We are here in Mozambique this month and we are actually staying with our teammate’s cousins as a contact. Cool right? The name of our ministry site is called the Beacon of Hope. The Beacon of Hope brings in boys around the age of 14 and gives them a safe place to live where they can learn life skills that will help them to succeed and learn more about the bible. We have created curriculums for the boys to teach them basic education, some special classes, such as proper table manners, and bible studies. It’s so amazing to see how willing the boys are to learn and have a strong eager to listen to the lessons we have to give. You could say you see a lot of Hope in their eyes.
Hope and Love has been something that has been on my heart quite a few times this month. One morning I felt lead to give a devotion to the boys on Faith, Hope, and Love from 1 Corinthians 13. And then a few days later we were invited to a wedding and had the opportunity to share (I guess you would say a toast) with the bride and groom.
The day before the wedding I kept thinking about marriage. Aside from the fact everyone I know is getting married and engaged, I just got to say it is something so special and unique when looked at how incredibly close it resembles our relationship with God.
The Commitment.
The Trust.
The Passion.
The Reliance.
The Care.
The Love.
Some of the characteristics that come to mind when I think of God are protector, nurturer, comforter, listener, influencer, forgiver, lover, and friend. Are these not the same qualities we see in a marriage between both the man and the wife? It is as if when a couple is married, together they represent so much of the image of Christ. Men have inherited the dominant trait to be the protector and the wife the comforter and nurturer. With true love, together they find life and happiness with one another as they are able to see more and more of the Christ-like characteristics in their relationship. Some of the discussions that have come up this month have been about the equality between men and women. I have to say we are entirely equal to one another. Neither one can make it without the other. It’s the amazing partnership that’s behind it that Lord has carefully placed there for us. Men need to be encouraged and nurtured at times and women need to be protected, comforted, and loved.
With that being said, on to more manly matters.
So we are heading to Cape Town here in a couple of days and as the World Race is coming to a close this last coming month, I have to say it has been blast. The things we have all learned and done on the race cannot be taught. They cannot be described. They can never be replicated. God has placed divine appointments in every country and sometimes there have been more noticeable ones than others, but they have all left a message. Relationships were built and lives have continued to change. For this I have to give all the credit to God and the blessings that he poured out throughout this race.
