Hello there. How are you today? How is life treating you? Really, truthfully, how are you doing? Allow me to ask you a question: Do you know of Jesus? What do you know of Him? Who is Jesus to you? What does that mean for your life? Are you experiencing the life transformation through Jesus?
Before Jesus went to be at the right hand of the Throne of God, He told us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. We are to tell everyone we see, every place we go, about the life changing power and love of Jesus Christ.
I am to be about my Father’s business, and it should be on my lips at all times. My every conversation should be infused with life-giving power, and that only happens if I am talking about or talking to Jesus.
I have often thought that my spiritual gifts do not include evangelism per se, but more teaching and discipleship, as if I am excused from interacting with others until they are ready to be discipled. But that does not excuse me from speaking about Jesus. He should be a part of my normal, everyday conversations. As Scripture says, “I believe, therefore I speak.” If He really is all who I claim He is in my life, why do I not speak His name more often throughout the normal course of my day?
It’s time to start. I believe, therefore I speak.
So, who is Jesus to you? Are you experiencing His life changing power? If you do not know Him or are not living in His power, I would love to be able to tell you about this One man who changed the course of all history, and of life itself.
Be blessed, friends, with the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
If It's Not One Thing, It's Another. Seriously.
I cannot believe that it has been over a week since I wrote anything. Please forgive me. Somehow time has just slipped away, and one thing becomes another, and then important things have not gotten done. But stay with me. I’m getting back on track. I’ve got a lot of thoughts swirling tonight, so hang with me and hold on tight.
I want to start by thanking you for praying for my ear situation. I’ll tell you what; the hem of His garment has proven to be much stronger than any antibiotic out there. My ear is as good as new and I give all praise to Jesus for the healing.
But I’ll tell you that as soon as there was relief in the ear, there was pain elsewhere. I am inclined to think that there is one who doesn’t want me to believe God on this issue, or any other issue for that matter. But I am believing nonetheless, and learning more about God and His world in the process. Last week I had been battling a UTI (urinary tract infection), and I thought that I could just drink more water and flush it out. Dumb. Water is an issue here in Kenya, as in it is expensive and not as available as opening a tap in the states and filling a glass. All that to say that water is a bit hard to come by, so flushing out an infection by drinking lots of water here in Kenya is quite difficult. Needless to say, my plan did not work, and by Saturday morning, the infection had traveled my bladder and kidney.
That is some serious pain, y’all, so much so that I could not stand up straight. So my husband took me to a local hospital to get some treatment. That was an experience. Now, granted, there were no goats walking around the halls like the hospital that we visited in Ghana. Toria came down with malaria while we were in northern Ghana last year, and the hospital there was a HUGE step of faith for me, as I watched goats walk down the walkways. There were no goats at the one here in Kenya, just very interesting people.
I am seeing more and more as we travel that people are so incredibly interesting all over the world, and are in such desperate need of a renewal of the mind (Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2). You see, it seems that people everywhere have forgotten that we as human beings have more in common with each other than we do have that separates us.
Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Did you catch that? God created man in his own image. First and foremost, we each as human beings bear the image of the Almighty Creator of the universe. We each bear the same image of the King of kings. Every single one of us, whether it is acknowledged or not, bears the same image of God. Then He created them male and female. So first He made us as image bearers, then He differentiated us.
So why is it that we first differentiate each other before we see what binds us together? Back to the hospital story, the lady who was tending to my painful situation began to ask my husband about our children, whether they were black children or white children. To be completely honest, it was by God’s grace alone that I was in so much pain, because otherwise my tongue would have caused me to sin greatly in that situation. My husband graciously replied that we do not use such stupid language. Our children are children. That’s enough. I swooned a bit as I fell more in love with him, even in my pathetic state at that point.
