Welcome back to the longest yet greatest day I have lived on the race.
It was around 1:00 p.m. when we finish praying at the school and loaded back into the car. Of coarse not one of us knew what was to come. We drove for about an 1.5 to another village. The people in the first village have a heart to bulid a church in this one so we are there to pray over the land.
This was the first time white people had ever visited this village so we had a lot of fun with the kids. Well, with most of them, some greatly feared us. While others loved us 🙂
We also got to encourage the heart of the only christian in that village. Lord continue to fill this women with an unshakable faith. Remind her heart that she is not alone.
2:30 ish and we were driving back when a couple of kids call out to us to stop. We stop the vehicle and they communicated that they wanted to take us to a Massai village. We agreed to go to the village so they jump in and on the car and we set off to yet another village. Throughout Africa, I have heard stories about the Massai tribes but never got to see them. At the start of this journey I had asked God to see and expereince this tribe. The Lord hears and answers the desires of our hearts. Espcially when those desires are not our true hope. When He is our hope then he makes our hopes a reality.
About an hour drive later we arrive at the Massai Village. We are greeted with a beautiful song and dance.
We were each given a glass coca- cola bottle and an assortment of meat which included, liver, heart, and kidney. You have to understand this meat and coke are very vauleable to this tribe. It is their very best yet they joyfully gave all of it away. We have been served some questionable meat on the race. So questionable that it has turned me into a vegetarian. I have somehow made it almost 4 months without eating meat. But I’ve got to say I gladly ate those organs and was so humbled while doing so.
After we ate we walked outside to see that even more people had gathered from the village to greet us. We shared a word that I prayed encouraged their hearts and then we worshiped our Almighty God together, as one. They in returned performed a song and dance for us. It was beautiful.
At the end of the ceremony the leader of the tribe apprroached us on behalf of the village and said they wanted to offer us a gift. He said, ” We so wish we could offer more but this is all we have.” He then hands our leader $25 to pay for fuel for driving out to their village.
I stood in awe of their generosity. They have nothing yet they give away everything. In that moment, the Lord started to really stir something in me. To give is to trust. To give generously means you trust deeply. There are moments when I hold onto the money I have with both hands. When I look at my account and find that I have $ 100 remaining to last me the rest of the race and even after, I go into protect mode. I want to save that $100 and protect that bank account because its all I have. I have been learning about abandonment this year but with everything there are layers to go deeper. At the core of abadonment is an unshakable trust. It is a life where you live with your hands wide open. Open to let go of the things the Lord takes away, and open to receive all that the Lord has to give. Picture opening a gift with your palms clinched tightly closed. Nearly impossible. Open your hands to truely receive the gifts and blessings Our God longs for you to have.
We leave the village at 5:00. Its five o’clock somewhere right? To be continued….
