Change of Plans

Good Afternoon Everyone!

It's been a month since I've been on here and posted anything but life is full of twist and turns...mine is no different. :)

Tyler has been wanting to go to Washington DC and New York City for the past couple of years and we finally decided this would be the summer for that trip. I started planning back in January and by February...I had all my hotel reservations made and events planned. We threw in a couple of extra stops...Cape Cod to go whale watching and Niagra Falls. Finally, we decided that we were going to be gone too long so I had to start scaling back because it was getting way too expensive. But, by the end of February, I had revised our vacation, changed our hotel reservations to meet the new agenda and we were all set to make our journey up the east coast.

Have you ever noticed that no matter how hard you plan, how detailed you are...that...nothing is ever set in stone? If you haven't...let me help you out...it ain't!

After all the planning, scheduling and revising, by the 7th of March...it all went up in smoke...again! But, it's all good because it is God!

We had a testimonial time that Sunday morning where several people testified to their experiences on one of our missions trip and the "unveiling" of this year's trip.

Let me start by saying how very proud we are of our son, Tyler, who is 15 (almost 16, if you as him) for wanting to travel to Ayangue, Ecuador this summer with our church on a missions trip.

He came to us and said that he wanted to go on the trip this summer. When Roger and I went in ’07, he wasn’t old enough to make the trip but now he is and he wants to go.

He knew if he decided that this is what he wanted to do that he will have to forfeit his “dream” trip up the east coast to Washington DC, New York City and Niagra Falls this summer. We also made sure that he understood that he was going to “work” not play. His reply to us was “Mom, Dad…I spend a week roofing a lady’s house in Kentucky two years ago on our youth mission’s trip…yes, I understand and yes, I want to go.”

Wow! How could we deny him this life changing opportunity to serve others? He made the decision to put other’s “needs” before his “wants” and we couldn’t be more proud of him.

Roger and I went to Quito, Ecuador in ’07 to help build a church in the Andes Mountains and it was the most rewarding, life changing experience that I have ever had. I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to share this with our son and work along side him.

He is fully aware that he will have to work odd jobs to help pay his way, as Roger and I will have to do extra things as well to pay for this trip upfront.

We are going on the 14 day trip it is $1,200.00 per person because it was only $200.00 more to go the full time and experience every moment of the trip. Either way...it is very expensive for a family of 3.

Oh...did I forget to mention that normally when they go to the coastal region to work on this campground (not our church's first trip to that region) that on one of their fun days...they go whale watching! Oh, God is good! We don't have to go to Cape Cod to see these beautiful animals but will get to see them up close and personal in the Pacific Ocean.

My goal was to let Tyler work to help pay his way to Ecuador...all the while, putting others before himself, earning the money which would him him appreciate it more and experience that sense of accomplishment...something to be very proud of.

I told Roger and my mother this morning that God never ceases to amaze me. In all my 47 years, I have never been in a situation that I depended on God to finance something that we needed or wanted. Yes, He had already provided us with good paying jobs and with that, we were able to do what we needed to do for our family, but I'm talking about over and above that. But this time, $3,600. is a lot of money to come up with in such a short period of time and we knew it wasn't going to be easy.

I sent our a Facebook email to many friends and family trying to generate Tyler some odd job work to help defray the cost and God has used this too bless us.

God is so faithful & He uses ordinary, everyday people to provide for His children. Can I tell you that in the "natural"...it wasn't possible but with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. He has used a total stranger, our hairstylist, family members and a doctor so far. Not to mention that he worked 2 days of his spring break with our youth group and a spaghetti dinner at the church and earned $225.50 toward his part of the trip. PTL!!! I can't wait to see whatelse he has in store for us.

I received a friend's request from a guy that I graduated high school with that I haven't seen in 30 years just this past week. AND...this morning, he posted on my wall that he wanted more information about our missions trip to Ecuador because he and his wife would be willing to make a donation to help us meet our financial cost. He had read several of my status updates on Monday about our trip and how God was providing. He is a minsiter of a small church in Chicago plus he and his wife started a non-profit organization to help train inner city under privildged and un-served individuals so that they can acquire employment and become self... See More sufficient. (www.citcchicago.org) He is helping others in his city and now he wants to help us reach other in another country.

WOW!!! I give God all the glory! When Tyler asked to go...how could you tell your teenage son "no" when he is willing to forfeit his pleasure trip to go work for those less fortunate in another country and God was saying "go"...you can't say "no".

This was my prayer that I posted on Facebook on Monday and it is still my prayer today.

Father God, I ask that you pour out your blessings on those who have invested in the Woolbrights and who are helping send us to Ayangue, Ecuador. We are their hands extended from the USA to Ecuador to minister to those who are in need. You know each one by name and I thank you that they are richly blessing our lives with a life changing experience.

If anyone else feels led to help send us to Ecuador...please let me know. But, if you can't help financially....please pray with us and for us in the two months leading up to our departure and while we are abroad. I will post more on this later.

This is a short video of Phil and Deanna Barber, Missionaries to Ecuador. They minister in 3 regions there...the coastal region, the Andes Mountains and the Amazon, yes...the Amazon.

Scroll down and pause my music first and ENJOY! We are going to complete Phase I of the youth campground...it is seen on the video below. Also, you will see the Condado Church...that is Bro. Phil's church in Quito, Ecuador....we worshipped God with all the native Ecuadorians in this very church in '07 when it only had a roof and no sides. It amazed me how you can worship the same God to music that you don't understand the words because they were in Spanish but yet, enter into the very presence of God with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh, the memories that have started to come flooding back. We are soooo excited!

Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (NIV)

Pan American Project 2 minutes from Philip Barber on Vimeo.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!