As we walked through the village in Tanzania we came in contact with all types of people. There were the devout believers, those that had never heard, and an abundance of people who claimed to believe but had no visible fruit. We shared the gospel with those who had never heard.We encouraged those who were on the path of righteousness.And when we came to the fruitless believers we spoke truth in the face of much confusion.
One particular day we came to the home of a woman who had a baby sitting on her lap.So, we shared the gospel with her and explained in-depth the things she should be living by.We talked about the love of God. We spoke about how important the relationship with the Lord is in the life of a believer.All of our words seemed to make sense to her.As we wrapped up what we had been saying, we noticed a black string wrapped around the belly of the baby.As Mzungu's, (white people) we were able to play dumb and ask about the string we were seeing.Before asking we knew that this was evidence of the woman taking the baby to a witch doctor in the village. She told us that the baby had been sick and had a very bad stomach ache.So she had taken the baby there to get the witch doctor to heal her sick child.
I was ticked! We had just spent an hour talking about the importance of God as the ONLY one to be worshiped.She had agreed with us about the importance of a relationship with Jesus, and yet she had sought “healing” from a man who relies on witchcraft to do his job.This all came the day after I'd been at a crusade and seen at least 20 people who were possessed by demons.It totally changed my attitude about the seriousness of spiritual warfare going on in this village and others all over Africa.
I immediately began to share how dangerous it is to give such authority to Satan. I told her that if she truly knew what she was doing she would take that charm off of her baby as soon as possible.We let her know that Jesus is the only healer.He is the only one worthy of worship.He is the only one who could bring hope, joy, and restoration into her life.She listened intently and agreed.
So, we asked if we could cut the charm off the baby. We told her that we would pray for healing from the one and only God who created the Universe.She agreed. So we took a razor blade and we cut the string from around the baby's waist.It was interesting, because pretty much immediately the baby began to smile and giggle as we stood around.We began to pray for the Lord to bring healing and to guard this baby from spiritual attacks of the enemy.
I no longer want to stand by and sugarcoat the message that God has given me. We are called to live our lives fully for the Lord. We should not depend on anyone or anything but Him. You may think going to a witch doctor sounds absurd, but when is the last time you saw someone use alcohol to numb their pain? Or over-eat because it brought comfort? Or go through boyfriends/girlfriends like they're going out of style in order to feel wanted?These are all things that we have put in front of God, and it needs to stop.We have to wake up and realize that all we need is the Lord.I'm slowly realizing it more every day.I pray that we become believers who fully rely on the Lord and stop finding ways to satisfy ourselves momentarily.
This was written a few weeks ago, but I just got the chance to post it. I'm now in Ireland for Awakening, and looking forward to the last leg of the race in Eastern Europe! Here's the blog:
Our first Sunday in Uganda I was privileged to speak at a church in a small village in the North. As I rode up to the church on a motorbike, I began hearing joyful shouts from the women in the congregation. It was 7 am and they had been waiting for me. I stepped into a small thatch roofed hut to meet the church leaders, and then I was escorted to the church.
The music was already going. We walked down the center isle of the church and all eyes were on me. It was a bit overwhelming. I found myself wondering what the heck I had gotten myself into. I'm all alone in an African village that I can't pronounce the name of. I've been told that these people have been waiting for hours for me, and I'm at a loss for words at the excitement that has taken place just because I showed up.
I have a seat at the front of the church and wait for them to tell me what to do. The service consists of exuberant worship, prayer, and a short message from me. Then offering time comes. I didn't know what to expect from this time, but I was soon humbled beyond imagination.
They brought out 2 small woven baskets and sat them at the front of the church. Some people came up and dropped in their money. Others brought bowls of peanuts, potatoes, and other crops that they'd harvested. And I just sat back and took it all in. After the people had given their offering they took the baskets to the side, combined the money, and sat one of them back in the front of the church.
They began singing another song and people came up and started putting money into the basket, again. I was confused. As if the pastor could read my mind, he leaned over and whispered, "We wanted to give you a gift as our visitor since you came to bring the gospel."
I was in shock to say the least. I had come to their village with a bible in hand, a message about serving the Lord passionately, and a smile. After giving what I had, they gave me more. When they had finished giving their offering to me the basket held 10,000 shillings and a bag of peanuts. To all of you who are wondering how much money that is, it's about $4.50.
Let's put this into perspective. A bunch of bananas or a huge container of peanuts costs less than $1. So the average American may be laughing at a mere $4.50, but to a Ugandan that's a good chunk of change. That's a true picture of sacrificial giving, and they did it to bless me.
For a moment I wanted to refuse. "I don't need your money nearly as much as you do. I'm the one that should be handing YOU money. I don't deserve this!" In that moment God began to speak. He showed me what it means to give all that I have to bless people. He showed me what huge hearts the Ugandan believers have. And He showed me even more of how selfish I am.
