We made it to Mozambique. And I am writing you now from Chokwe [Shock-we], Mozambique. It was quite a few long travel days. But everything went smoothly. [Praising Jesus for that big time!] And now we are here for the next couple of weeks.
This month, my team is partnering with Hlauluka [Shla-luke-a] Ministries. The ministry is a school for preschool through fourth grade. It was started by this incredible South African woman, Sybil, who happens to be our host. Not only did she start the school, but continues to have this incredible vision for the future of the fast growing school. She also runs clubs and Bible studies throughout the week, with there always having a constant flow of children at her home.
My team is spoiled. We keep on telling ourselves that we are ruined for the rest of the race. We are staying in Sybil’s house. With running water and showers. And electricity. And our food cooked for us. And even our clothes washed for us. Definitely not what we were expecting going into the race, especially after hearing what some of our other squadmates were walking into the first month. So we definitely feel so fortunate and are enjoying where we are at, especially amidst the high heat every day [probably in the 100’s every day so far].
I have been enjoying the running water, especially the fact that we can drink the tap water because it is clean. [promise, Mom, no one has gotten sick so far after drinking gallons of it]. But it really got me thinking, especially as I was reading in 1 John this morning. 1 John 3:3 says,
“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
The word ‘purifies’ struck me big time, especially as I was enjoying my water bottle full of clean drinking water. Jesus is pure already. But I need to purify myself to be like him. Purifying is a process to make dirty water clean. It goes through different phases. It gets filtered. Sometimes things are added to it to aid in the process. And it got me thinking about my walk with the Lord. Sometimes things are added, like relationships with others, or studying the Bible or spending time with the Lord, that aid me in the purifying process. But that can’t be it.
Water goes through a filter. The finer the filter, the more that gets taken out that doesn’t belong. As I sit here writing this blog, I think about where I’m physically at right now. And how I’m living. It’s pretty simple. I don’t even have any internet right now as I’m collecting my thoughts. And you know what? It’s pretty nice. It’s nice to not have access to everything in the world. To just enjoy the people and conversations around me. One of the guys who did some teaching at Launch said, “You will never have this much time ever in your life.” And I get that. There isn’t a whole lot that is biding for my time. So I’m able to dig deep into the Word each day and sit with the Lord. To think about what I’m learning. To allow the Lord to shape my thoughts and my view of the world instead of the world shaping my thoughts and view of the Lord. And that’s what I want this year to continue to be about. I want the Lord to be the one to refine my filter. Not the world. I want the Lord to take things out that don’t belong. And let things through that He wants to be there. And take the time to allow him to develop it and continue to refine it.
As water flows through the filter and cleansing process it will never be completely pure. But purified. Close, but not quite perfect. So even though I will go through a process of becoming more like him, I will never make it to perfection. But that’s okay. Because Christ is perfect. And I don’t need to be since He is my perfection. All I need is to abide in Him. And know and come to understand all that is perfect and pure. Striving through the purification process.
