I am truly blown away time and time again at the favor of the Lord. God continues to show us such favor around the world and provides for all of our needs plus a lot more each and every month. Most days on the world race I am speechless at the ways God shows up and provides just the things we need and then beyond that to bless us with things that we don’t need but just makes us smile.
One of the things that I have learned on the world race, which I think I have mentioned to you before, is how to live my life with both hands open. “Freely you have received so freely give”…People think that because we travel around the world we have nothing to give as far as tangible things…and yes what we primarily give are the intangible things such as love, compassion, listening, caring for etc…and to be honest I too didn’t expect to come on the world race and give much either thinking, “I only have one backpack of things I am going to need to hold onto those things!”
But 7 months in to the world race I have learned that is so far from the truth. Freely I have learned to give, and very freely the Lord always provides what I need. Because out here on the world race we do not have a lot of money to spend and we never use any of the money we have raised for any type of fun activity, we often have nothing planned in this area. It has been truly amazing just to see the ways God chooses to bless us through His people when we never asked nor were planning on anything.
An example of this way Tuesday when the pastor of the church we had been going to asked if he could steal us away for the day and bless us. We said sure sounds great! He planned the day out with his wife and it was full of surprises! He drove us 2 hours away to CAPE POINT, which is the most southern point of Africa, and right on a beautiful cliff…we got to walk the beach and rocks of Cape Point too! Then on our way out of Cape Point we saw a herd/group/clan (not sure which word you use for baboons!) of baboons!! That was honestly one of the coolest parts of the day for me although it was the free part! (Mom and Dad that reminded me of when I was little and my favorite part of the expensive amusement park was the free train ride from the parking spot!)
The pastor took us to a wonderful lunch right on the water where we ate fish and chips! Then we headed out for another surprise to SEAL ISLAND!! This was my absolute FAVORITE PART of the day and so exciting and cool! There were about 3,000 seals on these rocks out in the middle of the ocean! And we got there by taking a glass bottom big boat! I was the happiest girl in Cape Town riding on a boat in the middle of the bluest water ever watching the waves and feeling the sun warm me to my core as we looked at the beautiful big mountains. Then when we got back there was a BIG seal sitting up on the dock…which then boys being boys wanted to try to touch it…that was hilarious and you would have thought it was part of a show, the seals funny faces and the way he watched the boys saying, “Really do you think I am stupid and don’t see you, yeah you come a little closer and you watch what happens, come on, come on try me J”
It was one of the most fun days and we were SO BLESSED! We have spoken in front of this church twice before and have grown really close with a lot of the members. We will REALLY miss Amazing Grace Church and hope to one day come back to visit them!
God creates days like Tuesday every month on the race. People around the world without most times even knowing we are trying to conserve money ask if they can bless us by taking us somewhere. There really aren’t words and when we get to do things like hike a mountain, go to the beach, be on a boat, wakeboard and water ski in the middle of Africa, go out for dinner or coffee and just get poured into by older missionaries, I am amazed at how God provides not only for our needs but also these opportunities to be poured into and encouraged by the older generation and also have fun!
Being on the world race has COMPLETELY changed how I want to treat not only people but missionaries that leave their homes and friends and family. Because of the people, the mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers, that I have had on the world race in every country I forever want to be that person to other young people far from home.
Because above ALL ELSE the MOST amazing things God has blessed us in FULL with are the people we meet. Mothers and Fathers around the world have been one of the sweetest most touching things the Lord has provided for me. It brings tears to my eyes all the time each month as God sends married couples into our lives that truly stand in as parents that month. This month we even call the couple we live with Ma and Pa, along with all the children in the neighborhood. Ma cooks dinner for us, she helps us ring out our wet clothes to hang on the line, she listens to our stories and our testimonies, she spent hours fixing my dress that had ripped and needed mending…Pa hugs me as a father would, he calls me Pa’s baby because he says I am so small, and he calls Kameron baby too because Kam sleeps the most J Pa pours love and encouragement into each of us, teaches us new things, and protects us as a real father would…like the time we wanted to go running and he said it was ok but then ½ through the run I realized he was following us in his car to make sure we were safe! These are the kind of parents I am blessed with this month. The love I feel from the families I live with on the world race is indescribable. The only time I wonder what I was thinking signing up for the world race is at the end of the month when I am leaving the children, leaving the people we have met, and the families or contacts we live with…its then I cry and I remember how much I hate good byes!!
I wanted to update you on Ronique, the 12 year old who accepted Christ last Friday I told you about in my last blog. So I asked her Wednesday how it had been since Friday and if anything had changed. Now remember this is a girl who never prayed before last week. She smiled big and said yes everything is different now…”I love to pray, I pray all throughout the day, and do you know Emily I felt Jesus Friday night and you know what He said to me? He said I love you very much Ronique and I am so glad that you have chosen to live your life with me and for me, I am proud of you!” Ronique said her mom started jumping and running around the house SO EXCITED that Ronique had accepted Christ! The Lord put a LOT on my heart to pray and speak over Ronique about her life and one of the things I told her Wednesday is about a vision I got that day about her…I told her I saw her older and in the church, in her neighborhood, in her school, and in life, being a leader, leading many children to Jesus and teaching them about God. That she would be a woman set apart, different from the rest of the world, she would be one that would rise up and take action in the things that matter. We hugged after this and said goodbye until the next day because it was dinnertime. But before she left she looked up at me serious as could be and said, “Your vision, what you saw, it will be done, it will happen, I believe it.” I cant fully explain Ronique and the anointing she has on her life in who God has called her to be but I tell you if you could only stand in the presence of this child you too would feel it.
Lastly, I wanted to update you all on my squad and where we are financially. Everyone on my squad will be staying on the world race and is funded except two girls are struggling right now with money. If you could please please pray for the two of them, they need all money in or accounted for by noon tomorrow, Jan 21st. Their names are Lauren Newborn and Alicia Hodges. Their blogs are aliciahodges.theworldrace.org and laurennewborn.theworldrace.org! Alicia needs $1200 more and Lauren $600! Please join with me in prayer for my LAST TWO squadmates that need funding! We have 24 hours left so please pray along with me!! Thank you so very much!! Love you all!
