We’ve been to seven countries and worked with seven ministry contacts, Romania feels like 5 years ago, when in reality it was just a short 6.5 months. Here are some big and little things that the Lord has been doing recently.
A big thing: In Tanzania, I really started hearing the Lord’s voice speaking to me, I know the Lord has always spoken to me, but in Tanzania it felt much more intimate and specific. We were doing listening prayer, and the Lord immediately told me who I was praying for- I doubted it, but it turned out to be right-go figure. My grandpa was having surgery, and while my team was praying for him- the Lord told me to fast. Fasting is not something I do regularly and it’s not something I do for fun, it actually makes me physically ill- but the Lord spoke (which I was so grateful for) and I obeyed. He was speaking to me like a father speaks to his daughter, and I was somewhat arguing with him, like a daughter does with her father. Either way, this was a new thing for me, and it was super exciting for me to actually believe that God was speaking to ME, directly, spending time with me, having a conversation with me, and enjoying me.
That’s one of my favorite things to say to others and to repeat to myself, we always hear about how God loves us, but to know that He enjoys us, it’s sweet.
ar what the Lord was telling me to do, and it was not annoying or burdensome as it has been for me in the past, it was fun. Our ministry was pretty basic, Christmas parties, skits, preaching, English class-but the Lord really just spoke to me and my teammates about doing little things for the people around. Whether it was blessing someone on the street that was needy and hungry, or buying a toy for a special needs girl who the Lord broke your heart over everyday seeing her at her parent’s restaurant, to giving a word to a random stranger, to doing the dishes, to feeding all the stray dogs (Andrea has a huge heart for animals and really enjoyed her stray dog ministry, it was really awesome to see her compassion!)
The Lord led us to specific people, some open to hearing about Jesus and some who were well…repulsed. I asked a random dude if I could pray for him and he was like, ewww no why? Why would you ask that? Then he got as far away from us as possible. Then, I was chatting with a man at Starbucks (I was using the chair at his table to shove something in my purse) and telling him why I’m in Pattaya and he told me Jesus can’t exist in a city like this, he said he had been living here too long and couldn’t see any good, it was not a planned conversation but I was just trying to speak about the good things, he really wanted me to just leave and then I tried to shake his hand and he wouldn’t even touch my hand, he just kept saying-no you’re religious! That was a first, someone that would not even shake my hand in fear of contracting my religiousness.
Anyway!
Blessing the people around you is a great way of spreading the love of Christ. Fun fact: As a child doing the dishes was the chore that I despised the most-I hated doing the dishes, I would do all the other chores, if someone would do the dishes! On the race, I’ve really found that doing the dishes can be a huge blessing to someone-in Romania, we would help with the dishes and it would show that we are not looking to be served, we’re looking to serve, in Ukraine, I did more dishes than in my entire life combined-I’m talking like over four hours in a day-that was a large part of our ministry, behind the scenes help. Ireland-we traded off doing all the dishes for each other.
Kenya-dishes was a great way to build relationships with the women cooking for us, to show them appreciation and love. Uganda we did not have dishes because we were constantly running out of soap and did not wash our bowls the entire month. Tanzania was the same as Kenya- and in Thailand, during a Christmas party- one of the ladies who was supposed to be enjoying the party was off working the entire time, the Lord caught my attention for her and I started helping, she refused at first but eventually she accepted and was able to enjoy her FIRST Christmas party, the whole team jumped in to help and it was an amazing way to show love.
Who knew something so small could lead to such big things. My challenge for you is to surprise your friend, wife, husband, mom, dad, brother, sister, a stranger if it feels right, whoever-to do the dishes for them and do it humbly and graciously-wanting to bless a person that you love and expecting nothing in return. Ask the Lord to show you ways to bless people, and they will see His face through yours.
Weird blog but amazing stuff!
1 John 4:16: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
<3
