The little things make me happy. The Lord finds the smallest ways to give me joy and endurance in this race. Just to name a few:
·Heating up cinnimon rolls and stacking them into a cake with a candle for Ashli's birthday. She felt special and the balloons in her tent and trip to town in the rain made it all the more special.
·Painting my toes under the warm sun.
·Holding babies in the maternity ward and trying to name the ones that are yet to be named, while the moms laugh at us because some of them can’t understand English. (I tried to name this little boy Matthew, after a special someone, but the mom couldn’t understand me haha)
·Listening to the children at the school say the Lord’s prayer in unison.
·Worshiping with my team early in the morning and praying over each other for our flesh to die and a new measure of the Spirit to be poured out.
·Walking to the market with Ashli and a little girl named Precious for a cold coke on a hot day.
·Being blown away by the vast amount of stars I can see out here in the Village.
·Eating fish with our friend from South Africa. Able caught fish for us from Mozambique and seasoned them and brought them to Swaziland for a feast. We ate so well and it was so good to be in the presence of someone we already knew from a previous month who loves us.
·Singing songs from the 90’s in the back of a truck while Hitch-hiking our way from Piggs Peak.
·Releasing spiritual gifts and speaking life and truth into each other.
·Gardening with the girls and learning about the different plants.
·Meeting some American girls from the Peace Corps and hanging out with them.
·Dreaming during the night and waking up encouraged because God revealed things to me in my sleep and let me see people back home.
·Gardening with Primrose, Angela, and Sara reminded me of when I was young and used to garden with Grandma Dillman. (Uncle Steve and Aunt Heather, you would be proud that I can name the different vegetables now ;))
·Doing zumba with the girls after eating carbs all day. If we don’t zumba we do some other workout circuit. I am learning I feel most fulfilled when I am working out body, mind, and spirit. I see God working in me to instill this in other women too—that we need to be fit in all three of those areas.
·Cooking tortilla soup for dinner from memory and it being a success! My southern bell Ash is making me into a chef, maybe not a chef, but I am definitely learning to cook which is a plus.
Each day the Lord gives me something to give Him thanks for. Around 5pm there is a gorgeous sunset. My gaze is stolen as the clouds and the sun paint me a beautiful scene, it never gets old. Even with the disgusting bugs, the pee-whole, and the scorching heat, there is beauty everywhere I look out here. The mountains, the kids’ smiles, the sun, the emails from home, the smiling eyes of the people, the laughs shared with the girls, and the precious babies fill my heart.
