"Fireproof"
I know I am a little behind, but I finally saw the movie, "Fireproof." This is an excellent movie that I highly recommend, to engaged or married couples especially. However, even my teenage girls loved it. I hope it planted some good seeds in them for their future marriages.
Praises
There is so much good going on right now that I have to share some of it! One of the exciting things happening is the amount of prayer time I am getting with other missionaries at the mission now. While at home in the States for a little while, this was something God really put on my heart, just the need to join together more with others in prayer. When I returned and shared this with a few of the other missionaries, I discovered that the Lord had put the same thing on their hearts, and we knew this was something we definitely needed to do.
For the past couple of weeks, I've been meeting with Matt and Kelly, our youth and children's pastors, every Friday to pray specifically for our teenagers. I think this has helped each of us to tune our hearts to what God wants to do among the teens. And we've already been seeing answers to prayer! In addition to this time with them, all the missionaries here have been getting together on Tuesday nights to have coffee, share our hearts, and pray for each other. This time has been such a great blessing to each of us and has helped to strengthen our little community here. I love it!
Tonight I started up Bible study with the girls again and although it was a smaller group than I hoped for, the ones that came are really hungry for the Lord. We had a beautiful time together, sharing our hearts and praying, and worshipping together. I was so proud of them for honestly sharing their hearts tonight. They were vulnerable with each other and were not afraid to ask for prayer where needed. I have a good feeling about things right now and am looking forward to Bible study next week!
As an added blessing, today my internet was fixed at home!! After almost three months of having to walk back and forth to the office each evening, this is a HUGE blessing! Things also seem to be moving forward with my vehicle. Pastor Jerry helped me find the part we (hopefully) need and I am working on ordering it from Japan. After it gets here, I am hoping it will be easy to install and that my car will be back in service. I'm praying hard!
For the past couple of weeks, I've been meeting with Matt and Kelly, our youth and children's pastors, every Friday to pray specifically for our teenagers. I think this has helped each of us to tune our hearts to what God wants to do among the teens. And we've already been seeing answers to prayer! In addition to this time with them, all the missionaries here have been getting together on Tuesday nights to have coffee, share our hearts, and pray for each other. This time has been such a great blessing to each of us and has helped to strengthen our little community here. I love it!
Tonight I started up Bible study with the girls again and although it was a smaller group than I hoped for, the ones that came are really hungry for the Lord. We had a beautiful time together, sharing our hearts and praying, and worshipping together. I was so proud of them for honestly sharing their hearts tonight. They were vulnerable with each other and were not afraid to ask for prayer where needed. I have a good feeling about things right now and am looking forward to Bible study next week!
As an added blessing, today my internet was fixed at home!! After almost three months of having to walk back and forth to the office each evening, this is a HUGE blessing! Things also seem to be moving forward with my vehicle. Pastor Jerry helped me find the part we (hopefully) need and I am working on ordering it from Japan. After it gets here, I am hoping it will be easy to install and that my car will be back in service. I'm praying hard!
Suggestions?
One of the everyday things I took for granted (as referenced in the previous post) is radio. I don't really have access to radio stations here, so I just rely on my iPod (which I am incredibly thankful for!)
I've kind of been itching for some new music lately. Any suggestions? I'm kind of feeling out of the loop lately. Any new artist or album that you particularly recommend?
I've kind of been itching for some new music lately. Any suggestions? I'm kind of feeling out of the loop lately. Any new artist or album that you particularly recommend?
Priority Changes
As I was going through my "Esther" Bible study this morning, I came across this quote, "When our old priorities don't go with our new life, we either return to our old life or adopt new priorities." Wow, is that ever true! Beth then asked, "Have you discovered this dilemma for yourself?" Um, hello...that's been the story of my life the past couple of years!
Just the other day I was having a conversation with two of my teenage girls about my life in America versus my life in Botswana and how different the two are. Going through some of those differences with them reminded me how very, very different my life was up until two years ago, when I really began preparing to move to Botswana. And especially in the past year and a half that I've lived here.
For example, we talked about how in America most of us have much higher salaries than you can get around here, but how so many are in such huge debt. I know the cost of living is higher, but still, when you look at it all together, there really is no logical reason to have so much debt when we make so much money (compared to other parts of the world, especially.) I shudder to think about the money I spent back then on completely worthless things. I have since discovered that it is possible to live on way less and that it's not necessary to be stressed about money.
It's crazy for me to think about things I got worked up over while living in the States and little everyday things that I totally took for granted. I can't believe how much my life has changed! One of the other things we were discussing was how I lived alone for so long before moving here. I hadn't even had a roommate since college. Now I live with 30 teenage girls! If you'd asked me back then if I could do a job like this, I would have replied with, "No way!" It's such a testament to the change God can do in us, especially in order to walk out His will for us.
Another random example is how I used to totally despise any kind of bug, insect, creepy crawly, whatever. Now, these things are just a part of life! I peacefully share my living space with many little critters because I had to make the choice to spend lots of my time chasing and killing them or just learning to co-exist. (Now co-existing with snakes....still working on that one!)
I could go on and on about other changes and perspective changes, but really the point I'm getting at is that I agree wholeheartedly with Beth's statement. I think the way it applies to me now is that I have a choice. With those old things that used to be important to me, I can either see how some of them don't fit in my life now and let them go, or I can try to still try to hold on to them as priorities, resulting in me being discouraged and unhappy. I can resist perspective and priority changes or I can embrace them and allow God to shape and change me as He needs to.
