Ever since I can remember health has been a daily battle; I wake up hoping it won’t be filled with feeling ill. I thank the Lord for having so many recent days of strength and energy, though it often makes the times of weakness even harder. Anyone that knows me, knows I do not rest well. The hustle and bustle of regular life back at home has become such a regular routine that the ability of being still in the presence of God has become a distant memory. Lord knows I have no problem with talking, but listening on the other hand is another matter. Taking the time this week to sit and listen was, how shall is say… very much needed. In my recent hours of self-reflection, I am starting to wonder about the times the Lord was trying to communicate to me, but I just didn’t have the patience to hear or the ears to listen. It is safe to say that in the last couple days I have had my fair share of weakness… Whether I liked it or not it was time to rest. As my teammates went to the care point I was stuck lying in bed wallowing in my own self-pity. But then, in the midst of suffering with yet another migraine, I felt so much peace and comfort in being in the Lords company. I spent the remainder of the day in prayer, talking to God about anything and everything. It was the most enjoyable migraine I ever had! Sometimes a daughter just needs to be still in the presence of her Father. “His grace is sufficient, for His strength is made perfect in my weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Each morning I start out my day asking the Lord to speak and reveal to me His heart. Though most mornings do not consist of vividly hearing His voice deep within my heart, I do feel His Spirit in the beauty of the African sunrise, in the crisp morning breeze, and in the sense of my feet combing through the dirt. In the silence I hear Him loud and clear.
After my days of recovery, I ventured out with my team to tackle our 4 mile walk to the care-point. Pushing through the tail end of a migraine, our daily leisurely stroll turned more into a never ending marathon. We finally reached our destination and at that point I looked like I just finished a killer workout. To my sudden recollection, the focus of the day was centered around home visits … Another 2 miles later we get to our first family. It is safe to say that outwardly I was doing great, but inwardly I was dreaming of lounging on my couch back at home sipping an iced tea while binge watching Netflix. All of a sudden, every discontent thought I was feeling vanished when we were spotted by the most precious little babies. They ran/toddled their way over to us. Immediately, I wrapped them up in my arms loving them as if they were my own. We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing, talking, and praying over this precious family. As I was in mid conversation with one of the women in the homestead, I heard a faint whisper say to my heart, “She is not alone.” Without any hesitation I knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking in behalf of this woman. I took her aside and told her that she is not abandoned and that she is seen. Instantantly, she began to weep. I sat with her as she described her story. I prayed over her past and current fears; that she would see her value and purpose through the eyes of her heavenly Father. Sometimes listening can prove to be so much more powerful than any words spoken.
I absolutely love witnessing and being a part of the Lord moving in people’s lives. Once my team and I were in eyesight of the kids this past Thursday, we were immediately swarmed by friendly, now-familiar faces. The rest of our a.m. was spent dancing and being crazy with the little ones. Each morning we are asked to come prepared to lead in a new bible story. Being the loud and animated person I am, the task of keeping the kids engaged was not a problem. I began to narrate the story of Zacchaeus. At the end, I asked the class, “If Jesus wanted a relationship with Zacchaeus what makes you think He doesn’t want one with you?” And then proceeded to ask if there was anyone who wanted to have a personal relationship with the Jesus. Within seconds, 17 little hands sprout up. I prayed with them right then and there. Seeing the children’s pure joy and innocence knowing that Jesus is forevermore their friend will always be a beautiful memory that is etched in my heart for years to come.
I cherish every moment experienced in these past 3 weeks – mice, roaches, ants, snakes, blisters and all. I would not change my little season of adventure for the world.
Prayer requests
Week 3
- Health: After my week of feeling great I have recently been bombarded with migraines.
- Energy: Every day we go so hard with little rest. When you become a human jungle gym to dozens of little children, it’s easy to be discouraged because of being physically drained. I can say truthfully that I have been in that boat on more occasions than one.
- Provision: There have been multiple days where our teams would not be able to go to the care-points because there was a lack of firewood to cook meals for the children.
Thank you all so much for your continuous outpouring of support. Updates and new blog posts will hopefully be uploaded every week. We are in rural Africa so WIFI is not the simplest of tasks… I will be posting vlogs as well as photos and other video’s so stay tuned! Your patience is highly appreciated.
Father,
Your will be done, nothing more, nothing less.
