I have been holding this letter and praying for the right time to share it. It is the last thing (to my knowledge) that Beej ever wrote. It is a letter to his Mission Board and Partners (those who supported him financially, as well as prayed for him on his recent Peru trip). He never got to send it to them (I trust they understand).

As with his other letter I posted, I believe this one speaks to many of us, and shows us once again, what is important.

"August 4th, 2005

Dear

First, I just want to thank you so much for supporting me financially and through your prayers for my mission trip to Peru. I really appreciate your support more than you know. I pray that God will bless you abundantly as you have blessed me.

On my trip, I was able to see God work in INCREDIBLE ways. As we shared the gospel in many of the areas, we could see God showing these lost people that there is something more than the empty life that they had been taught to live. You see, these people have been lied to with these false religions for so long that they are just so hungry and anxious to find the Truth. It has been amazing to be able to go and show them that they can have a personal relationship with the one and true God. It was so moving to see so many of them drawn to tears upon at last finding the truth, love, and fulfillment that they have been searching for. I was able to see all kinds of people, from gang members to transvestites to policemen and government officials to our bus drivers, to even the headmaster of a Catholic School come to know Him!

However, God didn't just work in the Peruvians, He really challenged my team to truly lay down our lives for Him. He taught us that all of our lives are for His glory, so we must be willing to give up all of our comforts and desires and possessions and just follow Him. As Jesus said in Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."

Also, we learned that being a missionary isn't just going to a foreign country every once in a while, but that it is a lifestyle that ALL Christ-followers are called to. We realized that as Christians, we must lay aside our dreams, and out of love for God and for the lost peoples of the world, commit our lives to spreading the gospel to the world. In the next eleven months, we know that we are on just as much of a mission trip as we have been during the last month. We believe that our current mission is to share Christ with those in our own hometowns, and to encourage others to get involved in being the lifestyle missionaries that we are called to be.

Another thing that God has challenged me with is the call and opportunity to go on yet another foreign mission trip with AweStar next summer. While I was in Peru, I felt God calling me to go on another five week trip to a closed country in North Africa. Right now I'm brainstorming for new fundraising methods and preparing to begin that process about six months early (this trip will cost around $4,000 and upwards), so I would greatly appreciate your prayers for that.

I just want to thank you again for supporting me. I know that I couldn't have seen God move in such ways if it weren't for your donations and prayers.

In Christ's Love,


BJ Higgins"

As the Lord made it abundantly clear to Beej, Deanna and me that He wanted this, we as his family (Lauren and Whitney too) are praying about going in his place. We would appreciate it if you would join us in praying.

Thank you,

dad

A doe and her fawn returned to our front feeder last night!