Oct 11th- saving a life

Thursday October 11^th, 2012

8:00am

I woke up to another wonderful morning and breakfast. The team is filled with hope, joy, and gladness this morning as well. The Lord has blessed us with so much laughter. We are always either crying or laughing. J

Devotion

Psalm 102

Whatever we go through, God is using it to make us better servants. One of the blessings of servant-hood is that our fruit will always be developed in God’s presence. It is encouraging to realize the ones who wrote the scriptures had bad days too.

The Final Judgment

Matthew 25:40 (31-46)

This passage talks about God separating the righteous and the evil. He tells us that we must do good works for the least of these, the ones who get overlooked and ignored. God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell. People choose if they are going to hell or not. Hell was prepared for the Devil—not people. People choose the selfish ways of the Devil. Heaven was prepared for Jesus and for people. When you are serving the poor, you are seeing the face of Jesus. You are seeing Jesus in the faces of others. Whoever you see today, what are you really seeing? We all see different needs in the faces of others. Lord, Help me to see what you want ME to see in others. How can I help others? We can serve Jesus everywhere we go. How can I serve in new ways when I go back to the states? When we become selfish we turn into serving ourselves. The battle is between our awareness of God and being filled with ourselves. Self is always there. Deny yourself friends. Take up the cross daily. View the world outside of our small view. Everything starts with worship. We must starts with worshipping and abandoning ourselves. We were created to be worshipers. We worship through serving. Our focus is on God and serving releases the Holy Spirit. Seek Him with all your heart, soul, and mind AND then all opportunities will come. Blessings will then come your way.

6:00pm

Everyday keeps getting better and better. A few of us stayed to make bricks, including myself, Chris, Robyn, Doug, and Tim while the rest of the team went on Home visits this morning. God keeps blessing us over and over each and every new day. We actually got about 300 bricks made this morning. Pastor Fredie wasn’t there with water or tools this morning, so Tomecio and I went looking for rocks. We shared with each other what the Lord was teaching us—simplicity of life. I’ve never in my life looked for rocks at home. I have never even taken the time. We found some beautiful red, white, and brown rocks on our hunt. After work this morning we headed up the City Hall for lunch. All week Andres’ wife Nellie has been making us amazing lunches. Todays was chicken and rice and a banana salad.

A few of us didn’t work with the kids today, because our sponsored kids didn’t show up the other day. Tomecio, Stacy, Susan, Johnnie, and I got to go back to Segkopo to see and meet our kids for the first time. I could hardly contain myself. God had been calling me and speaking to me about sponsoring Obed before I came to Africa. I ended up going through with it, and the day finally came to meet him for the first time. I hadn’t expected today to be as hard as it was. I had the privilege and blessing to meet my sponsor boy, Moises, in Nicaragua this summer for the first time. I thought meeting him would have prepared me to meet Obed. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Elias, one of the leaders at Segkopo’s drop-in center called Obed over when we arrived at the center. He was more beautiful than the picture I had seen on the computer back at home. He had beautiful big brown eyes, curly eye lashes, and was wearing his uniform with a red, athletic jacket. I could tell he was nervous and very shy. I had a few weeks to prepare for this moment, but he had only had a few days. Elias proceeded to tell him that I was from America and that I was his new sponsor. At first, I didn’t think he spoke much English, but I later found out he spoke very good English, he just was very shy. I told Elias to tell him that he could go back to playing soccer if he wanted to. He walked back and joined the other boys on the red, dirt field.

I went out to the sidelines of the dirt field. I stood on those sidelines, with tears streaming down my cheeks. This sweet boy was precious. He secretly looked over to see what I was doing and if I was watching periodically. I pictured the soccer fields back home, dotted with many parents and grandparents cheering their children on during their practices and games. This boy, my boy, he didn’t have parents. He probably had never had any adult watch him play soccer before. But God chose me to be standing there. I was standing there as his support system. With me sponsoring Obed, I am not only providing food  and education for him. I am providing him hope and love; something that he has never had. Standing there made me realize that God’s sole purpose for my life was just that. I was meant to be standing there, watching this sweet, beautiful boy play soccer. Nothing else mattered but that moment. It is one that is forever ingrained in my heart. I was a proud mom today. I am a mom of two beautiful boys that just need hope and love to succeed in life. I pray that they both experience and feel God’s love for them every day of their lives. I pray Obed felt loved today by God and myself. He is one special boy amongst hundreds of children just as special who need somebody to just care.

Friends, I am a single, working woman that never thought I could make such a difference to children. I pay $35 to both boys each month. It really is the best money I spend all month long. I challenge you all to sponsor a precious child, whether it is through NRN or Horizon International, or any other organization. I am open to pointing you in the right direction if this is something you believe God is calling you to do. I honestly believe this is something God is calling us all to do as believers. Scripture is everywhere to prove this. It just might be something you have considered and I challenge you to pray about it. Open up your heart and ask God if this is something He wants you to do. I promise, it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life.

Despite Obed’s home life, he is a sweet, well-behaved boy. Before I knew it, Johnnie signaled to me that it was time to leave. I made Obed a homemade picture book for him to see my family, friends, and gymnasts back home. I even had a map to show him where I lived relative to Segkopo. He loved It. I also brought him a bag of goodies. Each and every team member sponsors kids, and it was so amazing to share the amazing experience of meeting them for the first time. All of our hearts are forever changed by these beautiful children of ours. As Johnnie called me to come to the van, I told him I needed to say bye to Obed. I couldn’t imagine having to say bye. I just met him; my sweet boy. He calmly walked over, and I told him I needed to go but that I loved him, was so happy to meet him, and that I would see him again soon. I also made sure to let him know that I would be thinking of him and praying for him every day that I was gone. He smiled, I hugged him and I left my baby right there. My baby—with a piece of my heart. Africa and this sweet boy, with eyes that sparkle with Jesus’ light forever have a place in my heart. Thank you Jesus. What an amazing day I have God to thank for. He is working all around me in a hurting country. The children are beyond wonderful.

Tomorrow is going to be a very hard day. I thought today was going to be hard, but saying goodbye to Ramaroka and the children is something I do not want to do. Saying goodbye to Obed was so incredibly hard. I know it seems crazy because we just met, but I feel like I said goodbye to someone I have known my whole life.

Debriefing after dinner tonight was hilarious. Tomecio has a special talent of eavesdropping. She calls it ear hustling but I thought it was calling air hustling. We all died laughing when I made a fool out of myself, calling it air hustling. Doug’s hair was also in rare form, and Sandy made a funny comment about it. I got to talk to my mom and grandpa tonight! They both were so excited to hear from me. Missing and praying for everybody back in the states.

Thank you Jesus for breaking my heart time and time again. What a beautiful day today was. J