In the time I spent in Uganda I was heartbroken by the hardships that people had experienced. The people of Northern Uganda have been ravaged by over 20 years of war. They were living in government camps for those 20 years. They don't have clean water or an unending food supply. They live on what they can grow, and they gave ME 10,000 shillings and a bag of peanuts.
It's a picture of God that I needed to be reminded of. We are called to give cheerfully. That doesn't mean giving when you have "extra." It means giving your last dime if that's what God asks. Because if God asks He will provide for your every need. I'm challenged to live a life where I give as freely as I have received. The people in Uganda showed me what true hospitality and caring really look like.
Thank you Uganda for giving me a reminder of what it means to truly love and bless the people you meet!
We've made it through our first few days of ministry in Mwanza. We're working with a church that is about an hour outside of the city, and it's amazing how quickly things get VERY different from city living.
Each day we jump in a truck that takes us to the village. We then spend a few hours walking around to different 'houses' to encourage believers and share the gospel with people who don't know Jesus. So far I've seen 4 people come to Christ, and that doesn't count the homes that the rest of my team have gotten to visit.
As we've been walking I've been overwhelmed by the beauty of the places we are getting to walk through. Our first day out we estimated that we walked about 4 miles. What made the walk worth it was that we were able to see banana trees framed by rocky mountains, while we were balancing on the top of small paths between rice fields.
If you've been reading my blogs you know that rice fields are special to me. If you missed it, click here for a refresher. So you can imagine that now my head is spinning as I think about all th ways God is teaching me through these fields of rice. The thing that blows my mind the most is that I always thought that rice fields were only in Asia. That's what I think of when I think of rice. My views on that have changed over the past few weeks since we eat rice at almost every meal (I'm not complaining, I like rice).
What God is teaching me this time as I walk through the fields is that it's time to harvest. One of our contacts reached over and took off the top of one of the rice plants and handed it to me. He said, "It's rice, and it's ready to be harvested." The last time I talked about rice fields they were dry. The fields were brown and hardly recognizable to my uninformed American eye. This time they are green and ready for harvest!
I'm getting to walk through the fields on the way to the houses of people who may have never heard the name of Jesus. I'm privileged to be walking these paths with the intent of seeing people enter the Kingdom of God. The fields are ready for the harvest! And God is allowing my team and me to be the workers. So, for the next few weeks we will be working in the fields of Tanzania. Pray for the harvest!
I'm officially in Mwanza, Tanzania. For those of you who aren't counting, that means I'm in month 7. I'm kind of in shock. I can't believe it's been so long since I walked on US soil, or hugged my friends and family. I also can't believe that God is allowing me to walk around the world sharing the gospel. It's incredible.
I wanted to thank all of you for your prayers over the last few months. I know that you are lifting me up because there's no way I could do all this on my own. God is faithful to hear and answer your prayers, so keep it up! Keep praying for God to reveal Himself to me and for me to follow where ever He leads.
As this month begins I look forward to see what God has in store. I look to the future and pray that God will continue to blow my expectations out of the water. So, keep praying!
I have another request as well...LET ME KNOW HOW YOU'RE DOING! You may think I don't care what's happening in your "everyday" life, but I do! So, comment here or send me an email. I want to hear from you. Let me know how you are, and what I can pray for. I really just want to know that you're still there. So, talk to me please :)
Ok, I'm done begging now. Enjoy the last day of June, and have an awesome July! You may even see how we celebrate 4th of July Tanzania style :)
Our time in Kenya is drawing to a close. It's been a good
time worshiping and serving people here for the last 3 weeks. I've been
inspired by the faith of the people we've met. Most of all, I've been
challenged by some of the youth.
I've gotten the opportunity to speak to the youth in Nakuru
4 or 5 times in the last few weeks. I've really enjoyed teaching and
encouraging them. But I think once again the table got turned on me. I met with
them to give them hope, and to tell them how special they are in the eyes of
God. As I got to know them I realized that they aren't hopeless at all.
There is a club at the school we've been working with. I got
to sit in on one of their meetings and spend some time with the leaders. They
told me about their club and what it's all about. It's called “What We Can”
(WWC). They chose that name because they know that they can't fix every problem
in their community, but they will do what they can. They visit orphanages,
hospitals, and the surrounding communities. They serve people by cleaning or
just being present in the lives of those who don't have anyone to show them
love. They show the love of Jesus to people who are in some of the most
hopeless situations you could imagine. They give their free time to serve the
poor and needy people around them.
Let me tell you a little bit about these youth.
They're orphans. They don't have money. They don't have the
luxuries that most youth in America have. They eat beans and rice pretty much
every day. Yet they decided to start a club that serves the “poor” people who
live outside the walls of their own orphanage. They looked outside of
themselves and saw a need. They decided to do what they could.
These youth have dreams. When I asked them what they were,
the answers were awe-inspiring. They want to help fight rape and poverty. They
want to make Nakuru a better place to live. They are dreaming about a world
where there aren't kids sleeping on the street. They aren't sitting around
feeling sorry for themselves, instead they are being the hands and feet of
Jesus. It's incredible!
