HUMBLE SACRIFICE: A number of years ago, a middle-aged woman showed up at our church. She was visiting from out of town. Before her conversion, she had been an opera singer. As we got better acquainted with her, she became a regular supporter.

Our furlough travels this year took us near her home, so we called ahead to see about visiting. She insisted on serving us dinner. That evening, we enjoyed renewing our acquaintance. Unfortunately, she was having some health problems and was in a wheelchair. Her finances were tight. During our conversation, she briefly mentioned her recent decision not to purchase a certain item because she didn’t have the $75 to spend on it.

After dinner, she handed me an envelope with a nice card inside and three $50 bills. Baffled, I tried handing the money back to her, but she exclaimed, “Keep it! There’s a story behind it. A few months ago, I received $100 as a birthday gift. Trying to decide what to do with it, I prayed for guidance. Immediately I was impressed I should give half to your mission, so I set it aside. Later, the thought kept plaguing me that I should give the other $50 to you as well, so I set it aside, too. A few weeks ago, I needed a medical item, but my insurance company was dragging its feet. The gadget cost several thousand dollars, and I didn’t have the money to buy it. Three days after I took my need to God, a package showed up at my door. It was the exact item I needed.”

“You told me you got $100,” I responded. “But you gave me $150. Where did the extra $50 come from?”

“Oh,” she replied, “just this week, I found another $50 on my dresser, and I wanted to give it also because God has blessed me so much.”

IMPULSE GIFT: While Laurie and I were taking some mission training in North Carolina, we took an afternoon jaunt one day to nearby Chimney Rock State Park. It was good to get the fresh air and exercise and take in the panoramic view of the valley below. Near the top of Chimney Rock is a tourist shop where we decided to buy some printed T-shirts as souvenirs. It was just a few minutes before closing time, and I realized the cashier was probably anxious to get home. I asked him if he lived in town. He replied that his house was about seven miles away, just out of town. “Where do you live?” he asked me. I explained that we are missionaries with Adventist Frontier Missions.

Paying for the shirts, I thanked him and turned to leave. “Wait!” he said, reaching for his wallet. “I feel impressed to give you something for your mission.” He pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to me. I was stunned. The gift was both small and great at the same time. Thanking him again, I left feeling reassured that God continues to take care of us.

DELAYED BLESSING: Sitting at the Chicago O’Hare Airport on our way to Seattle, I scanned a screen for information about our delayed flight. The plane was already more than an hour late arriving, and I was getting concerned we might miss our connection in Minneapolis. A family of four sat across from us. The parents appeared to be about our age, and their daughter and son were about Karin and Johanna’s ages. Breaking the silence, the husband smiled and asked, “Are your daughters twins?”

“No,” I replied, “but they kind of look alike, don’t they?”

He said, “I’m a twin, and we were just visiting my brother to celebrate our 50th birthdays.”

As we conversed, we shared details of each others’ lives. He was a bronze sculptor, and his wife was an entrepreneur getting a patent on some new bath products. When they found out we were missionaries in Papua New Guinea, they had all kinds of questions for us. I overheard his daughter telling Karin, “Wow! I’m envious. All I’m doing is preparing for college, but that’s nothing compared to what you are doing.”

Finally the plane pulled up to the gate, and we boarded. Settling down in my seat toward the back of the plane, I saw my new acquaintance squeezing past some people in the aisle. He had a small bag in his hand. Handing it to Karin, he said his wife was impressed to give our girls something. Inside the bag were a couple of tubes of lotion and a note with a money gift. Right away, Karin and Johanna wrote a note of thanks and passed it up to the wife.

MISSION APPEAL: Audrey and Laurie became friends back in 1990 while singing in our local community choir. When we were raising our initial support before launching to PNG, we sent an appeal letter to Audrey’s family, and immediately they sent a pledge of monthly support.

Feeling a need to reconnect with our friends, we made sure we included them in our furlough travels. Before our arrival at their home, Audrey asked if it would be all right if she invited people from her local church for a picnic on Sabbath afternoon so they could hear about our mission experiences. We were happy to agree. By mid afternoon, guests started to arrive, and many lingered until late in the evening as they visited with us and listened to our presentations. Audrey was very pleased with the success of the afternoon. She told me that about a year ago, a family from her denomination working in Peru came to town, and she invited people to come and hear them and give financial support, but no one came. So she was astonished when 20 people attended this event with us and were very interested in missions.

When you work for God, don’t be surprised at the unexpected. Just be thankful.

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