Patience Pays Off...

Though I may have been in a foreign country, ranch business never stops, and when I had time between shifts and outreaches when I was in the Philippines, I helped direct the sales and care operations of our ranch back in the US.

This last year, we found that our herd was increasingly becoming all white, because our color stock was more in demand So for the first time in a few years, we made some purchases of quality colored alpacas to infiltrate our foundation herd.

We found all the new stock we wanted by the end of July, but on a whim in early August, I decided to surf another online Alpaca Auction (almost as bad as horse shopping!! ;p), & found a "3-2" Gray Female Alpaca Package that caught my fancy & was in my price range. I thought, "Hey, it has a few days left, the lines are good, it'll probably go way beyond my reach, but why not?? I'll Bid."  Though I did pre-count the costs, I was still completely shocked when a few days later, the auction ended, and to my surprise, I was the highest bidder!!!

Black and Silver Gray is my speciality...for almost all livestock, and so I was pretty stoked. The one girl had just been bred, and since they were out-of-state, both were held until the pregnancy was confirmed and she was far enough along that it'd be safe to travel--meaning October. Unfortunately, every transport for almost 3 months kept falling through, and so God had a LOT of fun teaching me patience, as I waited expectantly for my 'girls'.

Today, "Violet" and "Essence" actually made it to our ranch. There is always a risk buying sight unseen, but I wasn't disappointed. And sure enough, Violet is pregnant for a Summer 2012 cria. Woohoo!!!

During this whole purchase and the many complications that came with it, God taught me a lot. I like to give first-rate service to our clientele, and sometimes it's frustrating when that is not reciprocated when I'm on the other end of the deal. However, God gave me grace, and abundant patience, and I was able to laugh it all off, and try to be a blessing.

I am reminded of the following verses....how good is our God, that He would continue to teach us, though we may be wayward and unwilling, but He in His mercy, as we seek Him, continues to train and teach us through all things:

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:15-17 ~