I am here in Africa because the love of God has compelled me to be here. God has called me to be here; in this moment. What an honor and blessing that is to be here on his behalf. The kingdom of God works best when we go to each other. Missions is a process of growing your faith; not knowing when and where the money for funding God's work will come from. It takes having faith that God will speak and use the right people, and man he SURE DID. I thank God for each and every person that made this journey possible for me. It's amazing how many people God used and how faithful so many were to his calling on each life. God has been teaching me in the last year that if I am willing to fight His battle, He will provide. God surely has provided for me in more ways than just one, but I am constantly reminded that it is a battle field. The battle field is very evident here. The enemy hates what we have come to do here in Africa. The people of Africa don't exactly know what to do about the problem of orphans here. The answer is simply God.
There are so many orphans all around the world. They are the forgotten, the lost, and at times invisible. Psalm 68:4 says that God is a father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows. He sets the lonely in families. I have come to see that I have expanded my family. I am family to Obed, to Osvaldo and Moises. James 1:27 says, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orpahns and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." This verse really spoke to me today. It is one that I am familiar with, but it is one that hits me right in the chest when I look at the beautiful faces of the children and people I saw at church today in Matipane. Doug taught a lesson on worry at church today. First, we got to introduce ourselves to the congregation. Can I just tell you that we were greeted with the warmest of welcomings. The worship leader and pastor wanted us to spread out amongst the people. No white person was allowed to sit by another white. We all had to be mixed, for they said we were all a part of God's family. It brought me to think about myself and how I am at my own home church. I generally sit in the same row, with the same people, every single Sunday. God spoke to me that I need to reach out and spread my wings. I need to get out of my normal, regular row, and be warm, welcoming, and inviting to others.
The sermon was about worrry; something that overcomes many of us on a regular basis. There are so many things we worry about. Worry isn't about where we are at in the world. Most of us think that if we just had more money we wouldn't have anything to worry about. Worry is universal. It comes from the enemy.
I know many people at home have worried about my stay here, my safety, my return. The team has also worried about how we will be able to accomplish all God wants us to accomplish here in Limpopo. God is moving though and showing that He is mighty and able. I have never seen people worship in such a big way. The people at church today showed me such a passion and love for God by their worship. They inspired me to not hold back, to give EVERYTHING over to God. We had no stage, no grand performance, no sound system, or lighting system. We didn't have air conditioning or heat. We didn't have fancy, comfortable chairs. All we had was a space made from metal and wood logs. Half of the roof was missing, letting the sunlight shine down on us. We all were from different backgrounds, wearing different clothes, speaking different languages, YET I have never felt God's presence so strong. I saw and felt God in powerful ways. I saw God at work in the middle of nowhere, in a dirt field in Africa. God doesn't need to be created into something He is not. We don't need to make him more attractive by having a beautiful church building, creating church into a huge production. God is his own production, and it was very clear to me at church today. The people of Matipane have a passion and love for God that is contagious. I want that, and I felt Him in such a powerful way today, in a way that is very hard to explain.
All I know is to stay connected; to feel God in this way, I must be intentional. I must love Him without hesitation, and I must love others in a way that God first loved us.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Back Home again :) Saturday, Sunday June 22 and 23
Saturday, Sunday-- June 22 and 23 2013
We finally made it to AFRICA!!!! Dad and I left Thursday morning for the airport really early. I met Sandy and Addie there, and we flew the short ways to DC. We had a 6 hour layover there. We ate lunch at Max and Ermas, met a lovely grandma and granddaughter going on her 14th birthday trip to South Africa.
We arrived Friday evening at about 6:30pm. A man was missing on the flight when we stopped in Dakar. It delayed us a bit, but Doug and Johnny were there to pick us up. It was wonderful to hug and see Johnny again! I missed my south African Dad!
We drove to the City Lodge, where we met the Michigan team. Addie, Doug and Sandy's 10 year old grand daughter shared a room. We got situated and met everybody down for dinner. It was wonderful to see and meet the whole team. There are 22 members in total, which is the largest team i have ever been on. We headed to bed about 10:30pm.
I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and well rested. Thank you lord for providing safe travels. I can't believe we are FINALLY in Africa. I never in my wildest dreams thought i would be back so soon. :) I am not complaining though.
Lord, I ask you to help me to be open to seeing and feeling everything you want me to see and feel. I pray for safe travels as we drive to Ava Maria, the retreat center we will be staying the week at. Looking forward to a beautiful day. Help me to be thankful for everything that I have.
Psalm 4:7-8 says, " You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine. In peace i will lie down and sleep, for you alone will keep me safe.