Let me add to that, though, for those who like to use the term “mixed babies.” I have heard it often, probably not mal-intended, but used none-the-less. There is nothing mixed about a child. Allow me to say that again. There is absolutely nothing mixed or half-breed anything about any child anywhere in the world. These children, as are all children, are wholly sanctified by their Maker, formed with all the creativity and beauty of an amazing God who enjoys painting brilliant sunsets across the evening sky and colorful rainbows in a fresh rain-filled atmosphere. I just need to put that out there. Please do not label what God has created whole as half-anything, as mixed anything.
Ok, back on target. So after running a test on my urine, they determined that I had a raging bladder and kidney infection, which is what I was trying to tell them the whole time we were there. So they decided to give me a dose of IV antibiotics first to get the treatment started quickly. As we were sitting in the treatment room receiving my dose, they brought a sick child into the same room to receive a treatment of some sort as well. We protested at having someone else in the room while I was being treated, which they quickly disregarded. Then the lady taking care of the child told the child not to cry because the white lady wasn’t crying. And everyone knows that white people are weak and cry at everything. So if I could endure the treatment without crying, then certainly the child could do the same.
Again, by God’s grace I was too weak and in too much pain to stand up and tongue whip her for such remarks, but my husband was quick to tell her that not only was she lying to the child, her talk was stupid. Can I just say that I adore him? Seriously y’all. Adore him.
Focus. Renewing of the mind is what is needed. Those types of things don’t just happen here in Kenya. We recently saw an advertisement for a news broadcast being shown in the states called “Is the US ready for a black man to be President?” What a stupid question. Is it not enough that he is a man? He needs to be called a black man? Is he not a man? Maybe I missed it, but have the other candidates been referred to as “white men”? No, for some reason it is enough to acknowledge them as men. I just wonder if God looks at His children and refers to them as black or white, or any other color. No, in fact, Scripture says that He refers to us by name. So, He does not call me “white Shauna” and someone else “black so-and-so.” No, it is enough to call us by name. Because whatever color He decided we would be, we first bear His image. I wonder if that is what He sees first. His own image reflected back to Him, after all, He put it there. I wonder if He ever says, “Black what? That’s my child. That’s enough.”
Acts 17:26-28 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
Rev was telling me the other day about a conversation he had overheard between two Kenyan women who were talking about us. They were assuming that Rev was a foreigner and did not understand their language, so they were speaking boldly. They were saying that he had only married me for money, because I wasn’t even beautiful, and that they could easily seduce him and steal him away from me with their beauty. Then they began insulting my shoes, saying that I was a Westerner but wasn’t even up with fashion.
Ouch. That hurt. I mean, if they don’t think I’m beautiful, that’s one thing, but don’t talk about my shoes. That’s really…high schoolish. Honestly, though, there is a time in my life that those words would have wounded me deeply, but as I sat there listening to it, that still, small voice in my heart kept saying over and over again, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”
You see, I didn’t choose my skin color, or my weak eyes, or my ears. I did not form them with my hands, but they were formed by my Creator, and He says I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He says I am beautiful (Song of Songs 4:1). I’m prone to believe that word over a couple of women who judge by worldly standards and evil perspectives. I’ve seen the beautiful work of my Lord. I have seen how creative He is and how high His standards of excellence and beauty are. If He says I’m beautiful, I believe it with everything in me.
We are separated by things that should not divide us, and the blood that was poured out over us is too often taken for granted as not being enough to unite us. The image that was put in us at creation does not bring us together, yet we are divided over petty things such as the tinting on our skin. Renewing of the mind. That is what we need. All over the world. Renewing of the mind.
For those concerned, my bladder/kidney situation is all but resolved. I am still taking antibiotics to finish up the course, but all pain is gone and seems to have returned to normal. I feel like these thoughts tonight may have been a bit all over the place, but that’s where I am right now. Hope you can find some sense in it somewhere.
Maybe there are some assumptions or dividing ideas that you are holding onto, aware or not. Ask for God to reveal them to you so that you may deal appropriately with them.
Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Ask Him. We are called to be Ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. He has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. We cannot work for reconciliation in others when we ourselves have not yet been reconciled. Ask Him. He is faithful to let you know.
