“Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.”
~ Esther 2:10
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you know why your grandmaa and grandpaa are in Guatemala? Your grandpaa calls your grandmaa and grandpaa ending up here in Guatemala as one of those divinely orchestrated and choreographed happenings. After your dad and your Aunt Lynn were married, your grandmaa and grandpaa decided that they would like to spend at least three more years in another country involved in cross-cultural ministries. During the twelve years that your grandmaa and grandpaa lived in Bolivia, your grandmaa and grandpaa had enjoyed and had been blessed the most when they enabled guys and gals on how to apply Biblical truths to their own lives and on how to teach Biblical truths to other guys, gals and kids. Your grandpaa sent a letter to the South American Mission President to let him know that your grandmaa and grandpaa were ready to go back to South America. In the letter that your grandpaa sent to the President of South American Mission, your grandpaa mentioned a number of different things that your grandmaa and grandpaa would be willing to do if . . . the South American Mission’s President never responded to your grandpaa’s letter. Your grandmaa and grandpaa – the first years that they spent in Bolivia, were spent on an eleven member church planting team. Todd Blades was the leader of the church planting team. Your grandmaa and grandpaa became very good friends with Todd and his wife Jane. When Todd and Jane left Bolivia to return to the United States to live, they settled in Florida where Tom began working at South American Mission’s headquarters. After living in Florida for a number of years, Todd and Jane moved to Colorado – where Todd took on a leadership position with Missionary Internship. Missionary Internship had joined a number of other mission agencies that had decided to move to Colorado Springs. Missionary Internship was looking for someone to help jumpstart one of their programs. When Todd found out that your grandmaa and grandpaa were getting ready to return to being involved in cross-cultural ministries, Todd called your grandpaa. Todd asked your grandpaa if he would be willing to talk with his director about helping his mission. Your grandmaa and grandpaa had always said that they would not look for another mission organization to be missionaries but if another mission organization contacted them about . . . that your grandmaa and grandpaa would need to check the mission organization out – as God might be . . .
When your grandmaa and grandpaa were still living in Bolivia, a couple with South American Mission – who were living in Brazil, talked with your grandmaa and grandpaa. Tim and Flo Younger wanted to know what your grandmaa and grandpaa thought about their leaving South American Mission for another mission organization. Your grandmaa and grandpaa told Tim and Flo to go for it. Your grandpaa decided to write to Tim and Flo – after Todd had talked with your grandpaa, to find out how everything went when they left South American Mission. About the same time that Tim and Flo received the letter that your grandpaa had sent them, Tim and Flo had a guy from their mission organization stay with them. That guy was from OC International – which was the mission that Tim and Flo had changed to when they left South American Mission. Tim and Flo showed the guy the letter that your grandpaa had sent them. Tim and Flo encouraged the guy staying with them to call your grandmaa and grandpaa. While your grandmaa and grandpaa were still living in Canada, your grandmaa and grandmaa received a call one day from the guy who had stayed with Tim and Flo. The guy called your grandmaa and grandpaa to invite your grandmaa and grandpaa to an OC International OCO. An OCO is when OC International explains to their missionary candidates what OC International does as a mission organization. Because your grandmaa and grandpaa had already decided to go to Colorado Springs to visit Missionary Internship – which is where OC International is also located, your grandmaa and grandpaa had to just change their travel plans by a couple of days in order for them to meet with the Director of Missionary Internship and to attend an OCO. If Todd had not called your grandpaa and then if your grandpaa had not written Tim and Flo and if Tim and Flo had not had the guy from OC International visiting them and if the guy from OC International had not . . . God wanted your grandmaa and grandpaa to be here Guatemala.
Esther is a book in the Bible which is filled with divinely orchestrated and choreographed happenings. Easter 2 tells you about the lives of several guys and gals. What took place in this chapter took place 478 years before Jesus was born. Some of God’s specially chosen guys and gals were captive slaves in a place called Susa. Xerxes was Susa’s king. Vashti was Susa’s queen. When Vashti did something that got King Xerxes mad at her. King Xerxes decided to look for another queen. Mordecai was a Jew. A Jew was an Israelite. Israelites are God’s specially chosen people. Mordecai raised a niece whose parents had died. Mordecai’s niece was very beautiful. Mordecai’s niece’s name was Hadassah. Hadassah was also called Esther. Esther was chosen as one of the gals to be prepared to replace Vashti as Susa’s queen. King Xerxes really liked Esther. King Xerxes chose Esther to be his queen. Mordecai would sit during the day at a place called the king’s gate. Mordecai found out one day that two of King Xerxes officers had become angry with King Xerxes and had decided to kill King Xerxes. Mordecai went to Esther to tell Esther what he heard. Esther told King Xerxes what had been told her. King Xerxes checked it out and . . . the two guys got hanged. Verse 10 says “Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.” There are no ifs in the plan that God designed for each gal, guy and kid who will ever live on planet Earth.
Esther 2 (77)