As an American I feel ashamed. How often have I stepped back
from helping someone because I didn't feel like it, or because I was too busy
with my own life? How often do we decide that we can't help everyone, so we
just resolve to help ourselves as much as possible? I know I'm guilty.
My youth minister always wore a starfish necklace and one
day I asked her why. The story she told me changed my outlook on ministry. She
said there was a man walking down a beach. The sand was covered with starfish
that had been washed up onto land. As he walked he was amazed at the sight.
Then he saw a boy in the distance who was throwing some of the starfish back
into the water. He walked up to the boy and asked why he was throwing the
starfish back into the water. The man knew that the boy could never save all
the star fish. When he told the boy this the boy's reply was that he may not be
able to save all the star fish, but he could save each one that he threw back
into the water. So, it may not help all the dying star fish, but it matters to
the ones that are touched by the boy.
The challenge that I'm leaving Kenya with is to remember
that I may not be able to change every person on the planet or solve world
hunger, but I can make a difference in the lives of the people I come in
contact with. I can give all that I have in order to make the world a little
better for the people that God puts in my path. So, that's what I'm going to
live for. How about you?
I'm in Africa. It seemed like I would never make it here, and yet here I am. I have wanted to come to Africa since I was a little girl who carried around a stuffed monkey named Mikey. Although my motivation for coming to Africa has changed, I am still standing in awe of Kenya as if holding Mikey under my arm.
Each day we have a 20 minute walk to the orphanage and school we're working with. As we walk I'm overwhelmed by the sights and smells of Africa. I'm amazed by the men with perfectly tailored suits walking down the dirt road riddled with pot holes deep enough to lose a compact car. I've been shocked as I watch kids fill up buckets of water from mud puddles at the edge of the road. Yet there is joy.
I've spent some time with the kids at the orphanage in the last week. As we play I'm amazed at their joy. When I'm walking down the street the smiles from the people I pass are unlike anything I've ever seen. Where does this joy come from? It's from the Lord. The believers here worship with everything they have. They dance without worrying about the person beside them. They sing with no regard for who will hear. They rejoice over every blessing God has given them. It's a joy that I'm not used to seeing, and it's refreshing.
So, after a week in Kenya, God is already teaching me things. His joy is my strength. Where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord! He is so good! He is worthy to be praised! That's why we're here...that's what we're doing.
Before setting out on The World Race I had a love for China. Many of you are probably laughing at the understatement of that sentence. But for others, lets just say that if you spent more than 10 minutes talking about missions with me, you'd probably hear me talk about China.
In the beginning I was confused as to why God would call me to an 11 month mission trip that didn't include China. Why would I leave a place I love in the states for a trip that doesn't include what I feel most called to? I was confused, but knew the Lord was speaking. So I stepped out in faith that God had a plan that was better than mine.
While in Thailand I felt at home. I was back in Asia and I felt closer to China than I had in a long time. There's a problem with this however. I love China. Thailand is not China. What's happening? How can I love 2 different countries so deeply? I'm not saying that I just enjoyed Thailand. I'm saying that I fell in love with Thai people, the youth in particular. I learned a lot of the language because I just wanted to talk to them. I spent time with them, loving them, serving with them, praying over them, seeing God move in their lives, and trying to give them everything I could possibly give. In a word, I gave them my heart.
Needless to say, I was a bit confused. I can only handle loving one asian country at a time. God, my heart can only handle so much. As I vented to God He began to speak. He created me, and He knows my every desire. Lets be honest, He put the desires there. It shouldn't surprise me when He is able to make sense of what seems to be complete craziness.
Thanks to some of my M squad friends I was able to see some of what God is up to. I began to realize that God didn't give me a heart for China. (It's ok I haven't lost my mind.) He gave me a heart for the youth of every nation. In every country so far I've been trying to find youth to pour into. Thailand gave me that opportunity, and I fell in love. I got to hang out with teenagers who were seeking the Lord above all else and it blessed me beyond belief. In their eyes I saw joy and passion that I long to see in the eyes of youth all over the world.
Youth in The Philippines, Thailand, and New Zealand.
Many people may think that teenagers are crazy and hormonal, but there is so much more to them. They go all in. They have a lot of energy. At times they are crazy, but then again so am I. What I see in them is a generation that is going to turn this world upside down for the gospel. The passion and joy they contain is something that I pray will be used to share the love of Christ with the nations. Their energy will be used in some way, and I want to help direct it.
If the youth of the world were to catch the vision of bringing the gospel to every square inch of the globe, the world would be changed. It's no longer about the man in a tie standing behind the pulpit. It's about living out passionate love for God in every step we take. It's about losing your life in order to truly live. Youth will do it, and I will give my life to show them how capable they are of changing the world around them. I have a heart to see them use the passion God gave them! It doesn't matter what country they're from.