This is all fascinating to me and causes me to wonder what kind of changes He still has in store for me. I mean if my life now looks so much different than I ever thought it would a couple of years ago, what will my life look like in another couple of years?? I pray for an open, flexible heart and attitude for whatever the Lord has planned. It can be scary or exciting, but I'm choosing to lean more to the exciting side!
Just the other day I was having a conversation with two of my teenage girls about my life in America versus my life in Botswana and how different the two are. Going through some of those differences with them reminded me how very, very different my life was up until two years ago, when I really began preparing to move to Botswana. And especially in the past year and a half that I've lived here.
For example, we talked about how in America most of us have much higher salaries than you can get around here, but how so many are in such huge debt. I know the cost of living is higher, but still, when you look at it all together, there really is no logical reason to have so much debt when we make so much money (compared to other parts of the world, especially.) I shudder to think about the money I spent back then on completely worthless things. I have since discovered that it is possible to live on way less and that it's not necessary to be stressed about money.
It's crazy for me to think about things I got worked up over while living in the States and little everyday things that I totally took for granted. I can't believe how much my life has changed! One of the other things we were discussing was how I lived alone for so long before moving here. I hadn't even had a roommate since college. Now I live with 30 teenage girls! If you'd asked me back then if I could do a job like this, I would have replied with, "No way!" It's such a testament to the change God can do in us, especially in order to walk out His will for us.
Another random example is how I used to totally despise any kind of bug, insect, creepy crawly, whatever. Now, these things are just a part of life! I peacefully share my living space with many little critters because I had to make the choice to spend lots of my time chasing and killing them or just learning to co-exist. (Now co-existing with snakes....still working on that one!)
I could go on and on about other changes and perspective changes, but really the point I'm getting at is that I agree wholeheartedly with Beth's statement. I think the way it applies to me now is that I have a choice. With those old things that used to be important to me, I can either see how some of them don't fit in my life now and let them go, or I can try to still try to hold on to them as priorities, resulting in me being discouraged and unhappy. I can resist perspective and priority changes or I can embrace them and allow God to shape and change me as He needs to.
This is all fascinating to me and causes me to wonder what kind of changes He still has in store for me. I mean if my life now looks so much different than I ever thought it would a couple of years ago, what will my life look like in another couple of years?? I pray for an open, flexible heart and attitude for whatever the Lord has planned. It can be scary or exciting, but I'm choosing to lean more to the exciting side!
Verses
God has a few verses stirring my heart right now, each addressing something going on in my heart right now. Here are a few:
"...The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might."Deuteronomy 6:5
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
I'm so thankful for God's Word and how He uses it to speak to us, lead us, comfort and encourage us. I am choosing today to lean on and trust in His perfect Word.
"...The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might."Deuteronomy 6:5
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
I'm so thankful for God's Word and how He uses it to speak to us, lead us, comfort and encourage us. I am choosing today to lean on and trust in His perfect Word.
A scary find
Living here at the mission with so many Americans and westernized living, it's easy to kind of forget I'm in Africa. But then I have those moments where I am sharply brought back to reality.
Today, for instance, as I was relaxing with my book, one of my boarders comes to tell me that he's found a huge puff adder snake and that Lawrence and Pastor Jerry were working to kill it. When I went to see this myself, I found that the snake was right next to the school and not that far from the hostel. On top of that, I walk that exact path several times a day, even just half an hour or so before that!
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for the weak-stomached) I didn't get a picture of the dead snake, but I did find an interesting article. After reading this I felt so reassured! (Haha!) Also, here is a picture I found on the Wikipedia article.
Please continue saying prayers for all of our safety here. We're always needing them!
Today, for instance, as I was relaxing with my book, one of my boarders comes to tell me that he's found a huge puff adder snake and that Lawrence and Pastor Jerry were working to kill it. When I went to see this myself, I found that the snake was right next to the school and not that far from the hostel. On top of that, I walk that exact path several times a day, even just half an hour or so before that!
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for the weak-stomached) I didn't get a picture of the dead snake, but I did find an interesting article. After reading this I felt so reassured! (Haha!) Also, here is a picture I found on the Wikipedia article.
Please continue saying prayers for all of our safety here. We're always needing them!
Back in Botswana
I'm sorry to be brief, but just want to let you know that I am safely back in Botswana now and enjoying a wonderful time with my dear friend, Stacy, who travelled back here with me. We've had a great time and I can't wait to post some pictures. She leaves Wednesday and I find that I'm already feeling really sad about it!
Please can you join me in praying that my vehicle will get fixed soon. It has not been working since February and there is apparently all kinds of trouble with finding the right part that's needed. I was so disappointed when I returned to find it still not operating. I am also still waiting for the internet to be fixed at the dorm, which is why I haven't been posting many updates or pictures. I hope to do that soon, though, I promise!
Thank you so much for all your prayers during my journey to the States. What a very blessed and VERY appreciated one it was!
Please can you join me in praying that my vehicle will get fixed soon. It has not been working since February and there is apparently all kinds of trouble with finding the right part that's needed. I was so disappointed when I returned to find it still not operating. I am also still waiting for the internet to be fixed at the dorm, which is why I haven't been posting many updates or pictures. I hope to do that soon, though, I promise!
Thank you so much for all your prayers during my journey to the States. What a very blessed and VERY appreciated one it was!
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