PRAISE!

We are halfway there!  Praise the Lord – we have reached our halfway point for our financial need for Honduras.  We are so excited and amazed at how the Lord has worked everything together over the last month.  It's amazing to think that in just four short weeks, this whole trip has been arranged, planned, and is now half way provided for!  We are super excited to see what the Lord has in store for the next four weeks before we leave!

Prayer Requests

• Daniel's passport has not arrived yet - please pray for a speedy delivery!
• Please pray for the Lord to continue to provide financially for our trip.
• Pray for the Lord to begin preparing the hearts of the people that we will be ministering to ... and for our hearts for what we will be experiencing.
• Please pray for things here to wrap up smoothy ... between school ending, things with the house/dogs, leaving Daniel's business behind, etc.  There is a lot that still needs to fall in place and be taken care of before we head out!

Thank you for your prayers ... we know that they are being answered!

On a side note … there are 5 sweet eggs now!  We are having to be super careful when we water our ferns ... but it's been so fun to watch the nest continue to grow!

Everyday Miracle ...

 Today was definitely a Monday for me.  The only thing that I looked forward to all day was my small group tonight.  We had a great time of catching up and laughing - which was exactly what I needed after my long day.

When I came home from group, this is what I found waiting for me in one of our ferns on the front porch.

How precious!

Thank you, Lord ... for reminding me of your everyday miracles that I take for granted and often look past.  Your creation is amazing ... and so is your grace!

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 84:11 NIV

It's official :)

It was a very quiet weekend.  I had serious allergy and sinus problems so I stayed low key.  Yesterday, I was down and out because I really didn’t feel well at all … I started feeling overwhelmed and discouraged.  I spent most of the day lying around with my little man …

After a day of rest, I went to the mailbox last night and found this waiting on me.

Needless to say … my mood changed immediately!  This just put a fire in my bones and a song in my heart!  I was just so excited that my passport arrived … it made everything seem so real.  Praising the Lord that it only took 2 weeks for it to arrive – what a blessing!  Daniel’s should be coming soon … that’s one thing that I can mark off of my list! J

Hope that you all had a wonderful weekend.  Looking forward to a great week with more blessings to come.  Praying for all of you – and hoping that you have a blessed week, as well!

My heart is full!

I got the sweetest card in the mail today from a family that I love so much!  Claire was one of my students while Daniel was deployed in Afghanistan.  I know without a doubt that those children will forever have my heart … they were my support system while Daniel was deployed.  They shared in my excitement as they waited every day for “Mr. Peal” to send us an invitation on Skype.  I don't know who loved our Skype sessions more ... the kids or Daniel.  They could always put a smile on his face - and he always found a way to excite them, too!

I will never forget the morning when Claire ran down the hall and said, “What is Mr. Peal’s plan?”  … and I said, “Honey, what are you talking about?”  She said, “While I was eating breakfast, I heard on the news that there is a new plan for Afgahnistan.  What is Mr. Peal’s plan?!”  She was so concerned and genuine … like she really thought that Mr. Peal was calling the shots in Afghanistan.  J

Those are precious memories that I will never forget.

Claire’s mom sent me the sweetest card today … along with some pictures and a note from Claire.  Her words brought me to tears – and I was so excited to see how big the kiddos have gotten.  It is so amazing how the Lord brings people in your life that you know will forever be a part of you. 



Note from my sweet girl! :)

This note was just TOO precious!  The picture is not that great ... incase you can't see it ... she wrote that they recently got a cat, that she was doing great in Math (learning about triangles) and that she was excited about us going to Honduras.  She put $7.11 in her envelope as her donation.  This just filled my heart.  To think that she wanted to give her money to us for Honduras - I know that the Lord is going to bless and multiply that $7.11 J

She ended her note by asking, “Where will Boogie, Fifi, and Macie going to go?” J  She always LOVED our pups … she drew pictures and wrote stories about them when she was in my class ... even drew them in a rock band once ... it was a classic!

The Lord has blessed us beyond imagination through the words of our dear friends over the last few weeks.  We have been encouraged and loved – which helps us to press on and know that this is in HIS hands.  THANK YOU – for your love, encouragement and support as we take on our next chapter!

Needless to say, Katie, Brian, Clairey, Court, and Charlie … you have filled my heart today! I am blessed beyond words to know you – and so grateful to have been a part of Claire’s journey! Thank you for your sweet and encouraging words.  Can't wait to share what the Lord does in us and through us in Honduras!

In awe of Him ...

