How the Barrets were led to Africa

The Lord's timing and ways are perfect. In 2004 we traveled to Saltillo Mexico as a family and God began to give us hearts of compassion for the poor and lost. The last day we were leaving Saltillo many tears were shed because we were so overwhelmed with God's love from these humble, precious people.  As Christmas 2006 approached, our youngest daughter Libby (age 8 at the time) gave Monica and I a Christmas card that she had written at school. It stated, "Dear Mom,  I feel this Christmas we should be missionaries and help the poor.  Jesus keeps pushing me to tell you.  Merry Christmas!" From this little one being sensitive to the Lord, God opened up clearly His will for Monica to go to Mozambique Africa.  The Lord quickly led Monica to feel this was for His good purposes.

I (Bub) was still uncertain and was not willing to consider sending my wife across the other side of the world .  I was so overwhelmed with sick kids at work in late December of 2006 that I had had very little time for the Lord to speak to me.  I was very tired. I couldn't hardly even give it some thought much less prayer.  The last day of work before Christmas came and finally I had seen my last patient before my few days off with my family. There was finally a calm and peace and at that moment I asked the Lord to speak to me and sure enough He did. I saw the mailman walk in our pediatric office right then and I decided to follow him. I quickly looked through the mail and noticed the Jan 2007 edition of Christianity Today. I thought this might be a good read for Christmas. However, on the cover was a title not meant for the coffee table: Red Light District in Thailand, a story on child prostitution. So I put the magazine down but the Lord said pick it up. I flipped through it. Inside this edition I was suprised to find an article labeled: "Blessed by Friendship. " It was an article from a graduate student sharing her observations from a recent trip to the same tiny little African town that Monica would be traveling to in February. My mouth almost hit the floor. I knew the Lord was speaking directly to me. In my own defiance, I promptly put the magazine back on my desk and left it at the office. Throughout the afternoon I wrestled with my flesh and selfishly asked myself how could I send my wife half way across the world during the middle of winter in the busy season of my pediatric practice and who would take care of the girls, etc.?  It just wasn't going to happen in my eyes. The Holy Spirit continued to draw me to the Lord's plan. I knew He wanted her to go after more prayer and His help to yield. I told the family we were going to have a share time later that evening and promptly went back to the office to get the magazine. ;o) We all sat together and shared and prayed and realized the Lord's plan. Bailey, our oldest daughter who thinks much like me, had a peace about the trip as well after hearing my story of hearing from the Lord directly and the Lord spoke to her heart also.    

It was a little over a month later that Monica was in the sky headed for Mozambique Africa one of the poorest nations in the world. The Lord opened every door - visa, shots, applications, packing for two weeks, care for our children. All the while He also was giving us great peace and excitement in our hearts for this new opportunity He was opening up to us. Those 2 weeks in Africa in February of 2007 were powerful and life changing, for all 4 of us. Monica was able to visit two orphanages under the care of Iris Ministries in Pemba and then Maputo. The orphans and widows are being served well by this wonderful ministry.  Monica and the team loved, prayed and worshipped with the orphans and widows.  The word says God will not leave us orphans - He will come to us!  The Spirit of the Lord there was so mighty and so beautiful and those children just drink Him in and rest in Jesus' arms.  The orphans and widows ministered much more to Monica than she ever could to them.  One great memory of the trip there was an outreach to preach the gospel in a muslim village one night under the stars of Africa - we worshipped then showed the Jesus film and Heidi preached and then prayed for a deaf child who the Lord healed on the spot.  The elated 7-8yr old dancing around was surreal. Many people in the village accepted the Lord as their savior and the next day asked for help to clean out their home of idols and wanted to build a church immediately to God's glory!  The highlight of the trip for the whole team was the privilege of meeting Pastor Emmanuel Nnyanzi from Uganda. Emmanuel quickly became a dear friend and his love, compassion and inner strength are evidence of his wonderful connection to the vine - JESUS! For his amazing story and his influence on our lives here in Tyler..... see his post.