Y’all…this month has been amazing. I need to tell you a little bit about it. First let me say that, though I left a big chunk of my heart in El Salvador, I find pieces of my heart slipping away each time a child jumps into my arms, clings to me for dear life, or asks me to be their sponsor. It breaks my heart & I fall so deeply in love at the same time.
This month hasn’t been all easy though. Because I fell so deeply in love with El Salvador, I found myself feeling “over” Africa. I was just ready to be done, so that we could move on to Asia, then go home. But at the beginning of the month during team time, I was challenged to lay that down. We were given a few questions about what our expectations were for our (new) team, for ministry, and what expectations we needed to lay down. I expected to just “get through” Africa. I decided that expectation needed to go. I decided that I was going to expect God to move in big ways. I decided that I was going to expect that Malawi & Africa would be full of joy. And God took those expectations and made them into what He wanted this month. And I’m so glad that I changed my expectations. Some days are still a challenge, but when you expect to find joy a funny thing happens. You find it. Whether you’re joyful for all the experiences (good & bad), for the beautiful children, or just joyful that you have air in your lungs. It’s there. Just waiting to be seen.
The ministry has been amazing this month. We’ve had the opportunity to minister to a lovely group of widows and support them by buying some of their beautiful handmade items. You will not find more joy than in their singing and dancing. They’ve been through so much, but they still have full faith in God to provide. It’s beautiful. I wish that each and every one of you could see their beautiful faces, hear their beautiful voices, and see their joyful, sassy, and unashamed dancing.
We’ve also had the opportunity to preach and give testimonies at churches, women’s prayer meetings, and a local salon that closes an hour early every Tuesday afternoon so that the employees of the salon & local businesses can be encouraged. These people are so hungry for hope and stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness. There is nothing in me that wants to hesitate or feel fearful when they ask for a testimony or for a sermon. The way I look at it, each time I give my testimony or preach, all I have to do is tell them the Truth. I tell them the Truth about how God has worked in my life & is making me look more like Him. I tell them the Truth that God is teaching me through His Word. It makes my heart glad to tell the Truth. It makes my heart glad to let Him speak through me.
This month has been full of joy that I didn’t originally expect. It has been amazing to see God working through and changing the people we meet, my team, and me. I can’t wait to tell you more stories about how God’s moved. I want to continue here. I want to be a witness to God’s goodness, love, and His work. But I need help. I’m still about $500 shy of my August 1st deadline. Would you consider giving? Would you commit to praying for God’s continued provision & for the people I still need to meet? If you want to give (and no amount is too small!), you can either click on the “Support Me” tab at the top or left side of this page OR by mailing checks to:
Adventures in Missions
PO BOX 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
*Just be sure to write my name on the memo line
**Also, it takes about 10 days to process checks, so if you do give, please let me know ASAP so I can let the AIM staff know.
All donations are tax deductible. Also, all online donations do have a 3% transaction fee.
Thank you guys for all the encouraging words, prayers, and support! I love you guys so much!
