August 26, 2019
MOBILE CLINIC is 4 days away!
PRAY!
GIVE!
To help support the Clinic - medical evangelism
https://abwe.org/work/projects/william-lori-smith-medical-clinic
FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE THINGS
Luke 16 verses 10-13 has such a valuable lesson for us today. Faithfulness in little things. It is so easy sometimes to just put our focus on the BIG PICTURE that we miss the little daily details of blessings that fill our lives.
WE have some really BIG things that happened this week. GOD heard our pleas for intervention with the GST (taxes) on our clinic AND GBBC things in the container!! After being told that we would be responsible to pay for EVERYTHING on EVERY item, the head man in the Government office determining this matter decided not only would our container be exempt from taxes due, but as an organization we may be exempt from all future imports and purchase taxes. Pray that even that can be worked out ! WOW!! That was not even what we asked GOD to do! We were looking at the little picture and GOD just opened the door for this blessing on our BIG picture especially as lots of purchases for expansion are on the close horizon!
WE still wait for the clearance of the container through customs as the person needed to sign for it did not go into work on Friday. Monday is a National Holiday, so maybe Tuesday? PLEASE pray that the container will be cleared without inspection and pray for safety as it travels up to Goroka. We are asking GOD NOT to bring it on FRIDAY as we have a planned mobile clinic outreach that day…..so pray specifically that GOD brings it the following Monday, Sept 9th.
We had hoped and were praying that the container would be here BEFORE the mobile outreach, but we know that GOD will bring it at the perfect time and HE will enable us to deal with it when it comes. Many details need to come together before that time. WE need to purchase and have delivered two 20 foot containers to be used for storage at the clinic hopefully BEFORE the container arrives. We found two up in the Highlands already and this option is pending approval so please pray that will be possible to avoid shipping cost from the coast!
We have the little picture in our minds but GOD has the grand plan already orchestrated.
The ambulance should be driving up to the Highlands this weekend and possibly able to be picked up after Monday’s holiday as well. We have had multiple times of needing urgent transfer to the hospital these weeks. It has been such a vivid reminder of the great NEED of this AMBULANCE so we don’t have to use our family vehicles for transporting bleeding people, especially! We are amazed that our NEW vehicle is an answer to our unexpected need. GOD is SO FAITHFUL!! IT will even have AIR CONDITIONING and MUSIC/cd player!! COMFORT and practicality!! Little things that make a big fun factor for sure!
Our family has grown this week as the rooms of our home are full of people and love.
Timothy has joined us now. His parents left this week for their home village. It was a very tearful good bye with many students sacrificing to send off this dear couple to face what most likely will be Ruth’s eternal home going in the not to far off future. How precious to see our students demonstrate their love by sacrificial giving of themselves and their limited finances to help this family on their way into this time of trial. WE so appreciate your prayer for Timothy and our ministry to him while he is in our home. He is at such a hard age anyways, as 16 has so many changes already. Timothy is a very quiet boy and we really need God’s Spirit to help us discern how best to help him as he faces separation from his parents, school issues, and the impending loss of his mommy.
WE have had the opportunity to minister to one of Lori’s dearest friends recovering from surgery this past week. The comfort of our home makes it a much easier place to rest and. Please pray for Angie as she heals. WE are having a bit too much fun having her here, so hopefully the many visitors and a LOT of laughter and joy will not negatively affect her need of rest!! Lori’s Dad is really enjoying all the fun, too! One day we had more than 10 ladies laughing and eating and drinking tea with Angie…..he said he was the rooster in the hen house! 😊 As we promised him there is NEVER a dull moment in our home, and he is enjoying each crazy commotion filled minute for sure! (At this moment I'm writing this we have 28 people in our livingroom and in his livingroom all wathcing a Rugby game!! FUN PNG “village” LIFE! ) The small daily things, the little things, that bring joy into the story of our lives!
Each day this week has also been filled with investing in the lives of three nursing students doing a clinic experience in our clinic. Working with them, instilling the simple basic skills of assessment, and the techniques of giving injections and maintaining a steirle technique, always reminding them that the basic “little details” are often the most critical in health care. We are praying that as we share with them our love of medicine, Rubby and I will also have opportunities to share Jesus with Rita, Sandy and Shadrach over these next weeks they are with us. I have shared my personal testimony of salvation and also the amazing journey GOD is taking us through with my breast cancer experience with them already. They are seeing our love for our patients and hearing the GOSPEL presentations each morning, as well. Seeds being planted that we trust will bring forth great eternal fruit! Their Clinical advisor shared that our clinic is the very favorite clinic their students get to be placed at because they learn more, experience more and feel more comfortable than anywhere else. WE praise GOD for this report as our clinic is unique…..our purpose is sharing HOPE and ETERNAL LIFE not just giving medicine. We seek to minister in excellence with compassion so that CHRIST will be evident to ALL! We so appreciate the MANY that give the needed finances and partner with us in this crucial ministy outreach.
WE prepare this week for a huge outreach into an area of BENA that fighting devastation has opened the door for a church plant and now a mobile clinic. PLEASE pray for Keisasaro and our effective ministry there on Thursday night and Friday. We will spend over a thousand dollars in medicine dispensed, spend our entire strength and give our total effort, but these sacrifices are offerings of love that we pray will open the Bena “stone hearts” to the amazing LOVE of JESUS!! Sorcery, fighting, HIV infection and serious illnesses will be confronted with the POWER of the GOSPEL as we battle for souls that day! We need an army of prayer partners joining us in battle!!
Little THINGS……details of being faithful and then seeing GOD multiply that into HIS amazing overwhelming faithful intervention in the BIG PICTURE! What a joy it is to see GOD piece by piece continue to make a reality the complete picture of HIS Kingdom one soul at a time. How blessed that each of us can play a unique part in that amazing orchestration of HIS PLAN.
Please continue to pray:
- Thanks for praying for ANDREW. HE is greatly improved!! Vito remained healthy through the trial of his RSV infection (amazing considering how contageous it is!!) We truly saw GOD answer our prayers.
- Please continue to pray for Vito’s mommy. There is not much help for mental health issues here. I fear the family is not really seeking to find ways to help her, either. WE are thankful Vito is safe and thriving, but we want her mommy to be able to function normally again, as well. PRAY that we can share JESUS with them through our love and care of Vito in this time of family crisis .
- PLEASE PRAY the container is released this next week and that it will come up to Goroka on Sept. 9th. PRAY that we can finalize the purchase of two 20 ft. containers for added storage for the clinic that are already up in the Highlands to decrease shipping costs. WE really need them on site before the 40 ft container arrives.
- Pray for Timothy and his parents Ruth and Keith as they walk through this difficult journey of Ruth’s lung cancer trial. Pray that we can encourage Timothy and for our discernment as we minister to him while he is in our home.
- Pray for Angie, Lori’s sister in all ways except genetics. PRAY as she heals from her recent surgery and as we await biopsy results. We have had a wonderful time of her recooperation as she has been living with us this week! WE are so blessed with the amazing gift of family no matter what color of skin or heart language….the BLOOD of CHRIST is stronger than blood line for sure!
- Pray that our ambulance will arrive in Goroka THIS week!!
No reserves. No retreats. NO REGRETS!! Faithful (in little and big) and fearless,
Bill, Lori, Dad and the BOYS,and our rose bud Vito .
