Heart Issues and Prayer Requests

To be honest, I have been in kind of a confusing place lately and have been feeling kind of "off". The transition back to teaching and having the boarders again has been a bit more challenging than I would have thought. The thing is, the first couple of days after the kids left were very, very hard. I had no idea how I would make it through the month and struggled with what my purpose would be each day. Then, God opened up some incredible opportunities to develop friendships with other adults here at the mission and I grew to absolutely love the friendship-building and ministry time with them. The ultimate purpose didn't change of being a reflection of Christ to those around me, but the way it was lived out became different. Instead of discipling teenagers and children, God began burdening my heart for the adults around me, for their hurts and struggles, as well as the individual journeys they are each on, seeking to know the Lord more. In the process, He also met my need for fellowship, friendship, and laughter. Though I was extremely excited to have all my kids back, I quickly realized that the new relationships that have been built over the past month must now kind of be pushed to the back burner, as there just isn't the same kind of time available to invest in them. This has made me feel pretty torn. I am asking God to show me how I can do both, be a minister and discipler with my kids, but also continue cultivating those very important adult relationships. I would very much appreciate your prayers with me as I seek God's wisdom, direction, and purpose on how best to invest my time and how to have a good balance. I know that He has a purpose and plan for every person He's put in my life. I pray that I would always be open to what He wants to do with me; how He wants to best use my life here in Botswana.

Having said that, I must also say that tonight was quite amazing. I went outside about 30 minutes before bedtime and found a group of guys sitting around and chatting. I joined them and our conversation ended up turning to spiritual things. It turns out that these young men are so hungry to know how to grow in the Lord, how to be godly men, how to be disciplined and walk in purity, and how to deal with peer pressure and ridicule from classmates and friends from home. They were throwing all kinds of questions at me and listening intently as I shared what God was placing on my heart. It was such a special time and I am so encouraged with what God is doing in these young men's hearts. When it was time to go inside, they all insisted that we continue this conversation tomorrow. Would you please pray with me for God to give me the needed wisdom in sharing with these guys and for the Holy Spirit to speak to them directly as they seek God's heart. What a wonderful reminder of why I am here and why I love what I do. Thank you for heart of partnership with me and for your wonderful prayers. It really is so amazing to share this experience with each of you. Thank you!