In all things, friends, there is Grace and Peace. Love y'all.
-Shauna
I want to start by thanking you for praying for my ear situation. I’ll tell you what; the hem of His garment has proven to be much stronger than any antibiotic out there. My ear is as good as new and I give all praise to Jesus for the healing.
But I’ll tell you that as soon as there was relief in the ear, there was pain elsewhere. I am inclined to think that there is one who doesn’t want me to believe God on this issue, or any other issue for that matter. But I am believing nonetheless, and learning more about God and His world in the process. Last week I had been battling a UTI (urinary tract infection), and I thought that I could just drink more water and flush it out. Dumb. Water is an issue here in Kenya, as in it is expensive and not as available as opening a tap in the states and filling a glass. All that to say that water is a bit hard to come by, so flushing out an infection by drinking lots of water here in Kenya is quite difficult. Needless to say, my plan did not work, and by Saturday morning, the infection had traveled my bladder and kidney.
That is some serious pain, y’all, so much so that I could not stand up straight. So my husband took me to a local hospital to get some treatment. That was an experience. Now, granted, there were no goats walking around the halls like the hospital that we visited in Ghana. Toria came down with malaria while we were in northern Ghana last year, and the hospital there was a HUGE step of faith for me, as I watched goats walk down the walkways. There were no goats at the one here in Kenya, just very interesting people.
I am seeing more and more as we travel that people are so incredibly interesting all over the world, and are in such desperate need of a renewal of the mind (Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2). You see, it seems that people everywhere have forgotten that we as human beings have more in common with each other than we do have that separates us.
Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Did you catch that? God created man in his own image. First and foremost, we each as human beings bear the image of the Almighty Creator of the universe. We each bear the same image of the King of kings. Every single one of us, whether it is acknowledged or not, bears the same image of God. Then He created them male and female. So first He made us as image bearers, then He differentiated us.
So why is it that we first differentiate each other before we see what binds us together? Back to the hospital story, the lady who was tending to my painful situation began to ask my husband about our children, whether they were black children or white children. To be completely honest, it was by God’s grace alone that I was in so much pain, because otherwise my tongue would have caused me to sin greatly in that situation. My husband graciously replied that we do not use such stupid language. Our children are children. That’s enough. I swooned a bit as I fell more in love with him, even in my pathetic state at that point.
Let me add to that, though, for those who like to use the term “mixed babies.” I have heard it often, probably not mal-intended, but used none-the-less. There is nothing mixed about a child. Allow me to say that again. There is absolutely nothing mixed or half-breed anything about any child anywhere in the world. These children, as are all children, are wholly sanctified by their Maker, formed with all the creativity and beauty of an amazing God who enjoys painting brilliant sunsets across the evening sky and colorful rainbows in a fresh rain-filled atmosphere. I just need to put that out there. Please do not label what God has created whole as half-anything, as mixed anything.
Ok, back on target. So after running a test on my urine, they determined that I had a raging bladder and kidney infection, which is what I was trying to tell them the whole time we were there. So they decided to give me a dose of IV antibiotics first to get the treatment started quickly. As we were sitting in the treatment room receiving my dose, they brought a sick child into the same room to receive a treatment of some sort as well. We protested at having someone else in the room while I was being treated, which they quickly disregarded. Then the lady taking care of the child told the child not to cry because the white lady wasn’t crying. And everyone knows that white people are weak and cry at everything. So if I could endure the treatment without crying, then certainly the child could do the same.
Again, by God’s grace I was too weak and in too much pain to stand up and tongue whip her for such remarks, but my husband was quick to tell her that not only was she lying to the child, her talk was stupid. Can I just say that I adore him? Seriously y’all. Adore him.
