Hello Friends,
As I sit to write this, I am overwhelmed thinking of all that has gone on in my heart the last several months and at this very moment. I am thinking that each one of you can relate to that feeling of being overwhelmed and probably have so much to share about what you are feeling and the thoughts that you have had going through this crazy time we are living in.
I have to admit, at the beginning of March, much like the rest of the country, I was going full steam ahead and had plans set out for almost a year ahead of me. When all of a sudden, things came to a screeching halt. It wasn’t until a week or so into the whole quarantining that I had the daunting realization that all of the plans for ministry this summer and through the fall had suddenly become obsolete. All of my plans had become obsolete and of no importance or value.
I am not very good at sitting still, so the whole idea of staying at home and canceling everything kind of bothered me. I honestly began losing sleep, thinking about how we were not going to do anything. One day a couple of weeks later, I was out walking and had come up to the edge of the medical building foundation wall. I leaned against it and thought, “Lord, what am I going to do with this? How am I going to finish this and see this vision through?” I sat there, praying as the Lord clearly put the direction in my heart through a song. As a kid growing up, I worked with my dad quite a bit. There usually wasn’t a day that went by when a word or an object would make him break out into some sort of song association with that word or object. (I am sure that he still does the same to this day.) Working in construction, it seems there is a hammer usually close by so you can imagine how many times I heard “If I had a hammer” growing up. I began humming “If I had a hammer, I’d hammer in the morning” I went to bed that night trusting that Lord is still sitting on the throne and is not surprised by any of the new plans or methods of ministry. I woke up the next morning and literally started swinging a hammer.
I cannot tell you enough about the faithfulness of God. Over the last few months, God has made provision after provision for us to continue working on the medical building and continue to give us vision and creativity to minister in ways that will be glorifying to Him.
Due to following the guidelines set before us, we could not have a regular camp for the kids this year. So, we had a “Virtual camp” this year. Our team began putting together some fun videos and pictures that the kids could follow along on Facebook. It was really neat to see all the throwback pictures from previous years of God’s provision and the creativity and teamwork from the families God has allowed us to serve alongside here. We were able to close the virtual camp with a series of videos sharing in short, the story of Jesus.
We were able to have church through zoom meetings and YouTube until just a few weeks ago, and the tribe allowed us to begin services in person once again. I am so glad the church is not a building made of stone and that we were able to continue to worship our Creator as His people through different means. Boy, was I glad to start back meeting in person, even if it still looked different than pre-COVID.
The medical building is dried-in with most of the exterior complete. We have all the mechanical elements in place and the walls insulated. The upstairs is drywalled and ready to paint while the downstairs is about 50% drywalled. Our greatest expenses left are the dropped ceiling in the basement and the cabinets. (There are cabinets in each medical room)
We have been blessed to find some dental equipment but are still in need of some things. Much of our need right now is optometry equipment as well as disposable supplies. I am not a Dr of any kind and have had to learn some of the terminologies but have found that I still don’t have a clue what I am talking about. If you feel led to help us in this area, please reach out, and I can try and give you more specifics about the needs.
Amanda and I have been blessed with the opportunity to take a little bit of time to visit family and some of you as well over the next few months. We ask you to pray for us as we seek the Lord for continued vision, direction, and wisdom for Creator’s Fellowship and The Chanku Waste Ranch in the coming years ahead of us. There are some great things on the horizon for the ministries we have been entrusted to serve with, and I am excited about the future. As a visionary type of person, I tend to see things along the horizon and miss the detail close at hand. I certainly don’t want to miss out on the smaller details God has for us, and I ask you to pray for me in this area of weakness in my life.
We are so blessed with the abundance of Jesus in our lives. I am so very grateful for all that God has done and is doing. Many of you are a big part of God’s work in our lives, and we see all that He is doing in the lives of people around us because of your gifts and generosity, even in this time of uncertainty in our country. Many times, you give sacrificially and miss out on seeing firsthand the joy and peace that comes with serving the people that God has put before us. We reap the benefit and blessing of your generosity and hard work. I want you to know that it is not unnoticed. There may be times that I miss something or forget to notice in those times when things seem overwhelming for me, but in Hebrews, it tells us that our Father notices. I want to encourage you in this season of uncertain times not cease what God has called you to, don’t fall into discouragement because things are not going the way you had planned six months ago, or because it seems that no one notices the work or sacrifice you have made. He notices. Nothing gets past Him. These last few months have been a time for the Lord to give me a different perspective on things; to put a hammer in my hand so to speak. I always want His perspective on the things surrounding my life. I pray I always have the mind to look for a hammer in ministry. My friends, there is so much to do, I pray you desire a hammer with me. Just watch Him put a hammer in your hands!
Learning to serve the Lord in all we do,
The Haddens