Ha! My life is unreal! I cannot get over how insane my life is. Most people my age have only experienced half of the things I have. And today marks another incredible day in the life of Leah Ruth Finlay. We drove the usual hour and an half to a little cluster of villages in the middle of the bush. The last 45 minutes of the ride is on a small bumpy dirt road that leads to the cutest little nuggets and sweetest people. As we pulled in the celebrations were already in motion. All the locals were dancing and shouting. Loud music took over and dirt was flying in the air. The bride and groom had arrived. The cars were speeding around the empty dirt lot and the women came running with shouts of joy and blessings for the new husband and wife.
The ceremony lasted four hours. Dancing was all that took place. Dancing down the aisle. Dancing to bring the knife that would cut the cake. Dancing with the cake. Dancing as you brought forth your gifts. (Which one lady brought a dead chicken. Feathers and all!) Dancers were even hired! I thought the dancers were the bridesmaids and groomsmen, but I was totally off. Once the wedding ceremony was finally over my housemates and I took over the dance floor with all our little nugget friends. Soon the hired dancers came over and taught us a few Zambian steps. Each moment is a memory that I will cherish. Each little smile from my sweet girl, Diana, to speaking in sign language to two deaf brothers.
One of my major prayer request for this trip was that The Lord would loosen my tongue for languages. I will admit I felt rather frustrated because I never saw God move in the way I thought He would. And that’s the thing I had a certain vision for what I wanted Him to do and got upset when that didn’t happen. Though I thought He wasn’t coming through for me, He was! On this trip I have ran into at least one deaf person in every country I have gone to! So yes, I have not had a moment where all astounded I started speaking fluently in a language I have never really studied, but God did answer my desire to communicate with others despite the language barriers. I studied sign language forever ago and yet every time I meet a deaf person I remember everything! It wasn’t until today that I realized that I have been speaking in different languages! Spanish sign language, Zambian sign and the one did study American Sign Language! Like what?! God may have not loosened my tongue, but He loosened my hands to communicate to a world that easily gets forgotten (to see the unseen and love the unloved).
Everyday that passes is another incredible adventure in the life of Leah Ruth Finlay. I am only 20 years old and I have a whole life ahead of me to fill with moments of pure craziness, laughter, and joy. And let me just tell you I cannot wait to live in those moments. At the end of my life I want to look back and be able to say with full confidence that I lived a full life. A life free of regrets. A life worthy of Christ.
Prayer requests:
That the witch doctors in the village we work in will come to know The Lord and that the people in Makumba village will be a testimony to all the villages in their region
My squad will be returning home in a little over a month and we have a lot to do before returning home. Pray for wisdom and peace as we start to prepare for the next season in our lives
Please pray for direction on what is the next step in my life. I have many wonderful opportunities to take and yet have no idea which one to choose! (Got to love having the sky as your limit, eh? Just sooo many options!!! Yay!)
