As of right now, I am on a bus from Côte d’Ivoire to Ghana. Our ministry in Côte d’Ivoire has come to an end and seriously, this month has been a whirlwind of emotions.
However, this month has also been a season of growth for me in so many areas. AIM staff tells us that the world race is a “pressure boiler” so to speak. In other words, when we are living in constant community and pursuing Jesus, inevitably areas in our life that we need to work on start to pop up.
When we arrived at “Mission Ephrata,” I was feeling excited, eager, and the anticipation was building up. Classic month 1 world racer, I’m sure. But that “everything is new” feeling eventually wears off. Eventually life starts to feel somewhat normal. Complacency starts setting in and that spiritual high I once felt goes away. I started having to say “yes” again to ministry, my team, and “yes” to God.
Saying yes, means being open to what God has to teach me. For example, during our team time one night, we decided that if any of us ever say something negative about ourselves, we must say 3 positive things. My team caught me on it one night when I said I wasn’t creative. So they said to say three character traits about myself that are positive. Immediately, I was caught in fear. I didn’t know what to say and was brought to tears by the realization that I didn’t see myself the way God sees me.
A day later, I decided to start reading a book called “Slavery to Sonship” by Jack and Trisha Frost. God totally planned that. He started teaching me that in order for me to best love others the way he loves them, I need to learn to love myself the way He loves me.
A little background on me, I am an internal processor. So, I would rather mentally process any feelings I have alone and with God than to bring others into my heart, because in my mind, I don’t want or need to burden others with what I’m dealing with. Instead it is easier to suppress my feelings to focus on what I’m passionate about, which is serving and being there for others. I’m much more a comforter than a comfortee.
Now, I realize that in a community such as the world race, my way of dealing with my feelings is certainly not ideal or really even possible. But, God calls us to community living, meaning I need to open up to my team and let them love and comfort me sometimes, recognizing the fact that I am not perfect and sometimes need help to grow further in my relationship with the Lord.
In “Slavery to Sonship,” Jack Frost talks about how God calls us to Sonship and Daughtership of the King. And He calls us to leave our orphan hearts behind. God has been teaching me recently that I still have that orphan mindset that puts a divider between myself, others, and Him.
When God calls us to the Great Commission, He is also calling us to the Great Commandment. How can I go out and make disciples if I’m not able to fully love others the way God does because I can’t love myself the way he loves me? How can I tell others that they are sons and daughters of the King if I haven’t entered into daughtership myself?
Romans 8:14-17 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are SONS of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the spirit of ADOPTION AS SONS, by whose we cry, “Abba! Father!” His spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are CHILDREN of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Calling us into Sonship and Daughtership is God’s calling for us to be loved and share His love with others, which is something I am still learning. But luckily, I have an amazing team of 6 other women who are helping to keep me accountable to open up to God’s love so I can best glorify Him in loving others.
This is only ONE of the lessons God has been teaching me this month. I can’t even begin to describe everything the Lord has done in my heart in 1 month. But if this first month is any indication of what the next 10 months hold, God is going to do HUGE things, both in my life and the lives of others!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Our new ministry this month is called City of Refuge Ministries (CORM), and they work with children and women specifically who are susceptible to child labor and/sex trafficking. So prayers for their ministry and those that they are helping.
2. We had a lot of people get sick this past month. Nothing Cipro couldn’t fix, but still enough that it impacts our ability to work effectively towards building His kingdom. Seriously though, Cipro is magical.
3. Prayers for the other 6 teams who we won’t see this month. They will be working in other cities with different ministries! So prayers for their safety and that God will abundantly work in them and through them!
4. Prayers for Ghana. That the people we come in contact with will be open to hearing the gospel.
With Love,
Hannah
