Praises and Prayer Requests (February 28)

I don't know if I communicate enough just how much I appreciate each of you who takes the time to come to this blogsite to join with me in this ministry to Botswana. God has decided to use me here to help minister to the next generation and potential leaders in Botswana and surrounding countries here in Africa. This is such a huge task! I realize as I encounter spiritual opposition and trials just what a battle it truly is. Sometimes I have moments where I feel like I am fighting this battle alone, but then at just the right time, God will remind me that there are so many people (some whom I've never even met!) who are walking this road with me, praying for these kids that God has put into my life, praying for the country of Botswana, and celebrating with me as we see our prayers being answered. I appreciate you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for investing in these beautiful people and for blessing me with your prayers and encouragement.

Praises:
So many praises! God is moving here and revealing Himself to these kids, and it is such a joy and honor to watch it happen. To update you from my last post, I have begun meeting with the sweet young lady weekly to talk about what's going on in her heart, read scripture, and pray together. I love how hungry she is and how open to the Lord her heart is. Please keep praying for her. I found out from her friend that her parents will not allow her to come to church. I pray that their hearts would be totally changed as they see the change in her. And please pray for me to have the needed wisdom in discipling her in the Lord.

Another huge praise is what God is doing with the boarder girls. At our weekly Bible study, we've been talking a lot about truly living our lives for Christ and totally being made into new creations. It's amazing to watch these girls develop authentic, personal relationships with the Lord and desire to live their lives for Him. There are still a few who are resisting giving their lives to Him completely, but I believe He is constantly working on them and drawing them to His heart. May these girls be lights in this school and to their families, and may they have the strength to live for Him daily as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1).

Another total miracle is regarding my background check. Just a few hours ago, things looked hopeless and the chance of me being deported was a real possibility. Now, through the incredible intervention of some wonderful people and through the miraculous hand of God, it looks like the report will be finished and e-mailed to us tomorrow! I am still in total shock with this...this is huge! Please pray that it will be enough for the immigration office and that everything will go through smoothly. My deadline is March 5th!

Prayer needs:
I have a few things I'd like to petition your prayers for. I still have a missing package that held some very valuable things in it. It looks totally impossible that it will ever arrive, but as God has been showing me lately, NOTHING is impossible with Him! Therefore, I am praying for the miraculous arrival of the missing package, all contents included.

Lately I have been feeling the need for a close friend and spiritual sister in the Lord to have an accountability and mutual encouragement with. I don't have a lot of time that is free and there aren't many women available, but I am asking God to show me someone and help provide the time to invest in a friendship with her. As I've been teaching the girls about the importance of being accountable and encouraging each other, I am realizing just how much I am missing and needing that, too.

Finally, I ask for prayers for our children's ministry. It needs sooo much help. I have been helping to fill in wherever needed as we transition with leadership, but there are way more needs than I could really help with. We are asking God to provide dependable, committed volunteers, new materials, and lessons that will speak to the hearts of these kids. We are also all praying for organization and the smooth running of everything until God brings new leadership to the ministry.

I want to end this post with a quote written on a greeting card given to me by a friend before I left. I have this card hanging in my room because I feel like it was written for me, for where my life is at this moment. I'd love to share it with you:

"Imagine yourself doing what you love and loving what you do, being happy from the inside out, experiencing your dreams wide awake, being creative, being unique, being you~ changing things to the way you know they can be~ living the life you've always imagined..."

I praise God that this is exactly how I feel. What a blessing to be living this life, and what a blessing to get to share it with you. I pray that you, too, get to "experience your dreams wide awake!"