Is it worth it? Eternally!

Over the past month I've had many opportunities to consider the cost of this mission.  The question of "Is it worth it?" has come to mind at each occasion, but I want you to know the way God has provided and answered this question repeatedly.
 

A month ago we were on our way back to Madagascar from a vacation with family in the states.  We arrived in country and Air Madagascar was on strike.  For one week in the capital we went to the airport 10 times, stayed in 4 different hotels, made 100+ phone calls, and spent several hundred dollars that we will never get reimbursed by the airline.  In the end, this is the cost of the mission here.  It's not an easy place to get to, and that's one of the reasons for the lostness here. 

While in the capital, we spent time with friends..

A week later, Leah's parents and a team from their church were on their way to the airport in America to come to Madagascar when we called them and said the only way it seemed they'd be able to come to Fort Dauphin from the capital was by a private missionary plane that would cost an extra $5000.  In the middle of wanting to tell them to stay at home, I prayed that someone from their church would give the money for the flight.  One hour later God provided $5000 through a member of their church.  The team used the missionary planes coming here and when leaving.  Worth it for the mission? God said yes and provided the way.

The team in the bush.  God provided the way!

The night before we all loaded up to go to the bush, I woke up throwing up.  This has happened many times being in this foreign land and I always seem to learn something from my Father in the middle of the night.  As I kneeled in the bathroom, God's spirit said to me, "Is it worth it Andrew?"  My reply, "For your name's sake."  Thinking logically we'd wait an extra day in town to recuperate, but in faith of His providence we took off to the bush that morning and the Lord gave me health around lunch time.

 

At the completion of an amazing trip to the bush, with 3 people baptized and 2 people giving their lives to Jesus (both in places with no church within miles), we had one of the trucks break down 10 miles out of a bush town.  We tied a small rope onto the two trucks and I proceeded to pull my wife, her father, and our truck through 30 large mud puddles (several going over our hoods).  When we were pulling into the service station a dog ran in between our cars causing Leah to brake and the rope to snap.  I think it was God saying, "Don't think for a second that it was the rope that towed this truck for the past 45 minutes!"  When God provides like this, I think its Him confirming the worth of the mission as well as His power within it.

Worth it!

A week before the team left we had to ship all of their luggage back to the capital on a 5 day bus because the plane wouldn't hold all of the weight.  However the girls bought so many souvenirs that they were still overweight for the plane and had to leave 35 lbs of their things here with us to ship at a later date back to the states or give away.  As the team was scrambling to cut weight in their carry-on luggage I couldn't help but ask them, "Is it worth it?"  With all they had seen God do in and through them over the past two weeks, their answer was yes!

2 Timothy 2:10 says, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

Zaferina accepted Christ as Lord (one of the first people in her village coming from death to life)...Worth it!

Dalaza was baptized and wants to lead others to follow Christ...Worth it!

So, is it worth it?  Yes, ETERNALLY worth it!

For His Amazing Work,

Andrew Snipes