Lots has happened since I last wrote and life these days has been completely changing my whole outlook on how we are called to live and walk WITH God.
After leaving Colombia my team was dubbed an unsung hero team, which meant that we would go into the next 4 countries with no pre-set lodging or transportation and be seeking out people who are building God’s kingdom in that area and who could become future ministry contacts for the World Race. We would be asking the Lord what part of his work he wanted us to encounter and then trust him to provide everything we needed — lodging, food, transportation, and ministry contacts. In the space we gave him, he has blessed us and provided in ways we could have never thought to ask for.
We’ve been through Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and are now in Macapá, Brazil! In every country he has given us lodging through people who became family, transportation that became great adventures, and encounters with people who became ministry contacts and recognized as Unsung Heroes. However, I’ve been realizing that through all the craziness of moving from one country to another without being 100% positive of many things, the one thing we’ve always been sure of is that God will always provide. No matter the place, the time, the situation, the number of beds you need, or the language barriers, he has something planned. He hasn’t over looked us. He sees us, our needs, our desires, our trust, and he’s there. He’s eternally present; we just need to allow our hearts and minds to be opened to him. He’s been our hero, the one who always comes through for us.
He’s been there for me my whole life, and yet, until now, I’ve not given him the credit he deserves. Most of us don’t give home the credit he deserves. Our comfort zones and religious traditions tend to put God in a box and our minds and hearts, although maybe not intentionally, set limits on how much God can intervene in our lives and what he can do. This month has been redefining the way I understand how God desires to live in deep relationship with us and is refining the areas in my life that he’s already been a major part of. His love and grandeur have prompted me to pray more audaciously, his faithfulness and sovereignty have allowed me to be patient in giving Him the space to move. He has so much more he desires to give us, for us to experience, and to reveal about himself and his love for us! And I’ll let you in on a secret…you don’t have to be on an 11 month excursion to 11 countries to begin living totally abandoned to God and to experience all the blessings he desires to lavish upon you. God is everywhere, which means that everywhere, if you seek him, he comes through.
The crazy ways he has been providing for me and my team have started to feel normal…and it’s only been a month!…but what never gets old is how he chooses to extravagantly provide for us. It’s humbling and empowering all at the same time – to give up everything you are and completely rely on God. He is always moving and working towards redeeming the world back to himself, and how cool is it that he allows us to be part of his work. He doesn’t need us. It’s almost paralyzing to realize that such an awesome God chooses to let you and I be a part of it all. In the last month of meeting the Unsung Heroes here in South America that are possible future ministry partners of World Race teams, I’ve been learning that God is the ultimate ministry partner. No matter where life takes me, I want to be partnering with God. I want him to be the hero whose praise I sing for all my days.
In short, there are 4 main things I have been learning this past month.
1. God is unimaginably greater than I give him credit for. Even a whole lifetime is not enough time for me to experience all of him, but it’s encouraging and exciting that I will never run out of things to discover about him as I strive to seek him daily .
2. When I humble myself, set aside worries/distractions/desires, and give God the space to move, he always comes through. It may not be how I expect him to, but he doesn’t overlook me, and he will always give me what’s best, even if that means something difficult.
3. As I continue to discover who God is, he continues to show me who I am as his daughter. As I learn more about who he’s made me to be, I experience more and more freedom in living life.
4. Family is one of the greatest gifts from God and one of the greatest opportunities for ministry. Everywhere you go, you’ll have family, blood or bond, and where there is community there is opportunity to share God’s love with each other.
For Christ and his kingdom, may we choose to step into all that God has for us.
Photos from Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana!!
So the lady in the wonderful colorful dress, that’s Jessica, our Guyana mother from London. Her joy is infectious and her love of life is uncontainable. God introduced us at a coffee shop, and then she introduced us to the interior of Guyana and 3 of the tribes that call that beautiful place home!
The beautiful and fun mmemory captured only minutes before we capsized and sank the canoe…
Swimming in the black water of the Amazon river!
David and Charles, members of the Wakapoa tribe and our personal history teachers and tour guides for the interior!
Suriname!
Got to have some fun in the pool of the place God provided us to stay at! About 20 minutes later we got caught in a storm that was part of hurricane Matthew…it was quite fun!
French Guiana!
The Clair family who welcomed us into there home for 4 days in Kourou! We got to learn a little French, pick some cotton and papayas, walk the kids to school, fly a kite and have a mud fight at the beach, and enjoy family dinners and great conversation! Miss you all!
(Clair family left to right: Camille, Jean, Magali, Marion, and Bruno, not pictured, Francois)
Magali also drove us to the mountain near the town where we enjoyed some hiking, worship at the top, and great views!
Went to Cayenne for a night where God provided a family to stay with, Gavin, Gail, and Gabriella! The 6 girls from my team all snuggled up in the little girls rmoon!
Say hello to our friend the sloth!
Travelled to Macapá and were provided with free lodging at the airport! Fun night!
Jumping into month 3! Location: Macapá, Brazil!
*Phtoo credits to the team – Kelsey, Lila, Esther, Jessica, Candace, and myself
