The day before Dw left for Uganda, I was packing up some things for him to take to Emmy and my cell rang.  It wasn’t a number I recognized.  On the other end of the phone a woman told me her name was Nikki and that she was part of The Young Living Foundation.

Young Living is the Essential Oil company that I am a distributor for.  I love, love, love their oils and use many of them daily!!

Anyway, she asked me how my day was going?  I told her that my husband was leaving for Africa the next day and I was wrapping some birthday presents for our daughter, Emma, who is a missionary there.  I explained that her birthday was coming and that I was always so grateful when any one of us get to go spend time with her as we all miss her so much.  I choked up as I spoke.

Nikki said that she actually had met Emma before, when she was in Uganda with Young Living!  I was kinda giddy – someone who had actually been to The Gem Foundation and met our Emmy.  Wow.

We talked a bit about Emma and God’s calling on her life.  We had a great conversation as she shared how impressed she was with not just The Gem Foundation but Emma’s gracious spirit.  It was a beautiful call, but I was pretty sure she didn’t call just to chat about Emma.

THEN she said,  “Well I don’t know why I have the honor of making this phone call to you, but I am calling to tell you that you have been chosen to receive The Spirit Award.  You were chosen out of 1.7 million distributors because of how you have lived your life, adopting so many children, the work that your ministry, International Voice of the Orphan does, and also raising a daughter who has dedicated her life to caring for special needs orphans in Africa.

Would you be willing to come to Salt Lake City and receive the award?  It is the last award presented of the evening.  There will be about 12,000 people watching you receive your award.  It’s a formal event, so you will need an evening gown but we would love to have both you and Dwight come. You will have a few minutes to talk as we present you this highest award.” 

My eyes welled with giant tears.  Friends, I knew nothing of this award and I don’t usually win a prize at bridal showers!

So here we are in Salt Lake City!! Dw rearranged his flight home to leave early enough so he could meet me in Salt Lake City.

I am humbled, honored, blown away, dumbfounded, overjoyed and giddy!!  Unbeknownst to me, my sweet friends were working behind the scenes to nominate me!!

Would you please pray friends for the few minutes I am able to share as I receive The Spirit Award tonight? Most importantly that Jesus Christ would be honored and glorified above all else and that hearts would hear the cry of the orphan and be compelled to do something!!