The Ocean Desert - Kevin

Once Rachel and I realized we were in a desert season (see previous post), my first response was, "How did I get here?  Did I make a mistake?  How do I get out of here?"  My desert has a lot of water, too much.  Before we left home, I felt like I was standing on the banks of a large river called "Faith".  I knew this river was going to South Africa, but that's all I knew for sure.  So I waded in deeper and deeper until the next step disconnected me from the shore and into the fullness of the current.  I had followed God into the river before, always a bit nerve-wracking, but I've learned to trust him.  

This time the river carried me out into the ocean and before I knew it, I had lost sight of land.  At first I thought I could  save myself with my wisdom and strength, but I didn't even know which way to swim.  But God was there in the midst of this ocean-desert in the form of a life raft that would provide safety, shelter, and everything I would need to survive.  

But at first I did not want to get in.  I held on to the side with one hand and I held on to my rubber ducky in the other.  My rubber ducky signified everything I relied on instead of God - My pride, strength, wisdom, my comforts: good things and bad.  What kind of fool would hold onto a rubber ducky when there was  a life raft right there?!  I love my ducky, he is my "Wilson"!  

But he cannot save me.

It seems like God uses difficult times to wake us up to the reality of how much we need him and and how we are designed for deep dependence on our Shepherd-King.  But this does not come naturally or easily; we must make the choice ourselves.  In Proverbs chapter 3 it talks about how God disciplines those he loves (He even led Jesus into the desert).  Discipline sounds like a negative thing but it is not.  "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12)  

A sermon from Rick Ezell says this:  "Discipline means training.  It is meant to draw us away from what will cause us harm and then lead us into the likeness of Jesus.  Discipline is needed to align our will to God's will."  

God is using this desert season to discipline me, just like a coach using discipline and training to make his players the best they can be.

"The job of a coach is to make players do what they don't want to in order to achieve what they have always wanted to be." -Tom Landry, Hall of Fame coach of the Dallas Cowboys (and a follower of Jesus).  
Things have become a lot easier knowing that God has a purpose for this hardship.  The more I trust him, the more peace he gives me.  I'm not sure which is more amazing: that I believe in Jesus, or that Jesus believes in me.

In other news:

Financial help needed: Tooth Story

We all start out with 12 molars. My wisdom teeth were impacted so I was then down to 8.  Right before I joined Mercy Ships in 2000, #7 on my upper right side cracked.  It would need a root canal and then a cap costing $2,000 or $75 to pull it.  I was broke, so out it came.  #6 on the upper right side continued to serve me well even after it had cracked and had a root canal in Africa (on the ship) in 2009.  Last year on my birthday while trying to consume a Snickers Blizzard it cracked down to the roots and could not be saved.  With no molars left I cannot chew food on the right side of my mouth.  The bad news is that implants cost about $4,000 dollars in the U.S. Dental insurance typically does not pay for dental implants.  The very good news is that they only cost $1400 in South Africa using the same high quality components.  The other bad news is that we exhausted our savings account covering our transition costs to come here.  

So I'm asking if anyone can help.  I can put it on a credit card but the borrowing costs are high, and I've not carried credit card debt since 1997.  The bone scan showed I have 8mm of bone, 7mm is needed otherwise bone grafts are required (expensive and painful).

As we get older the bone mass decreases, so right now there is a window of opportunity.  I found a great dentist in Cape Town, I have the bone mass, but I need help with the cost.  The total cost for all the screws/posts, surgery and making the new teeth will be around $2,800 for the #6 and #7 molars. The surgery to place the posts is scheduled for Nov. 17th, so the bill will come due in December.
Information about given can be found at this link:

www.ellensburgwellspring.com/yangas-family/

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Kevin and Rachel