God really has given me greater joy than I could ever have imagined. Africa is home, and it truly feels so wonderful to be back. This country is one that has such GREAT contrast. God wants us to believe enough to be sent into the world as believers. Having faith in the one true God sets us apart. I know and feel in my heart that God has sent me to Africa this summer. I know not everybody understands, not everybody will understand, but this week, in this moment, I pray for those that i know God will put in my path that will understand the work that is being done, my love for Jesus, and those lives that I will touch through His work I am doing. Jesus was a servant. Jesus is not about meeting needs. He is about making disciples in His image. Jesus started pulling guys together. And I am excited for the guys He has pulled together for this week's retreat and VBS teachings.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Yakosa, A Beautiful Blessing
With less than two weeks until I fly away to Africa, My God has been readily preparing the way for me with each passing day. I am growing, learning, and preparing my heart and mind for the days ahead. Each day brings on new meaning as I hold myself responsible to soaking in all the time I can with those I love and hold dear to my heart here in the States. I have never been gone for more than two weeks out of the country. As I ponder what it might be like to be gone for so long, I sit and wonder what my heart will feel like being in Africa again, working with the beautiful children, and then returning home.
This journey, unlike any other, has brought much peace and comfort on the preparation side of things. I was filled with many fears with the last trips, not knowing what to expect. I feel at ease this time around, which I think has a lot to do with my growing faith and trust in God. He truly has prepared the way for me, and I feel this favor and blessing upon me daily.
A rare and beautiful moment was presented to me last night during my work out with my mother. I am blessed to live in a beautiful area, filled with running trails through the woods and celery bog. Last night's weather was just perfect; a cool breeze, a beautiful sunset, and my mother by my side to fellowship and talk about life and the upcoming plans ahead for us. We started our 4 mile hike just at dusk. At the end, we sometimes choose to stay straight on the road that my home sits on or turn left into a neighborhood and go the back way. My mom commented and asked, "Would you like to turn into the neighborhood?" I thought she asked if we could just stay straight, which would lead us to being on the wrong side of the road. I told her we needed to cross so we would be on the sidewalk away from the cars. She didn't really question my answer, though she was a bit confused, so we kept on walking, only 1/4 mile away from my home.
As we were coming up to the part of the road where we cross, I noticed a woman with her backpack on the ground, waiting at the bus stop. Many city and campus buses pass each and every day, as many students live in the apartment complex across the street. I seemingly pass the strangers that are waiting every day on my runs/walks; most listening to music, reading a book, or just simply consumed by their smart phones. This time was different though. The woman stood alone, with no others waiting for the bus, with it also being close to 10:00pm. As we got ready to pass her, I heard a polite "excuse me" coming from her direction. We stopped, smiled, and listened for the next words to come.
A sweet, beautiful woman, smiled back at me timidly and asked, " I do not have a smart phone, and I have been waiting for the bus for over an hour. Would you mind looking at your phone to see when the next bus comes?"
Easy enough task right? I walked closer to her, phone in hand, and proceeded to look up the bus schedules, which I didn't have much luck in finding. The woman had a heavy accent, one I recognized from my trip to South Africa in October. She had rich, beautiful skin, and I instantly knew she was from a country in Africa. A few minutes passed, and with a little bit of hesitation at first, we decided in a moment to just give the woman a ride home. She was only going a couple miles down the street . We motioned for her to walk the short distance to our cars, and she followed with a slight hesitation as well.
As we approached the cars my mother said she would run inside to get her keys, leaving both of us outside in the parking lot waiting.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Yakosa. I am from Malawi, Africa," she replied.
My eyes lit up as I began to tell her my name and that I would be going to Africa in just a few weeks. I told her about my trip and what I would be doing. She asked what church I was going with and I told her all about Horizon International and the adventures ahead of me. She then began to open up about how she was going to Purdue, getting her masters in agriculture, and leaving to go back home in late July to teach the farmers in her village what she learned.
As we stood together, talking, and getting to know each other, we heard the sound of the passing bus go by.
She pointed, with a look of disbelief saying, "AHH, there goes the bus."
I smiled.
"No worries, we were meant to be together and meet each other tonight."
We all hopped into the car, ready to make the short drive to where Yakosa had been staying. As we drove off, Yakosa began to share with us that she had been in the middle of praying when we had walked up. She told us that she had started to complain after about 20 minutes of waiting, but God told her to stop, thank Him for the beautiful evening, and start praying and trusting that God had a plan and would never forsake her. After about 40 minutes of praying that God would bring the right people to help her, my mother and I walked up.
