Prayer Request

We found out today that through some circumstances that some of our ministry is on hold. We're not sure right now what ministry we will be able to continue for the remainder of our time here, and what we will not. Please just pray for our team and that God opens the doors that need to be opened and that Satan will not be able to use this as a tool to get our spirits down. We know that God can work through any circumstance and He is sovereign over any situation. We're trusting that He will be glorified through this. Love you all!

A New Heart For The Nations

Throughout our time here in Zim, God has been working in the hearts of our team just as much if not more than He has been working through us. As we've been going through Acts over and over we've been reminded of the boldness and urgency we're to have in sharing the gospel, both overseas and at home. One illustration that was in our group bible study has particularly spoken to me, as well as many on our team. The illustration was that if you were standing by the bank of a stream, and some little children were drowning, you wouldn't need to wait for someone to tell you to go rescue them. You would not wait for an officer to come by with a legal document personally designating you to rescue them, to jump into the stream. You would despise yourself if there was a possibility of saving them, and yet you stood on the bank waiting for a specific "call" or for someone to push you to do so. So many people have treated the missionary "call" just like this.  Myself included. The bible however, doesn't say "Go tell people about me if I call you to a specific place" "Go preach the Gospel only if you "feel called" to do so". The Bible says "go". Over and over in the word of God there are accounts of preaching the word with such boldness. In Acts Paul doesn't sit at home while he waits for God to instruct him where to go specifically, he goes out and preaches among the nations until God sends him to the next place. Yes, missions at home is also very important. If we can't minister to those around us and share the gospel at home, more than likely we won't be willing or effective to share it overseas. But the longer I've been here, the more He has been revealing Himself to me through scripture, and the more I have begun to see God's heart for the nations, and the urgency to spread His name among people who haven't heard it, and don't understand it. He has begun to make in me a heart for reaching the lost in places other than just the U.S. God has shown me over and over this summer that He calls His children to have boldness and reckless obedience for His name sake. He has commanded us to share this live saving news with drowning people all over the world. We just have to be obedient and go do it. One verse He has specifically laid on my heart this week is Romans 15:20 "and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." I don't know the specifics of what God has in His plan for me to do in the future, far or near, but I pray that I will have the obedience and boldness of the first Christians to do what He has commanded me. He may call me to stay at home, but He has already commanded me to go.

A Little Bit Of Heaven

Whenever I think of what Heaven will be like, my first thought is people who are different colors, from every people group, speaking every language, just praising our gracious heavenly Father with no ethnic, language, or cultural boundaries. I've always loved the thought of this, but Tuesday God gave me a taste of what a beautiful sight it really will be. Our team left for a village called Pagamani early Tuesday morning. We weren't really sure what to expect, all we knew was that we were spending a few days in this rural African village. After 5 hours of driving through the bush, a few flat tires, more driving through the bush, having to get out and push our van through sand, and then more driving through the bush, we finally arrived. It didn't take long before people began coming out of their huts and heading toward the thatched roof church we were staying at. We were so blessed to spend this day getting to know some of these beautiful people and as soon as the sun started to go down (about 6:30), we lit candles and began to worship together. I have never heard anything as beautiful as that night. It didn't matter that we all came from completely different backgrounds and lifestyles, or that our skin wasn't the same color. For those hours we were all one. One family, there for the same reason: to glorify our Lord and saviour. We sang hymns and prayed in three different languages. It didn't matter that the person standing next to you didn't speak a bit of your language, because the heart was so evident. We were all unified under one purpose, under one God, and it was absolutely beautiful. What a small, yet such a sweet taste of Heaven it was.