Focus. Renewing of the mind is what is needed. Those types of things don’t just happen here in Kenya. We recently saw an advertisement for a news broadcast being shown in the states called “Is the US ready for a black man to be President?” What a stupid question. Is it not enough that he is a man? He needs to be called a black man? Is he not a man? Maybe I missed it, but have the other candidates been referred to as “white men”? No, for some reason it is enough to acknowledge them as men. I just wonder if God looks at His children and refers to them as black or white, or any other color. No, in fact, Scripture says that He refers to us by name. So, He does not call me “white Shauna” and someone else “black so-and-so.” No, it is enough to call us by name. Because whatever color He decided we would be, we first bear His image. I wonder if that is what He sees first. His own image reflected back to Him, after all, He put it there. I wonder if He ever says, “Black what? That’s my child. That’s enough.”
Acts 17:26-28 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
Rev was telling me the other day about a conversation he had overheard between two Kenyan women who were talking about us. They were assuming that Rev was a foreigner and did not understand their language, so they were speaking boldly. They were saying that he had only married me for money, because I wasn’t even beautiful, and that they could easily seduce him and steal him away from me with their beauty. Then they began insulting my shoes, saying that I was a Westerner but wasn’t even up with fashion.
Ouch. That hurt. I mean, if they don’t think I’m beautiful, that’s one thing, but don’t talk about my shoes. That’s really…high schoolish. Honestly, though, there is a time in my life that those words would have wounded me deeply, but as I sat there listening to it, that still, small voice in my heart kept saying over and over again, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”
You see, I didn’t choose my skin color, or my weak eyes, or my ears. I did not form them with my hands, but they were formed by my Creator, and He says I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He says I am beautiful (Song of Songs 4:1). I’m prone to believe that word over a couple of women who judge by worldly standards and evil perspectives. I’ve seen the beautiful work of my Lord. I have seen how creative He is and how high His standards of excellence and beauty are. If He says I’m beautiful, I believe it with everything in me.
We are separated by things that should not divide us, and the blood that was poured out over us is too often taken for granted as not being enough to unite us. The image that was put in us at creation does not bring us together, yet we are divided over petty things such as the tinting on our skin. Renewing of the mind. That is what we need. All over the world. Renewing of the mind.
For those concerned, my bladder/kidney situation is all but resolved. I am still taking antibiotics to finish up the course, but all pain is gone and seems to have returned to normal. I feel like these thoughts tonight may have been a bit all over the place, but that’s where I am right now. Hope you can find some sense in it somewhere.
Maybe there are some assumptions or dividing ideas that you are holding onto, aware or not. Ask for God to reveal them to you so that you may deal appropriately with them.
Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Ask Him. We are called to be Ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. He has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. We cannot work for reconciliation in others when we ourselves have not yet been reconciled. Ask Him. He is faithful to let you know.
In all things, friends, there is Grace and Peace. Love y'all.
-Shauna
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Touching His Garment
Friends, first please let me apologize for not getting anything new up to the site in quite some time. I've had a bit of writer's block lately, and can't seem to form much of a thought, much less a sentence. Forgive me. I thought I would share this with you tonight though, as this is what's on my mind.
I’ve had an ear infection for almost a month now. I’ve had two rounds of antibiotics, though they have not been a full course, but all that I had access to. So, my ear has felt better for a little while, and then pain comes back quite intensely. It had been feeling quite better for a few days, but when I awoke this morning, the pain was back, and this evening, it is so intense that I am unable to move my jaw without great pain.
As I was mulling over my pain this evening, I began to think about the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. According to the Gospel of Mark, she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd that was around him and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” And indeed she was healed.
You see, at some point, someone came and told this woman about Jesus. Someone told her of the things that He had been doing and the miracles that He was able to perform. Someone told her the story of Jesus, and it so touched her soul, it so fueled her with hope that she made a conscious decision to go after Him. She decided to risk everything, even to the point of risking her life, in order to simply touch the hem of his garment.
According to Leviticus 15:25-32, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. Whoever touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
“When she is cleansed from her discharge, she must count off seven days, and after that she will be ceremonially clean. On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement for her before the Lord for the uncleanness of her discharge.
“You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.
“These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen, for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who lies with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.”
