I am sitting in my freshly fashioned tent at Iris Ministries in Mozambique taking a bit of reflection time. After a 36 hour bus ride a shower and lying down sound really nice. Currently I have effectively conquered both. Being in Africa again is a little funny. Everything is familiar in a sense: the people, the culture, the scenery, selling things through the bus windows…but oh, how I’ve changed since that last trip to Ghana. I was such a baby, just a young little college girl thinking I could conquer the world with my college degree and a smile. Ha! I now realize how juvenile my thinking was then. How much I thought I knew and now all I realize is that I still know nothing—if not even less than I did before! Yes, I’ve had more experiences…blah, blah, blah, but now I’m in a place where God has control again. It’s not ‘Amanda goes to Africa,’ it’s now ‘Amanda follows God’s
invitation to Africa through the World Race…who knew? Surely not me.
I never would have made this venture in the hoard I find myself in yet again…but I know God has plans for me in this season and on this continent. I can’t wait to see what He does here. I’m ready to lay down and die. Even here…a place that has made me feel so alive. Death. Death to self and alive not in a place or in a people, but alive in my Christ, my Savior—in whom is the only true LIFE. His is the true way. His way leads to happiness and fulfillment. I have what I’ve always wanted if I am willing to BE the sacrifice. Be the offering. It’s me. Yes. I lay down on the altar and say I am yours Jesus. Take your offering and crucify me with you. Take my whole life. Kill me. All of me. I won’t settle for anything less than YOU in ME…all the time each day. I will die each day if you will come and live in my dry bones. Give me life through you Jesus! Use my empty vessel…my jar of clay. Take it and make it yours! I am fully yours and I’ve never felt so
alive!!