She told us that we were angels sent from God and answers to her prayers that evening. My mom and I were stunned; speechless. The next 15 minutes we exchanged words of encouragement and talked about how amazing Our God is that we serve. As we pulled up to her home, Yakosa and I exchanged emails and hugs, as if we had been long time friends. She got out of the car, hugged my mother and I both, and stood and waved as we drove away. My mother and I turned to each other, with tears in our eyes, in awe.
What a blessing and gift God gave us in meeting and helping Yakosa. My mom had been worrying about my trip, having never been to Africa. The unknown is what frightens her. She looked at me and said, "God sent me Yakosa tonight to show me that I have nothing to fear while you are gone in Africa. God showed me a little bit of Africa here in Lafayette tonight."
I can't explain what happened in the short 25 minutes we had with Yakosa. God's presence filled the car and our hearts as we became instant friends because of our same love for God.
What makes me sad is that I'm not sure what would have happened if God had given me that opportunity a few years ago. I would have stopped, but I'm certain I would have been very hesitant in taking her home, fearing the possibilities of what might happen considering she was a stranger to me.
The blessing though is that God has given me new eyes and a new heart that longs to see what He sees in people and that feels what He feels. I am thankful I was able to see the blessing right in front of my eyes.
Yakosa also taught me a valuable lesson about my own prayer life. I need to trust more and believe in the prayers I am offering up to God each and every day. Sometimes Prayer to me seems like smoke that wafts up from my lips and quickly floats away in the air, unheard and meaningless. I sometimes feel that God isn't hearing what I am saying or even cares for that matter. I catch myself at times thinking, "God has bigger issues" or "I am not really that gifted in prayer". I usually connect those doubts with Satan trying to work in my life to catch me in a moment of weakness.
My friends in Africa and Nicaragua sometimes seem like they have an edge on me. God chose them to be rich in faith. Helplessness and faith are essential and vital for a growing, strong prayer life. I need to learn from my dear friends. Christians living in poverty can not rely on their possessions for security and comfort. They must solely rely on God's promises. Most of the time they only have God to turn to, not a paycheck, a car, or a new winter coat. When they pray, they pray with urgency. They pray hard and faithfully. And THAT is what I need. As I come to God with my prayers, I need to forget about all the stuff that I have, and remember to trust God's power. Praying changes who I am and why I do things. The Holy Spirit will take over my heart and mind, and give me thoughts intertwined with God's thoughts. He will give me lasting reasons to serve those in need. Without prayer, my own abilities and reasons for wanting to help will diminish. They will run dry. I must remember to keep in constant prayer; asking God to keep my heart open to the things He wants me to feel and see.
Last night was such a gift, and I thank God for my new friend, Yakosa. I pray that God blesses her and her family as she stepped out in faith and is doing amazing things for her country of Malawi.
Have a beautiful weekend friends!
Many blessings filled with God's LOVE,
Meg :)
This journey, unlike any other, has brought much peace and comfort on the preparation side of things. I was filled with many fears with the last trips, not knowing what to expect. I feel at ease this time around, which I think has a lot to do with my growing faith and trust in God. He truly has prepared the way for me, and I feel this favor and blessing upon me daily.
A rare and beautiful moment was presented to me last night during my work out with my mother. I am blessed to live in a beautiful area, filled with running trails through the woods and celery bog. Last night's weather was just perfect; a cool breeze, a beautiful sunset, and my mother by my side to fellowship and talk about life and the upcoming plans ahead for us. We started our 4 mile hike just at dusk. At the end, we sometimes choose to stay straight on the road that my home sits on or turn left into a neighborhood and go the back way. My mom commented and asked, "Would you like to turn into the neighborhood?" I thought she asked if we could just stay straight, which would lead us to being on the wrong side of the road. I told her we needed to cross so we would be on the sidewalk away from the cars. She didn't really question my answer, though she was a bit confused, so we kept on walking, only 1/4 mile away from my home.
As we were coming up to the part of the road where we cross, I noticed a woman with her backpack on the ground, waiting at the bus stop. Many city and campus buses pass each and every day, as many students live in the apartment complex across the street. I seemingly pass the strangers that are waiting every day on my runs/walks; most listening to music, reading a book, or just simply consumed by their smart phones. This time was different though. The woman stood alone, with no others waiting for the bus, with it also being close to 10:00pm. As we got ready to pass her, I heard a polite "excuse me" coming from her direction. We stopped, smiled, and listened for the next words to come.
A sweet, beautiful woman, smiled back at me timidly and asked, " I do not have a smart phone, and I have been waiting for the bus for over an hour. Would you mind looking at your phone to see when the next bus comes?"
