God's Providence and Goodness

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. -Ephesians 2:8-10

Praise God for the gift of eternal life that Jesus freely gives to all who come to Him in faith. We were truly lost in all the sin that filled our hearts and defined our sinful nature. Now we have been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all our sin and unrighteousness. Thank you for the freedom that we have in You, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit who is freely given to all who ask. Thank you for the home that is waiting for us in heaven where God dwells. Thank you for the abundant life that all believers in Jesus are given. We love you, Lord.

These verses are a truly great reminder of the rest that we have in knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior. We do not work for our freedom nor for our salvation. We live by faith in the Son of God. The works that He has prepared for us are something that we simply walk in.

God is doing a great work in this world full of lost, sinful people, whom He loves. He has given Ethan works to do by His grace in Kenya and Ukraine this July and August. These works are not something that we have earned or gained by our righteous life, but they are works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in. I pray that God will use Ethan to encourage people and bring people to the truth of God's greatness and His great love and mercy. Please pray for us as Ethan prepares for this short-term teaching trip.

The preparations for the trip are going well. So far, Ethan has applied for his Kenya visa, and he has also gotten most of his vaccinations taken care of. The books and other preparations are currently in the works. God has already provided for the costs of going to Ukraine, and, to our knowledge, 1/3 of the costs for Kenya have been provided so far. Praise God, and all glory to our Redeemer and King.