The beginning of this month in Tanzania was not sunny skies and rainbows for me. It was very difficult and coming in to month six I was tired of living with people and for a brief second tired of the race. I went through a season of extreme homesickness, fatigue, and quite a lot of spiritual warfare.
Things started to change when I met this little girl Sarah. She is four years old and the daughter of our night watchman. Her laugh and smile is contagious. Contagious in a way that captured my heart and helped me through one of my most difficult part of the race. We can’t communicate due to the language barrier, yet she looks at me and my heart melts in a million pieces. Every time she sees me coming she runs into my arms. I could hold her forever!
Her parents are apart of the church and they love the Lord. There are four children in the family. Sarah is the second youngest. At night I began to notice that Joseph, Sarah’s dad was very hungry and had been loosing weight. My conclusion is that he gives all he can to his family. I have no doubt this is true, because he watches over us like we are his own children. So now our team makes sure that we leave enough so that he can eat too. As the days went by I began to get this feeling that his family wasn’t getting enough food. Honestly this was all God, because I would see them at church and the kids seemed fine. Yet, this trip I am still learning the act of obedience, listening to the Holy Spirit that is. Some of you know what I am talking about, you just get that feeling that something is not right or you need to do a certain something. Heads up, that’s the Holy Spirit!! So I made the decision to buy some rice and beans that could last a few days. I bought them and put them in our room, planning to give them to Joseph that night. Plans changed, I couldn’t find a translator that night to explain that this was to say thank you for watching over us at night. No biggie I will try again the next night, still no translator and the house was full of people. Okay, so the next night, so the third night I finally found a guy to translate for me, just so that Joseph knew how thankful we were for his protection over us. He said “Asanti” (thank you in Swahili) many times and we said goodnight.
That was about three days ago and pastor just called me over to speak with me. He told me that it was a miracle that I gave him rice and beans that day, because that day they had run completely out of food. They were going to put the children to bed early so hunger wouldn’t set in, but then Joseph came home with the rice and beans. Praise the Lord!
This brings me to my season of thankfulness and rejoicing! Not only am I thankful for my basic needs being met, but I am beyond thankful for my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am so overjoyed that He is pursuing me everyday, and has captured my heart. I am nothing without Jesus and His everlasting love for me. He has created me in His image, He is refining me, molding me, and has given me the opportunity to be used my Him. To help people He created and share His good news to the nations! God never promised this life would be easy, yet with Him anything is possible. For that alone, I am rejoicing! Rejoicing for the trials and blessing He has given in my life. For He knows the plans He has for me. He also knows the desires of my heart, inside and out. He knows what is best for me! His Spirit is alive in me. He is guiding me, and using me for His glory. For that I am thankful and overwhelmed with joy!
On Monday my team heads to Malawi for debrief. Thank you for all your prayers and support!