This brings to mind several thoughts, first of which is absolute gratitude and praise that we do not live under Law of Moses, but live under the Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21). But it also makes me wonder why, when God Himself created our bodies to function in this manner (at least to have regular monthly periods), why does He then call it unclean, enough so to defile His dwelling place? That is probably a discussion that should be saved for another time, but it was just a thought. Back to the original point.
This poor woman had been considered unclean for 12 years, unable to touch anyone without making them unclean, unable to sit or lie anywhere without making it unclean. I cannot imagine what a lonely life that would lead to, what despair and hopelessness that would lead to. Probably enough to cause a woman to risk life and limb looking for healing, willing to be stoned to death for the consequences of touching a man, a rabbi, while in such an unclean state. She would rather die trying to be healed, than simply stay in the hopeless state that she had found herself. Scripture says that she had given everything looking for a cure, and she only became worse.
But then there was Jesus. Hope. Healing. Jesus. She made a choice that day, a premeditated act to go against all that her culture had ever taught her, to set aside all other things that would hold her back, and as the crowd pressed in around him, she did it. She reached out her hand and touched the hem of his garment, the tassel of his robe, and immediately she was healed. Scripture says that power went out from Jesus and she was healed in that moment.
Tonight I am making the same choice. I want to touch the hem of His garment. I am asking for Your healing power, Savior. I am asking to be healed. I have exhausted my resources here, and instead of getting better, the pain has grown worse. If only I can touch Your clothes, I will be healed. Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known (Habbakkuk 3:2). You’ve done it before, as I see in Your Word. Do it again Jesus. Heal me, Adonai, that I may be freed from this suffering.
Grace and Peace, y'all.
I’ve had an ear infection for almost a month now. I’ve had two rounds of antibiotics, though they have not been a full course, but all that I had access to. So, my ear has felt better for a little while, and then pain comes back quite intensely. It had been feeling quite better for a few days, but when I awoke this morning, the pain was back, and this evening, it is so intense that I am unable to move my jaw without great pain.
As I was mulling over my pain this evening, I began to think about the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. According to the Gospel of Mark, she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd that was around him and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” And indeed she was healed.
You see, at some point, someone came and told this woman about Jesus. Someone told her of the things that He had been doing and the miracles that He was able to perform. Someone told her the story of Jesus, and it so touched her soul, it so fueled her with hope that she made a conscious decision to go after Him. She decided to risk everything, even to the point of risking her life, in order to simply touch the hem of his garment.
According to Leviticus 15:25-32, “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period. Any bed she lies on while her discharge continues will be unclean, as is her bed during her monthly period, and anything she sits on will be unclean, as during her period. Whoever touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
“When she is cleansed from her discharge, she must count off seven days, and after that she will be ceremonially clean. On the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priest is to sacrifice one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement for her before the Lord for the uncleanness of her discharge.
“You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.
“These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen, for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who lies with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.”
This brings to mind several thoughts, first of which is absolute gratitude and praise that we do not live under Law of Moses, but live under the Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21). But it also makes me wonder why, when God Himself created our bodies to function in this manner (at least to have regular monthly periods), why does He then call it unclean, enough so to defile His dwelling place? That is probably a discussion that should be saved for another time, but it was just a thought. Back to the original point.
This poor woman had been considered unclean for 12 years, unable to touch anyone without making them unclean, unable to sit or lie anywhere without making it unclean. I cannot imagine what a lonely life that would lead to, what despair and hopelessness that would lead to. Probably enough to cause a woman to risk life and limb looking for healing, willing to be stoned to death for the consequences of touching a man, a rabbi, while in such an unclean state. She would rather die trying to be healed, than simply stay in the hopeless state that she had found herself. Scripture says that she had given everything looking for a cure, and she only became worse.
But then there was Jesus. Hope. Healing. Jesus. She made a choice that day, a premeditated act to go against all that her culture had ever taught her, to set aside all other things that would hold her back, and as the crowd pressed in around him, she did it. She reached out her hand and touched the hem of his garment, the tassel of his robe, and immediately she was healed. Scripture says that power went out from Jesus and she was healed in that moment.
