3 Months

Tonight I'm keeping it real. The missionary life is not all it's cracked up to be. I read a CT article this week that really encouraged me called, "Farewell to the Missionary Hero." Take a look if you wish. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/september/farewell-to-missionary-hero.html?start=1

As I was reading my Bible Study book today, I turned to page 113 and I was riveted. I read it. I re-read it. And I realized I was reading my life at the moment. I could have written it myself, although Lysa is so much more gifted in that area than I. Here is what she wrote.

"I had been going through some stinkin', rotten, horrible, no good days and was at the absolute end of  knowing what to pray. I'd slipped into a habit of praying circumstance-oriented prayers where I'd list out every problem and ask God to please fix them. I even made suggestions for solutions in case my input could be useful. But nothing changed. In a huff one day, I sat down to pray and had absolutely no words. None. I sat there staring blankly. I had no suggestions. I had no solutions. I had nothing but quiet tears. Eventually, God broke through my worn-out heart.   

A thought rushed through my mind and caught me off-guard. I know you want Me to change your circumstances [Jess]. But, right now I want to focus on changing you. Even perfect circumstance won't satisfy you like letting Me change the way you think. I didn't necessarily like what I heard during this first time of sitting silently with the Lord, but at least I felt like I was connecting with God. I hadn't felt that in a long time. And so, to keep the connection, I started making it a habit to sit quietly before the Lord. Sometimes I cried. Sometimes I sat with a bad attitude. Sometimes I sat with a heart so heavy I wasn't sure I'd be able to carry on much longer. But as I sat, I pictured God sitting there with me. He was there already and I eventually sensed that. I experienced what the apostle Paul wrote, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26) 

As I sat in silence, the Spirit interceded with perfect prayers on my behalf. I didn't have to figure out what to pray or how to pray about this situation that seemed so consuming. I just had to be still and sit with the Lord. And during those sitting times, I started to discern changes I needed to make in response to my circumstances."                          -- Made To Crave  Lysa Terkeurst     

 

I'm certainly not where she is yet. But I believe that through the hard these last 3 months and for the months to come, He is working on me and will get me to that place. I don't know His plan. I've certainly felt most days as of recent that my relationship with Him is suffering. I've been told this adjustment of living overseas can take months, or even a few years. When I feel like I can't go another day, when I'm ready to throw the towel in, when I feel like I'm drowning and can't get above the water, or when I feel so consumed with everything going on around me, I can turn to Jesus. I HAVE to turn to Jesus. I have to trust Him as I sit with no words, believing that He will give me the power to go another day and show me those changes I need to make in my heart.

If you find yourself in this same situation, of feeling as though you are in a desert, try sitting in silence and letting Him speak. And be encouraged by His great love for you.

'Cuz you and I are friends for life

I first met Mary Jo 2 ½ years ago. To imagine my life without her now is something I cannot fathom. They say sisters have a special bond, and although we are not blood sisters, we certainly have a special bond. A bond that in just a short span of time has developed into a beautiful gift God has given us that I don’t think either could have imagined. People ask us all the time if we are sisters. I guess we just go together.

 

 

 

We do life together. We walk alongside each other. She has been my biggest supporter through lots of messy and hard the last couple years. She has encouraged me when I was ready to give up and throw in the towel. She never fails to speak truth into me, and her words are always for my good, even when I don’t want to hear them.

We build into each other. When one is down, the other is there to pick up. We read scripture to each other when there is nothing left to say or do. We pray for each other. We laugh together. And we certainly cry together. We have fought, but forgiveness comes quickly. I will be the first to say that I don’t like our fights, but in the end I’m thankful for them. Because they make us grow and appreciate the other all the more.

Thanks for being the best big sister I could ever imagine. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for the ways you inspire me to live fully for Jesus.

Thanks for being the friend to my best.

Thank you Jesus for giving us each other, because without you, there wouldn’t be us.

Happy Birthday beautiful!  I miss you like crazy! Ngiyakuthanda!

"The heartfelt counsel of a friend
    is as sweet as perfume and incense."

Proverbs 27:9

Introducing.....Ms. Case

Today was my last day of teaching at Durban Bible College.  This was a role I never imagined doing, and was completely out of my comfort zone!!  I'm not going to sugar coat it--it was trying. TRYING, folks. There were many tears shed over these last 8 weeks. But by His strength, and the encouragement of a couple dear friends here and back home, I survived one of the most stretching experiences of my life. I learned a lot, and am still trying to process it all through.  I had 7 men in my class and I taught Children's Ministry. We had some good times-times of laughter and silliness, because when you teach children, you definitely have to be silly. :)

First day!

  Reading children's books to one-another using different voices and animation

 Talking of different ways to evangelize littles.

Teaching different methods of memorizing scripture

 Playing telephone

Working on some visuals

 Evic teaching a method of memorizing scripture

 Joshua leads a song with motions

Rodwin teaching on God creating darkness/light

 Joshua sharing a Psalm with us

 Kwanele teaching the class

Sifiso's turn to teach

My students

 

My prayer for my students is that they will take with them what they learned this term, and go out and teach  the truths of God's word to the little ones who need to be reached with His love. Because children are important. Children need to be reached. Children matter.