I have had six homes in the past six months. Each home is different from the last in multiple ways but they all carry the same similarity: beauty.
God has been faithful to reveal such beautiful things about His creation to me in every place I’ve laid my eyes on.
The dry, barren, middle-of-nowhere dusty desert of Tocopilla, Chile roared with aqua-blue waves beating against its shoreline, spraying salty mist into my hair as I drank in the view of the Lord’s artwork.
Wine country, Mendoza, Argentina was drowning in mountains of garbage from careless hands and the smell of sunbaked trash attracted dozens of mangled stray dogs. But the vibrant sun rising behind that Andes Mountain range beckoned me every morning as I eagerly approached that view with a mug of coffee and a worshipping heart.
El Alto, Bolivia was a backdrop of gray skies behind a maze of dull brick buildings half crumbled from abandonment but every corner turned exposed a flash of spirited color from the fabric of the traditional Bolivian dresses worn by the smiling women selling their fresh fruit at the market.
I didn’t go a single day in Cambodia without hearing the eerie sounds of ancient Buddhist chanting’s over a loud speaker or take in the nauseating scent of incense burning for false gods and lifeless idols. I also didn’t go a single day without witnessing the warm smiles and contagious laughs from the gorgeous people of Cambodia.
Thailand is a country covered in the domination of the sex-trafficking industry and I went through a daily heartbreak for the young men and women trapped in this slavery. Despite this heartbreak, the Lord blessed me with being able to experience the beauty of Thailand by traveling through the jungles to multiple villages and towns in the bed of a pickup truck.
The quiet streets of Sombor, Serbia are filled with zombie-like people who are bound by the chains of religion and rituals, drowning in the unhappiness that religion brings. They are breathing, but their souls are dead. It’s a town of desolation, blanketed by the oppression of hopelessness and locked in a bondage held tightly in the enemy’s grasp.
When we arrived here, our World Race attire didn’t withstand the shock we took to the sudden climate change for us. We left Asia’s humid 100-degree weather with sweat pouring down every inch of our bodies and landed in a winter wonderland of 21 degrees in a matter of 14 hours.
Serbia’s gray winter skies, tall pine trees, and snow-covered ground immediately comforted me with reminders of my New England home.
As beautiful as I thought it was here, most of the people I talked to expressed how badly they wanted to leave the town of Sombor- it was boring, lifeless, and dead. But the more time I’ve spent here, the more beauty I continue to see in this place. Springtime brings a sense of hope- the budding flowers push to fight against the last blanket of snow, bringing excitement with its beauty and new growth.
A couple days after our arrival, the snow began to melt and the flowers had won the victory over the frosty battle.
Jesus brings life. He brings joy. He brings new growth and excitement. He brings peace, happiness, contentment, comfort, and love. The devil has taken domain over Sombor and has covered this place with oppression and misery.
But Christ has already won the victory over all of our battles.
My hope and prayer and purpose in Sombor is to bring the life of Jesus to these people so that their chains may be broken, their hearts joyful, and their lives abundant and they can walk in the freedom of His victory and His love for them.
We’re here to peel back the frosty blanket that has been covering this town to reveal the beauty and hope that lies beneath the weight of this dead place so that their souls may live, everlasting.
The Lord’s presence is here and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, always.
***God has been SO GOOD in providing the funds we’ve needed to walk out this mission calling He put on our hearts. We now only have about $3,500 left to raise to be fully funded (say whaaatt?!!). Please share our page with others & consider donating so that we can continue on this fruitful journey! Hugs, high fives, & thank you’s!
