I miss my family and friends.
I miss really hot facet showers.
I won’t be home for Christmas.
I didn’t get to have Thanksgiving dinner with my family.
I hate not having a washing machine and dryer.
I can’t run to Dunkin Donuts any time I want.
I miss Netflix.
I hate not having wi-fi at bedtime when I’m trying to look at new instagram posts.
The list could go on and on…
I would love to be with my family for Christmas. I would love to be able to run down to Dunkin Donuts and grab a Bavarian Crème doughnut (my favorite) with my friends. I would love to watch full seasons of shows on Netflix in my p.js by my fireplace, but for the time being, I just can’t do that. I started to get a bit homesick for the comforts of life before the race, and then G_d brought this boy Simone into my life.
Once a week, we drive close to an hour outside of the city to a farm to do a B_ble study. A man that we are working with built a B_ble school on the property where boys from age 18 to 21 can do small work around the farm in return to have English lessons, housing and food, and B_ble classes.
This week when my team and I were teaching class, one young man stood up and gave his testimony and how he got to the school. He said that he attended ch_rch and gave his heart to the L_rd, but his father hated it! Every time the boy would try to go to ch_rch, his dad would punish him. One time, the dad even found his B_ble and burned it. His mother passed away years ago, and his father is an alcoholic. Once when he was in one of his rages, he kicked the boy out of his house. Simone went to all his other family looking for somewhere to stay, but because he was practicing a “foreigner’s rel_gion” no one would let him stay.
Simone continued to help in the ch_rch and minister to those around him. The B_ble school that we work at called his ch_rch asking if anyone in their program would like to join the program. They immediately told them about Simone and his love for the L_rd! Simone hesitated at first because he didn’t have the money to buy the ticket, but by faith the ticket was given to him.
As Simone is telling me this story, my eyes just continue to fill up with tears. His strength and love for the L_rd is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Here I am worried about not having wi-fi when I’m lying in bed at night, and this boy is fighting for his life. It began to put quite a bit of things into perspective.
I sat and tried to put myself into this boy’s shoes. His desperation and longing for J_sus was incredible. How would I have handled a family like this? Many times I take for granted how easy my freedom is. I forget how I could walk in the streets shouting at the top of my lungs how much I love J_sus Chr_st and nothing would happen! In many other countries it is a completely different story.
I ask that anyone reading this would please pr_y for La_s! The faithfulness I have witnessed in this country is absolutely beautiful! I would love to see this become an open country in 2015!! So as the new year is ringing in please keep this amazing country and its people in your prayers. This place definitely has a huge place in my heart!
