to join Jimena and I out in San Fernando for the next 3 months. OH, IT'S JUST ALL GOOD. GOD IS SO GREAT! HE IS SO IN CONTROL and I AM SO NOT!

Sunday I shared a power point of San Fernando in my church in the morning and evening service. That church prays for me often! They see me as one of their own going out to San Fernando. Yet, they also are convicted that I come from so far away, but  I go deep into Bolivia where they haven't even been. AMEN! PRAY THAT GOD WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH ME TO CONVICT OTHERS TO STEP OUT AND GO TELL  ABOUT JESUS!

oK, I need to get my things together and take a taxi over to Jimena's church, where from there we will then go to their camp grounds for the convention/retreate. Pray that God would continue to teach me and mold me. And also that He would continue to bring Jimena and I unity and understanding.

After the conference, Dina is flying to another city to see her brother and his family. They are going to Africa as missionaries. Then she will return to fly back to San Fernando September 6th with Jimena and me. Dina will stay until December.

After this conference I will post one more time with PICTURES! Then it will be back to Amy to post when she can.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! GOD HAS, AND IS MOVING! KEEP PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE OF SAN FERNANDO WHILE WE ARE NOT THERE AND WHEN WE GO BACK!

For God's Glory,
Katie Wells