What can I say about our mission trip to Arkansas to pour into the lives of women that are recovering, or trying to recover from addiction to drugs or alcohol? Right away, I think, “but for the grace of God, go I!” Looking into the eyes of these women, I could see them very much like myself. The only difference being my hope in Christ! So, to the very best of my ability, I looked at each and every one of them through the eyes of Christ, and my prayer was that He would be the One that they would see and not me! His love, His AMAZING and GRACIOUS LOVE is the love that brought them to John 3:17, and it is His LOVE that, if received, will bring them through to VICTORY, until the Day of CHRIST JESUS.
My role or my assignment, was of course, to fast and pray, to BELIEVE, and to encourage, BUT GOD had so much more! You see, when I was 32 years old, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. After being diagnosed, the LORD asked me, “What do you want?” I said, “LORD, I want to be healed!” And He said, “As you walk in obedience, you will be healed!” For the next three years I would listen to the voice of God speaking into my ear, and then do whatever He was asking me to do. After three years, I received my miracle! I was healed!!! All this being said, the LORD directed me to a woman who not only was battling addiction, but was battling MS. Therefore, my assignment was expanded to speak LIFE and HEALING into her, to not only believe for her deliverance, and her salvation, but to believe for her complete healing, and to believe for her to come into complete surrender and obedience to Him!
Our Mission Statement and Theme for the weekend was Standing Firm and we encouraged them to choose Him each and every day, to stand firm in their faith without wavering! So, this is my prayer for them.
As it says in Philippians 1:3-11 (NIV):
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with JOY 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being CONFIDENT of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of CHRIST JESUS. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the GOSPEL, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 GOD can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of CHRIST JESUS. 9 AND THIS IS MY PRAYER: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of CHRIST, 11 filled with the fruit of RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes through JESUS CHRIST- to the GLORY and PRAISE of GOD.
In His Love & Service, Always,
Bonnie Buchanan
