Mozambique! What a
month it has been. All of this month we had the joy of working with Iris
Ministries in Lichinga, Mozambique. After a five-day journey and no sleep
from Vera to Lichinga, we finally made it to our ministry site. I have to say
that these travel days may have been the hardest days of the year. My teammate
is putting together a video of our travel days that I will post sometime this
month. When we finally reached our ministry we met with our amazing contacts
Tiffany and her husband Tyren and they told us that they felt that this month
would be a month of rest for us. I have to be honest with you all that those
words were very nice to hear especially after our travel days. We are in our
sixth month and the whole squad feels a little worn down. The Lord is our
strength, but please continue to pray for us in that area.
Heres a little taste of what our travel days looked like. Two of the five days of travel we spent on the back of this truck which was actually nice for us because we had our own truck, but the road was all dirt so it was a very bumpy and dusty ride for two days.
Mozambique was
definitely one of my favorite months. Our team became so close with each other
as well as unity in the Lord that we have not experienced yet. We did many
different types of ministries this month and we saw some incredible things.
Ministry ranged from going to the local prison and sharing the Gospel, doing
construction work on a new church, going to the local Hospital and praying over
the sick, to one of my favorites which was going to the villages and showing
the Jesus film to hundreds of villagers. It was an exciting time because we got
to experience several healings and see many people accept Christ for the first
time.
Village outreach with the Jesus film
Our fearless leader and dear friend Don setting up the projection. Please keep him in your prayers as he has been led to the DRC to reach the unreached.
Once it was dark out we started the film and counted around 800 villagers
I got the chance to preach the gospel during the movie with our amazing translator Victo! Miss you bro!
The Lord taught me
a very important lesson this month about His Kingdom. The lesson was one word
REST. Its very hard being on the mission field and hearing the words
“just rest,” but what a revelation of what God wants for His
children. Every month we are usually packed with ministry whether it is
physical labor, evangelism, teaching or preaching. The Lord taught me
though that you could work yourself to death doing any or all of these things
if it is done within your own strength. I look back at my life with the Lord
and how many times have tried to do things in my own strength, even ministry.
Even on this year long mission I have found myself trying to make something
happen or do something “for the Lord” only finding that it was mostly
done in vain. The reason I say that is because I was doing it for myself.
I often feel pressure that I am on the mission field and I have to be
doing something with ministry or serving every minute. In a way I was
performing to meet my own need to be fulfilled. All the while the Holy
Spirit was whispering in my ear “just rest in Me.” How quickly
as believers do we resist listening to that still small voice? We search for
answers in books, in sermons, or in songs when all the peace and fulfillment is
found in that gentle whisper.
“You
are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit, since
you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your
God is giving you. But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land
the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest
from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.”
Deuteronomy 12:8-10
What I have learned
about this verse is that the Israelites had to possess the land in order to
enter into their rest. The Lord showed me that the land is me, the area of my
soul. My soul is my mind, will and emotions. I have to win the battle on the
inside in order to come into rest, so that the fighting stops. The rest that God
has for believers is our inheritance, and it is not when we get to Heaven, but
it is right now on this earth. My
mind likes to worry though and be filled with anxiety and this does not lead to
rest, but conflict with my soul and spirit. The Lord has taught me to rest in
Him and take captive all the thoughts that bring conflict, worry, anxiety, and
make them obedient to Christ. If there is one thing I have learned this year is
that God takes care of His children when they trust and rest in the plans that He has.
One of the churches we were able to work at with one of our contacts Tyren.
We worked with many children this month. This village was called Assumane and we had a day of activities and games for the kids called “Assumane fun day.”
I have to say that we saw
the most fruit this month than we have most of the year. The funny thing was I
was at such rest this month even while doing ministry or busy work. That is the
key to the Christian life though; rest, and I say that being such a failure at
it. What if we lived our
day-to-day lives in God’s rest?
What if we worked, went to school, took care of a family, or did
ministry being completely at rest in Jesus? I am not talking about being lazy or having no activity. We can be extremely busy, but be at complete rest in Jesus. As believers do we really trust God with our lives? These were questions that I wrestled with. If I really believed that God would bring to past all He has for me why do I worry? It is such a better way of life just resting in God and that He has the best plans and purpose for my life, for all of our lives. I have to say I got a taste of that
in Mozambique and it is such a sweeter reality on this earth. Not living out of fear or unbelief, but rest. Rest in our souls. Rest in our mind, will and emotions.. Rest…
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