We are getting SO excited.  The more that people ask about our trip … the more real that it seems.  We were walking the other night with Macie (our Aussie) and just felt in awe of how the Lord is orchestrating all of this for us.  We talked about how crazy it is that we are able to pick up and take 2 months to serve together – and just shared how incredible it is to look back at everything that has led up to this moment in our journey.  The Lord has been preparing the soil for harvest – we stand in awe!  Every valley and tear cried was worth it to get to this point in our walk with the Lord.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

Just 3 ½ short weeks ago, we had NO CLUE about this trip.  It’s amazing to think about it that way – but we know that it is His plan because everything is falling right in place.  In 3 ½ weeks, we have been radically changed.  Our hearts have been softened and stirred already – we know that great things are yet to come.

This blog was our way to reach out to friends and family to let them know what the Lord is doing through us while we are in Honduras … but it’s already turned into more than that.  Our blog has been viewed over 100 times in the last week … even from RUSSIA!  We cannot believe how the Lord is working through this situatuion, not just for us, but in the hearts of others around all us.

We are in full packing/preparation mode.  We’re trying to figure out what needs to be done each weekend between now and when we leave.  The biggest thing is packing! Since we will be gone for 2 months, it’s hard to plan ahead for what we will need to take.   Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated! J  Leave us a comment and let us know what you have taken with you … or heard that people pack for mission work.  We’d love to hear!

Food for thought …  I use Jesus Calling as my daily devotional.  This book has drastically changed my walk with the Lord.  It got me through a lot of tough times over the last year ½ that I have read it … and I have passed that gift on to very special ladies in my life as gifts!  They have all said just how POWERFUL this book has been in their life.

Today’s devotional talks about peace.  That is something that I have really had to seek from the Lord over the last few weeks.  In the devotional, it talks about the fact that the Lord gives us peace daily … just like he provided manna for the Israelites.  He could have provided all the manna that they needed at one time, but that would have taken away from their need and dependence on Him. 

This struck my heart … if we had peace at all times and didn’t face any struggles in this life … we would not have to depend on Him for everything.  He would not be our All in All because we would have it all figured out.  We are designed to need Him moment by moment because that helps us to realize that His grace TRULY is sufficient. 

 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Tree of Life

We went to a missionary training today in Columbia that was offered through the South Carolina Baptist Convention.  Surprise, surprise … we were the youngest people there! J  People were so funny when we told them that we were going for 2 months for our first mission trip.  Their faces were priceless … it is so evident that this is the Lord at work because it is something that only HE could orchestrate and put together.

One of the speakers shared verses from scripture that back up God’s plan for mission work from the beginning.  It is amazing to see that common thread throughout the Bible. 

One of the verses that stuck with me was Acts 1:8.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

He pointed out that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit – we are to be WITNESSES.  Our mission field is our everyday life … at work, at home, at the grocery store … everywhere we go.  We should remember that we are on a constant mission field and we should be sharing what Jesus has done for us as much as we can … and showing everyone that we come in contact with that our lives are changed!

It’s so hard to remember that when we are tired, hungry, and the last thing we want to have to do is stop to get milk and bread at the grocery store.  (Doesn't that always happen on a Monday?)

But even in those moments, we should let Christ shine through us … so that others can see that we have something that they WANT.  That is most likely the only moment that those people passing by will EVER see you - what impression do you want them to have of you?

Our Pastor shared a message Wednesday night about the tree of life.  He said that in the Garden of Eden, there was the tree of life and in New Jerusalem there will be the tree of life.  But in between, before New Jerusalem, WE are to called to be the tree of life.

Just like in an apple orchard, the trees with strong root systems will have fruit.  When people pass those trees, they see the fruit, and they instantly want to pick it and take it for themselves. 

That is exactly how we should be – FRUITFUL.  Showing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so that when people pass by, they want what we have.

Our prayer is that the Lord would continue to build our “root system” through His Word, so that our fruit is appealing to all that we cross paths with … not just in Honduras but in every aspect of every single day. 

Lord, fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses for you ... not just this summer on the mission field ... but on the mission field that you have placed us in every day of our lives.  Help us to remember that NOTHING with you is a coincidence, but a divine appointment that was set by you.  Help us to LIVE OUT LOUD for you always!

^{Galatians 22-23}    But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Feeling more "official" ...

We have been working hard to do as much as we can to get ready for Honduras!  We have about 7 weeks to go – and we know that it will FLY by!

I went last week to get my passport – and it was … well … an experience.  A little under two hours later (and $150+ dollars), I walked out with such an excitement.  Getting my passport made it feel a little more “official”. 

You see – Daniel and I have never been out of the country … well … I guess if you count Afghanistan as being out of the country, then Daniel has me beat.  J But we have never had the need for a passport.  Leaving the country is definitely an "unknown", among many, that we will face in this journey to Honduras. 

