Romania Update

February-March 2011

God has been so good to encourage us through YOU!  The theme for the Romania Orphan Camp will be The Pursuit of Holiness. We will be using the book by Jerry Bridges.  We are excited because we know that God will use this study in our own lives. God has brought together over 100 people to financially support this endeavor!  FIVE out of our SIX family members have achieved their goal!

While teaching through the book of Kings,
the Lord impacted me with the familiar story
of the widow and the borrowed jars:

When the curtain opens on Act One, our 2 Kings widow (Mrs. 2K) is distraught. She has circumstances and needs similar to ours . . . a family, bills, and pain.  Immediately after her husband dies she faces these, hovering beneath the shadow of grief, yet under the umbrella of grace.  At her moment of need, she cries out for help.  Before Mrs. 2K could pack away the past, God had made away for her present. Before she faced judgment for her debt, God sent The Judge to her defense for “God is a judge of the widow.” Deuteronomy 10:18  Elijah responded to the cry of the widow with two questions: “What shall I do for you?” and "What do you have in your house?"  The second question brings us to the place where all miracles begin ~ just where we are. Her response, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 

We know from past Bible precedence
that this is the perfect setting for God to work ~

at the moment of last things and resources.

When empty best describes the situation,

we know that an eternal purpose is in the heart of God.

She was issued a command, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.”
This is the point of impact:  As the Apon family, we had a large goal that took faith . . . $16,800 for the call to Romania.  We borrowed jars from our neighbors ~ YOU (our envelopes were sent).  God is filling the jars (envelopes) with oil (provision). We trust that He will use every vessel that was included in this endeavor in the way that He has planned even before time began.  It will be exciting to see how He uses this eternally for His glory!

"And it came about when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, 'Bring me another vessel.' And he said to her, 'There is not one vessel more.' And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest." 2 Kings 4:6-7