“Namaste” translates to, “I bow to the holy one dwelling
within you.” Oh that we as disciples would view the members of His Body as dwelling places for the Almighty!
As a short intro, I want you all to know that I am so thankful to be here. As a dear
friend of mine said recently, “Apparently I was chosen to be blessed
beyond measure.” (I adore you, Ashley!) And that is exactly what I am.
The team I get to be a part of is incredibly encouraging of each other, laid
back, prone to service, attentive to the
Spirit, and so much more. Our leaders are phenomenal – who wouldn’t enjoy
being led by Spirit-filled people who are eager to serve us and who know the right balance of fun and
seriousness?
Also, the humidity is becoming more bearable and the geckos
on the walls are viewed as allies rather than enemies. The puppies aren’t
trained yet, but their cuteness more than makes up for it. Everywhere we go
makes me wish I had a camera in my hands; I am not incredibly skilled in
photography but I firmly believe that skill in that area is not terribly
necessary to portray the beauty and depth of these people. And finally, the
open archways on all floors of this house provide a wind that constantly
reminds me of the Spirit moving among us here. And there. And everywhere.
I want to post a few unedited bits from my journal today
(September 16). Let me preface this first:
To dip our feet into the culture, our team was split into
three groups of three and sent into a market on a scavenger hunt. We were given
a list of questions to ask, desserts to try, and places to go. One thing that we couldn’t have been prepared enough for was being approached by children
begging for money.
We were told that some people can be particularly
aggressive…but we were not prepared to be the recipients of violent but beautiful
shadows set on pulling money from us. I wish to learn from their persistence.
We were told that to give money to these beggars is to do
them more harm than good…but we were not prepared to be inwardly shattered as we
refused to give precious faces what they were seeking.
What I wrote in response to this. Please forgive me if it
seems scattered:
“…How eye-opening it
was…and how prideful I can be.
Walking away and
firmly refusing the cries of the beggars was so heart-wrenching. I long to show
them affection, to bring them in, to dance and to laugh with them. They are
seeking money, but they need so much more than that.
‘I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you can
become rich…‘ Revelation 3:18
Love is not equivalent
to affection,
But affection can
express love.
It runs deeper than
cultural differences,
But I have to rely on
the God of love to meet their greatest need.
‘And so we have come to know and rely on the love God has for us. God is
love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.‘ 1 John
4:16“
“Brothers, pray for us…”
Pray for rain to fall on the harvest of the Lord all throughout
the world. Pray and do not doubt.
And as another good friend of mine likes to say, “Let the Jesus inside come out!“
More on that later.
With love and hope,
