Jonah, a Big Fish, and . . . a Camel?

pHey there!/p
pI couldn’t wait to write to you today, because last Sunday at church something very interesting happened. After service, a woman who was visiting our church for the very first time came up to say hello to me. She was a kind woman who had come to Dallas with two of her children – one of whom was in a cheerleading competition over the weekend. We shook hands and talked for a bit. She told me that she had just finished going through our Jonah Bible study with a group of women and that they had enjoyed it immensely. This group had felt seriously challenged to find an outreach project to participate in./p
pNow, before I go any further, let me just say that I am always so grateful to meet women who have been through one of our studies. The reality is that, while you get to see me on DVD, I don’t get the privilege of seeing you. Rarely, do I have an opportunity to get the inside scoop on how you may have been challenged or encouraged by the Scriptures presented. So anytime someone sends a photo of their Bible study group or an email about their experiences, I treasure it. It is an encouragement to me and our Going Beyond team in the most incredible way./p
pOne of the major thrusts of the Jonah study encourages women to seek out and serve someone outside the four walls of their group. It’s has been so inspiring to hear about the projects the Lord has birthed in your hearts and used to bless others through your obedience. I’ve been stunned at the reports we’ve received, but none has been more unexpected than this one. For when the sweet woman at church pulled out this picture from her purse to show me, I was stunned.br/p
p style=”text-align: center;”img src=”http://www.goingbeyond.com/sites/default/files/blog/Picture%2017_2.png” alt=”A "Jonah" camel” width=”235″ height=”319″/p
p style=”text-align: left;”She said, “PRISCILLA, WE BOUGHT A CAMEL!”/p
pWho knew that story about a man and big fish could have anything to do with a camel? But lo and behold, the connection has been made. A “Jonah” camel has been added to the collection of odd characters connected with this story that already boasts not only a fish – but a plant, a wind, a worm  and a scorching sun./p
pHmmmmm. Interesting.brbrThese wonderful “camel-buying” women have blessed a mission organization halfway across the world that was in desperate need of this type of transportation to accomplish the work God has set before them. These women, inspired by Jonah’s message, became the answer to these missionaries’ prayer request./p
pAmen!/p
pIt’s amazing how God can put different things in our hearts that all serve the same purpose – reaching a lost world for Him!/p
pI’m wondering if you’ve done this Bible study: “Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted” and if you have, what project your group has been inspired to undertake. Whether it was taking a meal to someone in need around the corner, or sending care packages to people on the other side of the globe, I’m interested in knowing what you’ve accomplished. There’s no telling the kind of impact we can make as we walk in humble obedience to God and service to others.br brCan’t wait to hear from you today./p
pPriscilla/p