Easy enough task right? I walked closer to her, phone in hand, and proceeded to look up the bus schedules, which I didn't have much luck in finding. The woman had a heavy accent, one I recognized from my trip to South Africa in October. She had rich, beautiful skin, and I instantly knew she was from a country in Africa. A few minutes passed, and with a little bit of hesitation at first, we decided in a moment to just give the woman a ride home. She was only going a couple miles down the street . We motioned for her to walk the short distance to our cars, and she followed with a slight hesitation as well.
As we approached the cars my mother said she would run inside to get her keys, leaving both of us outside in the parking lot waiting.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Yakosa. I am from Malawi, Africa," she replied.
My eyes lit up as I began to tell her my name and that I would be going to Africa in just a few weeks. I told her about my trip and what I would be doing. She asked what church I was going with and I told her all about Horizon International and the adventures ahead of me. She then began to open up about how she was going to Purdue, getting her masters in agriculture, and leaving to go back home in late July to teach the farmers in her village what she learned.
As we stood together, talking, and getting to know each other, we heard the sound of the passing bus go by.
She pointed, with a look of disbelief saying, "AHH, there goes the bus."
I smiled.
"No worries, we were meant to be together and meet each other tonight."
We all hopped into the car, ready to make the short drive to where Yakosa had been staying. As we drove off, Yakosa began to share with us that she had been in the middle of praying when we had walked up. She told us that she had started to complain after about 20 minutes of waiting, but God told her to stop, thank Him for the beautiful evening, and start praying and trusting that God had a plan and would never forsake her. After about 40 minutes of praying that God would bring the right people to help her, my mother and I walked up.
She told us that we were angels sent from God and answers to her prayers that evening. My mom and I were stunned; speechless. The next 15 minutes we exchanged words of encouragement and talked about how amazing Our God is that we serve. As we pulled up to her home, Yakosa and I exchanged emails and hugs, as if we had been long time friends. She got out of the car, hugged my mother and I both, and stood and waved as we drove away. My mother and I turned to each other, with tears in our eyes, in awe.
What a blessing and gift God gave us in meeting and helping Yakosa. My mom had been worrying about my trip, having never been to Africa. The unknown is what frightens her. She looked at me and said, "God sent me Yakosa tonight to show me that I have nothing to fear while you are gone in Africa. God showed me a little bit of Africa here in Lafayette tonight."
I can't explain what happened in the short 25 minutes we had with Yakosa. God's presence filled the car and our hearts as we became instant friends because of our same love for God.
What makes me sad is that I'm not sure what would have happened if God had given me that opportunity a few years ago. I would have stopped, but I'm certain I would have been very hesitant in taking her home, fearing the possibilities of what might happen considering she was a stranger to me.
The blessing though is that God has given me new eyes and a new heart that longs to see what He sees in people and that feels what He feels. I am thankful I was able to see the blessing right in front of my eyes.
Yakosa also taught me a valuable lesson about my own prayer life. I need to trust more and believe in the prayers I am offering up to God each and every day. Sometimes Prayer to me seems like smoke that wafts up from my lips and quickly floats away in the air, unheard and meaningless. I sometimes feel that God isn't hearing what I am saying or even cares for that matter. I catch myself at times thinking, "God has bigger issues" or "I am not really that gifted in prayer". I usually connect those doubts with Satan trying to work in my life to catch me in a moment of weakness.
My friends in Africa and Nicaragua sometimes seem like they have an edge on me. God chose them to be rich in faith. Helplessness and faith are essential and vital for a growing, strong prayer life. I need to learn from my dear friends. Christians living in poverty can not rely on their possessions for security and comfort. They must solely rely on God's promises. Most of the time they only have God to turn to, not a paycheck, a car, or a new winter coat. When they pray, they pray with urgency. They pray hard and faithfully. And THAT is what I need. As I come to God with my prayers, I need to forget about all the stuff that I have, and remember to trust God's power. Praying changes who I am and why I do things. The Holy Spirit will take over my heart and mind, and give me thoughts intertwined with God's thoughts. He will give me lasting reasons to serve those in need. Without prayer, my own abilities and reasons for wanting to help will diminish. They will run dry. I must remember to keep in constant prayer; asking God to keep my heart open to the things He wants me to feel and see.
Last night was such a gift, and I thank God for my new friend, Yakosa. I pray that God blesses her and her family as she stepped out in faith and is doing amazing things for her country of Malawi.
Have a beautiful weekend friends!
Many blessings filled with God's LOVE,
Meg :)
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