So getting a passport was another one of those moments where I had to whisper  “I trust you, Lord!”

Daniel’s passport experience ended yesterday with to be continued…

He waited for over an hour on his break between classes, and had to leave before being called to the desk because he had to get back to campus.  Needless to say, he hasn’t had that moment of feeling like it is “official” just yet. 

We mailed most of our support letters yesterday … I am so excited to see/hear that there are people keeping up with us on our blog.  We have been praying that the Lord will use our words on this blog to speak truth and love to our friends and family.  Please follow/comment to let us know that you are “on board” our journey with us!

Other than the passports and letters, we (well, I guess I should say I) have been making lists of things to do/take/prepare/organize before these last few weeks slip away from us.

Please pray that the Lord will continue to provide and work out every detail of this trip.  We are trusting that each day will continue to reveal more of His wonderful plan for us … and we are excited to share our excitement with you!

Trusting that you all had a wonderful Easter weekend - and hoping that you took time to remember and praise the Lord for what the weekend was truly about. 

Easter 2012

My 7 year old inspiration ...

The sweetest thing happened yesterday with my precious first graders... and it is moments like this that make my job worth it.  I have seen the Lord move more with this group than ever before.  I know that He has used me to show His love to children that may never see it anywhere else.  I have three very special boys that have the love of the Lord in their hearts – and it has been amazing to see them be so bold for Christ even at such a young age! 

We came back to school yesterday from Spring Break.  I always take the time to allow students to share about their time off – what they did, who was with them, and what they thought about it.  Two of my boys came back talking about Easter, Jesus, and the Passion play that they attended at their church.  They talked about how it was so good and they saw that Jesus died for us on the cross.

One of my other little guys said, “Well Mrs. Peal, I had a hard time sleeping last night.  I knew that Jesus died on the cross but yesterday at church I learned that we put him on the cross.”  As he was saying this, his little eyes filled up with tears and he said, “It made me feel so sad that I couldn’t sleep.”  I was speechless – it was silent for a brief moment in my classroom … until the other two boys spoke back up and said that it was OK because Jesus did this because He loved us so much.

This moment filled my heart … and opened my eyes.  The Bible tells us that we should have faith like a child – and that was more real to me today than ever before.  The Lord revealed to me that I need to be more like this little seven year old – so moved and touched that WE put Him on the cross that it keeps me up.  It should stir us so much that we can’t shake it. 

Later in the day, I could tell that this little fella was still having a tough time thinking about Jesus dying for us ... so I called him to my table while everyone was working.  I asked him what was bothering him ... and that opened up a whole new can of worms.  When I asked what was bothering him, he said...

"I was wondering over break how bunnies and candy got into the Easter situation.  I don't understand why people make Easter about that Mrs. Peal.  So I was thinking that I want to share the story of Jesus with everyone.  I want to put crosses everywhere so that people know the real meaning of Easter.  If it makes people mad, they might put me in jail .. but I would still tell others about Jesus.  I would even die on a cross for Jesus if I had to.  I love him that much!"

I sat in awe as I listened to this little guy poor out his heart - and ideas on how to spread the story and Good News of Jesus.

"I want to put my story about Jesus on the news."

I asked him how I could help him– and he said, “Well, maybe you could start doing lessons here at school about Jesus.  You could teach the kids about Him and they could go home and tell their moms and dads about Him”.

I sat still and quiet as I listened to him give me ideas for lessons … and I said, “Isaac, if it were up to me … I would teach about Jesus all day. But the schools do not allow us to teach about him

In that moment, I watched Isaac put his head down in his hands and start to cry … which made me cry along with him. How precious to see the hurt and love in his eyes as he was moved to tears because we can not teach others about Jesus … I asked him why he was crying and he said, “because I love him so much – anything like that just breaks my heart”

I could not believe my ears. Here is this child - 7 years old - and he gets it. He really does. What keeps me from getting it that much? NOTHING should keep me from being as passionate and bold as my sweet little friend. He hurts because we can not tell others about Jesus and His love for us ... WOW. I have not met anyone else in my life with such a real understanding and grasp of what our Savior has done for us - and such a strong desire for others to know Him.

My heart has been changed and I have been moved so much from this moment!

Lord, make me more like a child when it comes to my relationship with you. You ARE my Father – allow me to be your daughter and little girl – without letting this world get in the way. Empty me of myself– so that I am filled only by you. Allow me to look at you with the marvel of a child … and allow me to humble myself to be more like my precious friend, Isaac.

Matthew 18: 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Getting ready to go!

