Prayer Letter Feb 2011

Two Hours to Heaven

I just received a message from the mom (Erica McClure) and my friend from Charlotte, MI who lost her 5 month old baby boy Braden. She had shared her story and the song I posted earlier with me when we were there for a meeting a few weeks ago. This was her message:


I just wanted to thank you again for what you did for us with this song. What a TREMENDOUS blessing...we have had SOOOO many responses....both from youtube and facebook. I am now getting copies all over the country for people. God is really using it for His glory. Thank you for opening another door of ministry to us. Love you so much!!!


Then I received a message from a friend of hers who referred me to her blog: 


http://www.curtismast.blogspot.com/


I read her story, tears running down my face, then read an article that sums it up. I encourage you to read it, and then - if you have time - read Lisa's full story on her blog (start back with Chapter 1)...


Here is the snyopsis:

Two Hours to heaven…

Every time Lisa kissed Curtis, he sighed gently.

Sometimes the most perfect kisses can happen on the worst day of your life. That first kiss came just two hours to heaven.

And with every kiss the clock ticked down. And with each tick his breath grew weaker. Lisa didn’t know how long Curtis would live so she just kept kissing him. With every kiss heaven drew nearer.

Joey Mast and his future wife, Lisa Perez, at his college graduation...

On the outside he looked absolutely perfect to Lisa and her husband Joey Mast… just tiny at only 2&1/2 pounds. But on the inside his organs had never developed. Even before he was born the doctors knew they could do nothing to save his life. They didn’t know how long he would live or even if he would make it to birth. He did.

He was born and died on April 4, 2007… the worst day of Joey and Lisa Mast’s lives.

Joey and Lisa met at college in the mid 1990s. They dated and two years out of school they married. Three years later J.J.

was born. Life was good. Kayla was born two years after Joey and life got even better. There aren’t words to describe the joy a child brings. When a child is taken away no words can make sense of the pain. So deep it never really heals. Ask anyone who has buried a child. Time passes. Distance softens the edge. But your soul never heals.

The Mast's from left to right: Kayla, Lisa, Joshua, Joey Jr. and J.J.

Lisa told me she and Joey have a great spiritual life. Following Curtis’ death, she felt God in a very intimate way. And despite that tender comfort it didn’t take away the sadness.

A year later Lisa gave birth to Joshua… a child who returned a big piece of what was lost. A child who reminds Joey and Lisa every day of the miracle that every life is.

Sometimes we all forget. Life is the greatest gift anyone receives. Even a life that enters this world at 2 AM and leaves it at 4 AM.

I called this post “Two Hours to Heaven.” And it’s true that Curtis Mast was born just two hours before he went to heaven. But I want to suggest to you that this article could just have easily been called “Two Hours In Heaven.” If you have children you know why. An infant in your arms gently sighing with each kiss must be something like heaven. No question it was the saddest moment Lisa and Joey Mast will likely ever suffer. But it might be the closest any mother or father will come to heaven on earth, no matter the depth of pain.

Curtis mast lived on earth for only two hours. For those two hours he experienced the unconditional love of his mother and father. And in those two hours he changed his parent’s lives forever.

MR

PLEASE NOTE! The Mast’s started a website to help other grieving parents: www.curtismast.blogspot.com.

Thank you for reading and we pray that the LORD be glorified through all of this!

Love,

Suz

Hug Him Once For Me

Worked on this for awhile, and just figured out how to "share" it with everyone...hopefully it can be a blessing to someone you know...

if only we all had this much love...

a friend of ours sent us these messages about her 4 year old son...


"So, tonight we were praying w/ the boys before bed and Colin started praying...."pray for 'Joshlyn' and I miss her..." Aaaand then he started bawling!! I said "what is wrong?" Colin "I miss her". Me "I'm glad she's your new friend" Colin "But now she's gone!" So precious and sad and funny!!! Hope all is well w/ you guys!!"


and then the next day...


"Hey, Still driving? Well, Colin had to be moved to my bed so that he would stop crying...fell asleep w/ your prayer card in his hand. When he woke up this morning he asked to call you guys. I said that I didn't have your number and he said..."yes you do,,,it's right here" he pointed to the back of your prayer card! haha...so..I told him we'd call today this afternoon. Have a great day!"

Picture

This was the book Evangeline decided to pick and read.



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Last missions conference of 2010

We just finished up our last missions conference for the year in Theodore, AL. It has been an incredibly full and fun autumn! We have single meetings until January and are trying to fill up our spring.

Our plans are that we leave in April for San Jose, Costa Rica for 9 months-a year. We will be studying Spanish there and immersive ourselves in the culture. We also hope to be part of a ministry there-to learn how Hispanic churches are run.

The LORD has provided 63% of our support during these 14 months we have been on deputation. It is thrilling and we can't wait to see how He will bring the rest in. We have several churches who have promised more support...so prayerfully it will come in the next few months.

Thank you again for your prayers and friendship! We would love to hear from you:)

Here is our latest family picture...


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The Land of Uz

Read this this morning...

Step into the time tunnel with me, and let's travel together back to Uz (not the wizard of, but the land of). Wherever it was, Uz had a citizen who was respected by everyone. Why? Because he was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and clean living. He had ten children, thousands of head of livestock, acres and acres of land, a great many servants, and a substantial stack of cash. No one would deny that he was "the greatest of all the men of the East." His name was Job, a synonym for integrity and godliness.

Yet, within a matter of hours, adversity fell upon this fine man like an avalanche of jagged rocks. He lost his livestock, his crops, his land, his servants, and all ten children. Soon thereafter he also lost his health.

The book that bears his name records an entry he made into his journal soon after the rocks stopped falling: "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).

Following this incredible statement, God adds: "Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God" (1:22).

The logical questions are, Why didn't he? What kept him from bitterness or even thoughts of suicide?

At the risk of oversimplifying the situation, I suggest three basic answers that I have discovered from searching through this book.

First, Job claimed God's loving sovereignty. He believed that the Lord who gave had every right to take away (Job 1:21; 2:10). Job looked up, claiming his Lord's right to rule over his life.

Second, he counted on God's promise of resurrection. "Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:26). Job looked ahead, counting on his Lord's promise to make all things bright and beautiful in the life beyond.

Third, he confessed his own lack of understanding. What a relief this brings! He didn't feel obligated to explain why (Job 42:2-4). Job looked within, confessing his inability to put it all together.

He rested his adversity with God, not feeling forced to answer why.

When we're looking in all the right directions, we won't take the wrong turn.

And here is a picture of out girls:)


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