*The fist blog I typed up just got erased. Twice. But I won't let Satan claim victory in that. No, I will write this blog and God will use it to build the Kingdom. Boom.
What is love?
There's the obvious answer: God.
1 Corinthians 13 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
The love languages; gifts, touch, quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation.
"Listening is so close to loving that few people ever tell the difference."- somebody wise
Actions speak louder than words, so they say.
THIS MONTH I saw love leap beyond words and break through barriers like languages. *Most of the people here don't speak enlish.
These past two weeks my team worked at a children's summer camp. A group of foster kids joined in our last 4 days. You could see the emptiness in their eyes the moment they walked in the room. The unmet hunger for love.
So we loved them. We gave endless hugs. We smiled whether it was returned or not. We pushed swing sets and picked flowers. We played ninja and rock, paper, scissors. We gave them our time and they stole our hearts.
Then we said goodbye.
Next week we will welcome a new group of children who need to be loved.
We did what God asked us to do, funny how it often doesn't seem like enough.
The LORD blew my mind with two other things this month:
I was contemplating where I might live after the Race and the list of places I've been to floated through my mind. 49 states and 4 countries. I began to realize that traveling has left me with a restlessness. Will I ever find a place to call home? Then it hit me.
I am a citizen of heaven. Are you a citizen of heaven? Declare it!
I am not meant to be satisfied by anything or anyone in the world. Only God.
Part two of course followed: What will I do after the race? God lead me to the verse that tells us to do everything for the glory of God, even eating and drinking. Then the second wave of wisdom hit me.
I cannot accomplish anything apart from Him. It wouldn't matter if I was washing laundry in Maldova or making pancakes in Ohio; God could still move mountains. Because that's just it, God has to move them.
He only asks us to love Him and love His people. Period. The rest will follow.
Before I go, I want to leave you with-
7 Random Sweet Moments In Ukraine
Drinking a teacup of melted chocolate. True story.
Pushing a swing filled with laughter. Still fun when you're old.
Playing with puppies. Puppy team!
Having a random dance party. H squad holla!
Making goofy team videos about World Race culture. Wait for it…
Eating potatoes. For days. Then enters: ketchup. 🙂
Listening to the testimony of a woman rescued from trafficking. It's not just in the movies.
P.S. Did you know that if everyone who professed to follow Christ adopted one child, there would be no more orphanages?
Our sister team this month visited an orphanage today. The children never let go. They just wanted to be hugged. To know they were loved.
Did you know that in Ukraine, children are watched and groomed to be trafficked while they are growing up in orphanages?
Church, where are you?
The church needs to rise up. To not just talk like Jesus, but to ACT like Jesus. Can you imagine if the church across the world started to eat with the homeless, take in the orphans and love the lost?
What if the whole church, looked just like you? Would it look like Christ?
So what are you going to do?
Thank you for following, for you support, and your prayers– Love–
~Leah
