After a busy month with little extra internet time it’s random blog catch up time!.
We spent March in Tanzania. From the very beginning of our time there it was clear God was taking us to a new place as a squad. I was surprised by how different Tanzania is from other East African countries we’d visited. There is much more Muslim influence and the country is very poor and therefore corruption, deception, and crime are very common. This month looked different for me. I spent 10 days in Dar Es Salaam with Michael, and Shannon and Matthew, our logistics leaders, obtaining visas for our squad to visit India in May. Then Michael and I spent the month traveling to visit our teams in Morogoro, Iringa, and Mbeya. I had a great month. I continue to learn so much through leading with Michael and it was a blessing to travel together for the month and to spend time with all of our teams throughout the month.
God was moving and speaking and transforming….
His hand of favor was on us as we obtained our visas with no difficulty whatsoever.
We saw God provide financially for our squad at the last minute so no one had to leave the mission field early due to lack of funding!!! (Thank you so much to each one of you who has given generously and prayed for us!!!)
A muslim man came to know Jesus during a visit to a rural village.
God sent a rainbow, His symbol of promise, during a prayer time we had with the children of the village.
A woman with 4 small children accepted Jesus and began attending the small church in the village.
We saw God heal a woman of malaria and a man of typhoid in response to our prayers.
I came face to face with my mindsets about what I think I have a right to (electricity, personal space, my style of ministry, food when I want it, etc.)
I heard amazing stories in ouR squad about how God is growing and changing us through our community.
I was SO blessed to spend a couple days in Zanzibar encountering God in the beauty of His glorious creation and experiencing some much needed rest! 🙂
God continues to strengthen me on the inside when faced with challenging situations.
We met some street children and were able to feed them dinner. (This is one of my favorite things to do. I love “unplanned” ministry…especially to precious kiddos!!)
I encountered God with our teams in Iringa during their nightly prayer and worship times.
I laughed alot.
My heart overflowed with thanksgiving to God for his provision and blessings in my life!�@
A few days ago we packed up our bags for what feels like the thousandth time and said good bye to Africa and after 28 or so hours of traveling, hello again to Asia…landing in Kathmandu, Nepal. To be honest I’m experiencing some culture shock. We are staying in a touristy area of Kathmandu…lots of backpackers, shopping, great coffee, European and American food, and I’m missing Africa. Many would say I’m crazy, but I’m realizing the depth of the amazing grace and love for Africa God has placed in my heart. Thankfully the culture shock lessens with each day that passes.
In other random thoughts…the weather in Nepal feels pretty perfect….I am enjoying the need to wear sweatshirts and jeans after the heat we experienced in Dar Es Salaam. I’m also enjoying wireless internet which was unheard of last month in Tanzania…lots of corresponding to catch up on!
Hoping to do a better job of updating all of you this month in Nepal!
Much love!