Now that it’s official, we are in full gear preparing for our trip.  There is a lot that has to be done before we leave.  We are preparing support letters and prayer cards to send to family and friends.  We’re trying to organize and line up friends/family to help take care of things while we are away.  Most importantly, we are fervently praying that the Lord will make us clean vessels and prepare our hearts for the ministry that we are joining.  We are eager to learn more about Honduras and look forward to the next seven weeks of preparation.

 

 

Here is a video that you can watch to see the one part of the YFC ministry that we will be joining in Honduras.  This video shows the city dump ministry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-DTD5sgBmQ

Please join us in praying in advance for safe travels, the hearts of the Honduran people to be softened, and for safety for the two months that we will be there.  We are in awe of the way that the Lord has worked all things together for our good and His glory in this already!  It is amazing how quickly and easily things have fallen in place for our trip.  We know that this is all because of you Lord and we give you all the praise and honor!

Great is your faithfulness, Oh God!

Today has answered so many questions and “what ifs”. We met this afternoon with our pastor and missions director about our trip to Honduras. They are very excited and encouraged that we are willing to spend our summer ministering to others there. They are going to sponsor us by purchasing our plane tickets and out of country health plans!

 What a blessing! That was definitely something that put our minds at ease!

 After meeting with them, we came home and tried to call Rick, the missionary that we will be with on our internship. We were finally able to touch base with him and get our questions answered. There will be a cost for us of about $3,000 per person … we are trusting that the Lord will provide that for our trip! The conditions there sound great – and we are so eager to get there and dive into the Lord’s work! We will be working with a youth group for the first week and hosting them at the YFC (Youth For Christ) camp. After that first week, we will be traveling to Tegucigalpa for 6 weeks or so of ministry at the city dump, youth prison, and a local tribe.

It is amazing what the Lord can reveal and provide in just one day – we stand in awe of you, Lord! Praising you for being so faithful– and being in every detail!

 We are trusting in the Lord and His perfect plan. Lord willing –we will be leaving in about seven weeks to the greatest journey we have faced together yet! I have to admit – I am a little sad to think about leaving my precious pups for 2 months. Thank goodness we know they will be in good hands while we are away!

Praying, Praying, Praying!

Walk By Faith ... Not by Sight

As we find ourselves in another stage of waiting ... it is so important for us to remember that we can not go off what is SEEN. We have to remember that the Lord is working for us and moving mountains on our behalf. All it takes is a mustard seed of FAITH to make those mountains move.

We are waiting on the definite answer about Honduras. We feel our hearts already so invested in this trip - we are so eager to know if the details will beworked out. It is so hard not to be anxious - even though we are told NOT to be.  

So rather than focusing on the "what ifs" - we are turning to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving ... thankful that this opportunity even presented itself and hopeful that the Lord will work all things together for our good and HIS glory!

Will you pray for us? Pray that the Lord would make us clean vessels for the trip this summer ... pray that we would find peace in this time of waiting on Him.

We are waiting - and we are HOPEFUL!

Habbakuk 2:3

This vision is for a future time.

It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.

If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,

for it will surely take place.

It will not be delayed.

The Beginning of Our Journey

Here goes nothing ....

We decided that we should start our story of our journey as we follow the Lord's lead in our lives. 1 Peter 1:6-7 talks about trials that we have to face ... but coming out of those trials as gold refined. In our 9 years together, we have faced our share of trials. Through all of our struggles in our marriage, we know that the Lord has used these trials to refine us so that we can glorify Him. Our prayer is that through our story, we will be able to minister to others who are facing the same trials. We want to give HOPE to those that are hopeless.

Here is a little background on us! :)

My name is Laura and my husband's name is Daniel. I will more than likely be the one posting/updating ... but you might just hear from him at some point, too!

We live in a small (but growing) town in South Carolina. I am a first grade teacher and Daniel is a full time student at Charleston Southern University, majoring in Religion. 

We have three "furbabies" ... Fifi, Boogee, and Macie. They are truly like our children ... spoiled rotten and we'd be lost without them!

The Princess - Fifi

 Wild Child - Boogee

Third and Final - Macie Moo

We met in 2003 ... I was a junior and Daniel was a senior at our local highschool. I was an intern for his pole vaulting coach. We met one day in his office ... and the rest is history! 

Daniel served 8 years in the United States Marine Corps. The first four years, he spent his time in Washington D.C, serving at the White House, Pentagon, and Arlington Cemetery. This was a VERY awesome opportunity for Daniel.  He participated in President Reagan and President Ford's funerals and was even casted as a Marine in the movie Flags of Our Fathers.

