Good Morning!
It’s approaching 8:30pm and the only place I’m currently sweating is where my glasses hit my nose. So… I count that as a victory! The days have stayed pretty consistent, with the afternoons hitting a high in the mid-90s. At night it gets a little cooler and sometimes I’ll get to throw a sweatshirt on. Not living in AC has actually turned into a blessing, though. My body temperature does not have to constantly adjust from the blazing heat to cool air, which has greatly helped in getting acclimated to this hot and humid country.
Overall moral is high. Relationships are continuing to grow with the locals my squad visits with in the community. We have almost completed digging the hole for the pond, and are going to start constructing a chicken farm for our pastor this week. This will be built with the intent to raise some sustainable support for the ministry! So cool. I’ve been really encouraged to see how every one of the girls on my squad has chosen into being present here, as well as intentionally seeking a deeper relationship with God. Their hunger for more of Him keeps me going.
I am learning so much about what it truly means to abide in Jesus right now. I’ve spent the last couple of days reading in John 15:1-11. It reads,
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
I have several pages in my journal where the Lord spoke to me through these verses, but I’ll just leave you with the main takeaway.
“I am the true vine…. I am the vine and you are branches.” This is a direct, ‘I am’ statement from Jesus, telling us that He is the ultimate source for all of our needs on earth. He is the vine, and we are the branches. We are connected to Him, with the intent to receive all of our nourishment from His supply. Every day we wake up tempted to believe that there is some other person, or entity that will satisfy our innate human desire to feel loved and whole. While I have days that I still struggle to believe, or at least justify that the world might be onto something, I know that I know that Jesus in the only way. “Abide in my love.” I am continually overwhelmed with love and gratitude for what those four simple words mean. He’s telling us, and continuing to remind me, that His love will always be enough. All we have to do, is slow down enough to enter into His presence, which is a lot closer that it sometimes seems to be.
Cheers to another week on the mission field! Thank you as always for the love and support from almost 10,000 miles away.
xo,
Hannah
