It has been crazy since Joel and I have been back. We have been preparing to take on my parents three churches for the next 3 or 4 months. AND on November 1st Joel and I have our first Christmas Craft Fair where we will be selling the jewelry that we have been making. We have about 150 necklaces. I am super pumped. Also in December 12 and 13 we signed up for another Christmas Craft Fair.
But God topped it all off with two events that still have us in awe. So my parents decided to have a week at the condos in Montana. They have been asking if Joel and I would go. Mom and Dad wanted to spend time with us and to go over things needed for the churches as well as things around the house while they are gone off and on. Joel and I were going to stay a week but my oldest nephew had his last TACKLE FOOTBALL game that I really really really wanted to see. Joel and I stayed Sunday evening until Wednesday morning. On Wednesday morning we headed to my sisters house which was 4 hours away from the Condos.
On our trip to meet my sister Joel and I had been discussing where the best place to get gas was. We had talked about Sandpoint Idaho. But when we hit Libby Montana we saw great prices and to top it off Joel really had to go to the bathroom. Which was pretty odd because I am usually the one needing a pit stop. When we stopped Joel jumped out and headed to the washroom while I got gas.
But the machine didn't want to take my pin number for my debit card. It kept telling me to re-enter my pin. I tried 3 times on the 4th time I was going to tell the machine that my card was a credit card that way I didn't have to put in any pin number. But just as I was about to put my card through Joel showed up I explained what was happen. I then wanted to see if his visa card got the same response. I left him with the problem and decided to go to the bathroom myself. When I came out he was just about done and told me he had to tell the Machine to read his Debit as a Credit card.
After all of that Joel and I were on our way again. I started dazing off about who knows what and all of a sudden Joel said Jokingly at a stop light "There's Janelle" For all of you that don't know Janelle she worked on the ships at Friend Ships with us. We loved her to death and hadn't heard from her or about her in years. Last we heard she went back to her home state Montana to help a friend on their farm. But we didn't know where the farm was and didn't know if she was still helping her friend.
I looked at the woman Joel had pointed out. She had her back to us. "Joel that is Janelle's hair, Joel that is Janelle's walk.'' "Dess when the light turns green, take a good look at her. If you think it is Janelle I will pull over" I think there was more to the conversation like Janelle is from Montana but where or yeah right like that is Janelle but you get the jist of it.
When Joel drove by her Joel was the one that spoke up "That is Janelle" Joel pulls over I jump out and yell Janelle!!! She looks at me for a second to study who on earth I was and then starts screaming. We ran to each other and gave each other a big bear hug. It was so awesome. We just couldn't believe that we were running into one another.
Janelle convinced us to at least come to her cute little apartment that was just 2 blocks away. On the way to her apartment she kept saying what was on all of our minds "What is God doing?" She asked the most funny question that I love and still giggle at just thinking about First: "What is God doing" Then "What were you just talking about before you picked me up?" I giggle just writing that. It was the cutest question ever.
So Joel and I stayed at her place longer than we should have. It was just too good and we didn't want to leave. But we had to get to my sisters to go to my nephews game. It was sad saying goodbye. For all of three of us (Joel, Janelle, and I) it was so refreshing catching up and talking about the Lord. He is so awesome for putting us back together like that.
The next day Joel and I got an email from Janelle saying that she stayed extra long at Mass that day to pray and she had decided to take a different route walking home then normal. She would usual goes a more residental way but she was right on main street of Libby.
Isn't God awesome. I could just see him working it out step by step so that we could run into each other. What an awesome God we serve.
Second coolest thing happened: Usually when Joel and I come to the Northwest we try and make a trip out to Captian Jakes place to spend time with him. This time I wrote and said HE should come see us. He responded and said he would. During our correspondance I got this idea (or so I thought it was MY idea) that Captain Jake should come be the guest speaker at the three churches for a Sunday. Joel suggested I ask my dad, so we did, and got the approval. (Just a side note. Joel and I wouldn't ask just any one to talk at my dad's three churches but we have heard Captain Jake preach on the ship. We loved his preaching. It is insightful, funny, and easy NOT to fall asleep to. Plus He loves God with all his heart. Who wouldn't want him to preach at their church)
I then wrote Capt. Jake and asked and told him to pray. He, in response, wrote: "Does it count if my praying about this offer came before I was given the offer? Yeah, the thought flashed through my mind when I first read your note on my blog, and then I got all excited and told God that if it was His idea, He could have you mention it without me mentioning it. So you do, and I didn't which I'll take to mean that it is - His idea that is. Oh, if only I could just preach for the rest of my life . . . "
God again puts me in awes of Him. Working things out so intricately. I love the way He works.
Well that is my two coolest stories. God is working Ya'll and I am just glad to be apart of it.
The following pic is with Janelle, Joel, and I.
May God Rock your world.
Love,
The Butlers