Tonight I am making the same choice. I want to touch the hem of His garment. I am asking for Your healing power, Savior. I am asking to be healed. I have exhausted my resources here, and instead of getting better, the pain has grown worse. If only I can touch Your clothes, I will be healed. Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known (Habbakkuk 3:2). You’ve done it before, as I see in Your Word. Do it again Jesus. Heal me, Adonai, that I may be freed from this suffering.
Grace and Peace, y'all.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Apply it to the Heart
The last day that I spent in Ethiopia was a free day for me. The training session that I was teaching ended on Wednesday, and the earliest flight out that I could get was Friday morning, so Thursday was a free day. That morning, I had read in Proverbs 24:32:
“I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.”
That verse really struck my heart funny for some reason, and asked God to give me eyes to see and observe the world around me, wisdom to apply it to my heart and learn a lesson from what I see.
Ain’t God grand in His faithfulness?
I had the unique privilege of spending the day with some old friends of ours who had relocated to Addis Ababa back in March of this year. They work with an organization called Youth for Christ, and they have a vision to reach the lost and vulnerable children of the world with the overwhelming love of Christ, starting with a small group of orphans in Addis. We spent the morning sitting at a small café in Addis, sipping on macchiatos and tea as they shared with me their vision, the calling which they received from Christ, and how God is so faithful to bring it to pass. As they spoke about their love for these children, who seem so disposable and forgotten by their own people, I heard Jesus in their language, and His unshakeable love for children.
He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Mark 9:36-37
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but his disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16
Jesus took the children in his arms. The Everlasting King of Kings took into His arms what society considered disposable, throwaway, not worthy of being in His presence (who among us is?). Jesus took them in His arms.
What is it to receive the kingdom of God like a little child? What does that mean or look like? As I sat with my friends and listened to stories of ways that Jesus is transforming the lives of the orphans that they are working with, I began to understand what it means. When these children received Christ into their hearts, they welcomed Him with every ounce of hope that He had to bring, every bit of optimism that they have never known before. Many, if not all, of the children come from very rough backgrounds, and have known the world to be a very cruel place. They receive Christ from the inside out, and from the mouths of babes come profound words of faith and intercession. These children are learning at their tender ages to seek after and believe God for absolutely everything.
They told me the story of one of the young boys who had lived on the streets for quite some time. He has come to know Christ in such deep and profound ways; ways that most professing “Christians” have never experienced Him. At one point quite recently, this boy received a gift of 3000 Ethiopian birr (equivalent of about $300 USD). He had never had this much money in all of his life and so was quite broken over the gift itself. He went and exchanged the 3-1000 birr bill into 3000-1 birr bills (did you follow that?) and went before the Lord to inquire what to do with the money. He prayed over every single bill and did nothing with them without the leading and direction of God.
Ok, seriously, that was lesson enough for me in stewardship and trusting God for provisions and His faithfulness and a few others. But the day went on.
As we walked through Addis Ababa, they were very intentional to stop and talk with as many of the street children and homeless folks as they possibly could. To most anyone else, these people were invisible, bothersome, a nuisance, but I watched my friends stop and talk, smile, shake their hands, ask their names. Yes, they were asked for money repeatedly, but they simply gave them answers and continued talking with them.
We had lunch at a little restaurant in central Addis and continued our conversations, and as the meal ended, I watched my friends wrap up every bit of food that was left on the table to carry with them. Even the bread rolls were wrapped into little napkins and put into bags or purses to carry with them. When I asked about all the food being wrapped up, the simple response was, “Just in case someone is hungry.”
They weren’t referring to themselves. As we continued our journey across town, they proceeded to give away all that they were carrying with them to the hungry mouths that were asking. They even stopped at a little shop to buy some water and crackers for a hungry mama and baby after they had run out of everything else.
