Seriously, where has time gone!?
It’s now 2016 and we are currently in Nepal for debrief, with four months of the race behind us.
Some of you may have been wondering and asking why I haven’t been blogging. Please forgive me for my lack of writing and keeping you all posted (it’s something I’m trying to work on!) 
As we’ve completed month four of the race, I’ve been able to reflect back on the last three months and the things the Lord had me walk through. In that time, I’ve also realized that I may be one of the very few people that takes longer than usual to see all that God’s showing and walking me through as I go through it. I’m okay with that – it allows time for me to fully grasp it all! 
So, thank you to all my supporters and followers for being so patient with me and allowing me to process through all this without any pressure. I plan on letting you all in on the past three months by writing a blog for each month. Without further ado, here’s a short recap of our ministry in Rwanda and the awesome goodness God showed me during that month.
Throughout the month, we served alongside Kanombe Faith Center. Our ministry included door to door evangelism in the mornings throughout the village of Kanombe, teaching English classes in the afternoons to children in the village, and giving sermons and testimonies in Sunday morning services. We even had the opportunity to share a word of encouragement and testimonies on a local radio station. Although parts of this ministry were hard for me, there still were moments where the Lord showed more of Himself to me than ever before.
Looking back at my month in Rwanda, my mind fills up with many thoughts about all the things that I learned, even things that I didn’t realize would break my heart. I could tell you all about how we met and prayed for many families that were affected by the Genocide that happened over 20 years ago and how the Lord showed up during those divine moments. I could also talk about our host family that we were so blessed to stay with and how much we learned from them about family. Or even about a lesson I learned about selfless giving through Jackson and Jolie (7- and 8-year old siblings that I met through our English class, who lost their father 3 years ago and crushed my heart when they surprised me with a gift before leaving Rwanda). With the many things I learned this month, I want to just focus on the one thing the Lord showed me and I will forever take with me.
If there was anyone in Rwanda that I could say I took something from, it would be our host, Bishop Peter. Our team was so blessed by him. Not only did he welcome us with open arms but was also so hospitable. He quickly made us feel like his own daughters in a few ways, like letting us call him “Papa”. He also would pray for us whenever any one of us got sick and even bought a pair of flip flops for one of my teammates when hers magically went missing. He took on such a fatherly role to us in ways that I’ve personally never experienced before. It was in the simple things that most people with a father have experienced that I genuinely cherished everyday I received them.
The hugs.
The “I love you“‘s.
Even just the physical presence of a father.
It was in those sweet moments in Rwanda, through our host, that the Lord showed me His deep and unconditional love for me as my Father! Yes, I may have grown up without the acceptance, affection and approval that I clearly was seeking from my biological father for so long but never found. And yes, I can say that that has had an affect on my past, my relationships and the way I’ve handled them. But truth be told, that is not where my identity is found! Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3 NLT). The moment I finally surrendered my false self and allowed Christ to be my saviour and reason for living, it was then that I gained a rebirth into His Kingdom as His daughter! I no longer hold onto my past as a crutch, nor do I live through my past identities because that’s just what they are – history! My identity is found in Him and only Him. I thank God everyday that through His mercy I can call Him “Abba, Father” and come to Him as His daughter for His acceptance, His unconditional love, and the only approval I need.
As I continue on this intimate journey with my Heavenly Father, my prayer is that as the Holy Spirit guides me and transforms me into the woman of God He’s called to be that I can also be a woman who will show evidence of His patience, gentleness, kindness and love in all that I do.