After the first four years of his service, we got out of the Marines (what we thought was for good) and got married! May 12, 2007 - happiest day of our lives. We honeymooned in Hawaii - picture perfect!

05.12.07

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Daniel Peal

Honeymoon in Hawaii

Getting ready to parasail!

Marriage ended up being much more difficult that we realized it would be. We went through several trials in the first two years of marriage. We had been in a long distance relationship since Daniel graduated highschool in 2003, so we had to adjust to being together full time. There were times that we were ready and willing to throw in the towel. Needless to say, the enemy was trying his best to claim victory on our marriage. (All because he knew what the Lord had for us!)

Our First Christmas
With Fifi and Breezie
(our boxer - we had to give to D's parents
because I am VERY allergic!)

We bought our first house in May 2008 and I graduated from College of Charleston with my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. We were finally ready to be "normal" - each working full time and having a home to call our own.

Our First Home!

CofC graduation 2008

In September 2008, we received a FedEx letter telling us that Daniel was being involuntarily recalled back to the Marine Corps. Our world was turned upside down. He left in April 2009 and lived in NC for four months before deploying to Afghanistan for six months. I blogged our journey through the recall/deployment here.

Leaving for Afghanistan - August 25, 2009

After six long months, Daniel returned from Afghanistan on Valentine's Day 2010. 

When Daniel returned, we had a very rough adjustment. We had both gotten used to being "independent" and it took a lot of work to get back to the "old" us. During this adjustment, there were things that were revealed from earlier in our marriage that lead to serious pain and resentment. We were back to being on the verge of separation and it took every fiber of my being to hold on to HOPE for our marriage. We took a few days to let things settle down, and we started our life back together again, choosing to look forward and not behind us.

On March 29th, the day that we were supposed to be DONE with the Marines for GOOD, Daniel had a 4-wheeler accident and broke his back in two places along with a rib. This was a very traumatic time in our life. Along with getting used to each other again, I was faced with having to be Daniel's caregiver. For months, I had to help him with everything from getting dressed to using the bathroom. This was a very humbling experience for me, and it was through this time, that the Lord began really molding me to be more like Him. I had to show Daniel the love of Christ, through forgiveness of past hurts and failures. This was a time in my life that the love of Christ became even more real to me. I realized just a glimpse of what Jesus does for us, forgiving us and showing unconditional love for us, even when our sinful lives hurt him deeply. Even though I was still very hurt and angry, I chose to LOVE him through this time and lean on the Lord's strength to get me through.

Through God's grace and mercy, we made it through that time of our marriage and ended up closer than we had ever been before. We found an amazing church, which we are still attending, and began growing in the Lord like never before.  There were still struggles and trials that we faced ... and we were now being forced to face the reality of Daniel's deployment and accident, which brought new struggles into the picture. 

After months of struggling through warfare in our marriage, we found ourselves at a crossroads in August 2011.  We found ourselves with no one else but Jesus. It is in the times that you find yourself in the valley, that Jesus makes Himself so real to you and you realize that He is all you truly need to be satisfied and whole. The Lord removed friends and family from our lives during this time - and allowed us to focus completely on our walks with Him. 

In October 2011, while attending a marriage conference to help restore our marriage, Daniel answered the call to go into the ministry. He shared with me that he had been running from this call for years - knowing that the Lord had plans for Him to join the ministry in some way ... but chose to avoid the call. The attacks from the enemy began to make more sense - why wouldn't he target a marriage that the Lord had BIG plans for ... two people that could make eternal differences for the Kingdom of God. It was an instant transformation and renewal - ALL things have been made new! The chains of bondage were broken that weekend and the Lord has not stopped moving and restoring since! The next two months were full of fast paced decisions and changes, as he changed his major and school to follow the Lord's calling on his life.

Marriage Conference in NC

So where are we now? Daniel is full time at CSU and really enjoying his classes, especially the ones for his major. I am still teaching first grade and loving it. We are teaching the four year old Sunday School class, which brightens our week! We are both involved in Small Groups at church and Daniel is playing softball. We are amazed at the BEAUTY that the Lord has made out of the ashes!

We are in the midst of praying and seeking the Lord on the possibility of a mission trip this summer to Honduras. We are in the beginning stages of planning/details and we are hopeful that the Lord will continue to work out the details if it is His will for us to serve there this summer. We will be leaving on May 28th and returning to the states on July 28th - 8 full weeks of the Lord's work! How amazing would it be to be able to do nothing but glorify Him and tell others about His love for two whole months!?

So, this blog will be our place to update our friends, family, and brothers and sisters in Christ about what the Lord is doing in our lives! We are eager to see where this calling leads us, and look forward to "Growing in Grace" all along the way!