WOW!!

Last week I posted that Kevin and I had an opportunity to do a video (This is FBC) for the church service "United We Worship" where all 3 services came together as ONE church. Well, that same Sunday was WOW Sunday where all offering collected was for global mission trips. God's people gave $86,642.85 Sunday!! Isn't God GREAT!!

God is doing great and wonderful things at FBC Vandalia and even greater things are in the works. I love to see God's people being obedient to his call.

May God be glorified in all giving to global missions and we are obedient to why he has called us to FBC Vandalia.

Ami

God is in Control!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have taken the time to sit down and write a blog post. Life has been CRAZY busy these past few months. I will be filling in gaps later but wanted to post what is currently going on in the lives of the Riveras.

At the top of our list of great happenings is that we found a church home !! It feels great to have found a community of believers who opened their arms wide open and took us in. Kaleb LOVES going to Sunday School, kids choir, and Awana. He has never been interested in going to choir but he begs to go on Sunday night. We found a great Sunday school class, Kevin is involved with helping get the men's ministry off the ground, and I am enjoying a Beth Moore study with a great group of ladies. God is truly blessing our family!!

Kevin got a call 2 days ago from the church asking if we would be part of a video that will be shown Sunday morning during service. We typically have 3 services on Sunday mornings but this week we are having a combined service at the local high school as ONE church. There are so many people we have never seen so I can't wait to see what God will do in this service that will impact the future of the church. Back to the video, we had to answer 2 questions. One of the questions was what brought us to FBC Vandalia. This opened up a flood of memories that happened not that long ago. When we found out we had the opportunity to move to Ohio we prayed hard that God would reveal to us the right answer. It became evident that the move was what He wanted for us and He had a bigger plan for us in Ohio than we could fathom! It became evident to us that the job was just the vehicle getting us to a new place for another reason than just a new job.

We are beginning to see that evidence both at our jobs as well as at our new church home. We are excited about what God has in store for us and how we get to impact the kingdom for HIS glory!

Amongst all God's blessings on us, Caterpillar announces that have decided to open a new facility in Athens, GA! For all of you who know Kevin, this would be a dream come true to live in Bulldog nation! He would be at every home football game and who knows which other games he would start going to watch just because it's the Dawgs. BUT the question we have to leave to God is that is it in his will for our lives. It is very obvious that He is using us here for His kingdom and we aren't done here until he closes one door and opens another.

Where will that next door be? Athens, Illinois, California...only He knows the when and where and I can honestly say I am ok with that because He has proven to me that I can fully rely on Him and everything will be ok. As the Casting Crowns song says, He's Already There and knows what will be the outcome to it all! "Already There"


Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.