Over the time that they have been there, they have gotten know many of the kids who are living on the streets and are continuing to minister to them. No, they can’t save all of them and some might even argue that they are promoting the homelessness/begging, but what I saw that day was incredibly beautiful, and I know in the midst of it all, I saw God moving, warming hearts and planting seeds. What I saw were some people who are so completely sold out to serving Christ, that absolutely everything that they do, live and breath is very intentional in seeing their vision come to pass.
What I observed that day I have applied to my heart and learned a very powerful lesson. What about you? How are you being intentional in the vision you have? Do you know your calling? What is your vision for God’s Kingdom? How are you achieving it? Let us be a people who are able to learn, who are able to apply lessons to our hearts and action to our lives so that our theology is not mere academics, but life.
Grace and peace to you all. Love you!
“I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.”
That verse really struck my heart funny for some reason, and asked God to give me eyes to see and observe the world around me, wisdom to apply it to my heart and learn a lesson from what I see.
Ain’t God grand in His faithfulness?
I had the unique privilege of spending the day with some old friends of ours who had relocated to Addis Ababa back in March of this year. They work with an organization called Youth for Christ, and they have a vision to reach the lost and vulnerable children of the world with the overwhelming love of Christ, starting with a small group of orphans in Addis. We spent the morning sitting at a small café in Addis, sipping on macchiatos and tea as they shared with me their vision, the calling which they received from Christ, and how God is so faithful to bring it to pass. As they spoke about their love for these children, who seem so disposable and forgotten by their own people, I heard Jesus in their language, and His unshakeable love for children.
He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Mark 9:36-37
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but his disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16
Jesus took the children in his arms. The Everlasting King of Kings took into His arms what society considered disposable, throwaway, not worthy of being in His presence (who among us is?). Jesus took them in His arms.
What is it to receive the kingdom of God like a little child? What does that mean or look like? As I sat with my friends and listened to stories of ways that Jesus is transforming the lives of the orphans that they are working with, I began to understand what it means. When these children received Christ into their hearts, they welcomed Him with every ounce of hope that He had to bring, every bit of optimism that they have never known before. Many, if not all, of the children come from very rough backgrounds, and have known the world to be a very cruel place. They receive Christ from the inside out, and from the mouths of babes come profound words of faith and intercession. These children are learning at their tender ages to seek after and believe God for absolutely everything.
They told me the story of one of the young boys who had lived on the streets for quite some time. He has come to know Christ in such deep and profound ways; ways that most professing “Christians” have never experienced Him. At one point quite recently, this boy received a gift of 3000 Ethiopian birr (equivalent of about $300 USD). He had never had this much money in all of his life and so was quite broken over the gift itself. He went and exchanged the 3-1000 birr bill into 3000-1 birr bills (did you follow that?) and went before the Lord to inquire what to do with the money. He prayed over every single bill and did nothing with them without the leading and direction of God.
Ok, seriously, that was lesson enough for me in stewardship and trusting God for provisions and His faithfulness and a few others. But the day went on.
As we walked through Addis Ababa, they were very intentional to stop and talk with as many of the street children and homeless folks as they possibly could. To most anyone else, these people were invisible, bothersome, a nuisance, but I watched my friends stop and talk, smile, shake their hands, ask their names. Yes, they were asked for money repeatedly, but they simply gave them answers and continued talking with them.
We had lunch at a little restaurant in central Addis and continued our conversations, and as the meal ended, I watched my friends wrap up every bit of food that was left on the table to carry with them. Even the bread rolls were wrapped into little napkins and put into bags or purses to carry with them. When I asked about all the food being wrapped up, the simple response was, “Just in case someone is hungry.”
They weren’t referring to themselves. As we continued our journey across town, they proceeded to give away all that they were carrying with them to the hungry mouths that were asking. They even stopped at a little shop to buy some water and crackers for a hungry mama and baby after they had run out of everything else.
Over the time that they have been there, they have gotten know many of the kids who are living on the streets and are continuing to minister to them. No, they can’t save all of them and some might even argue that they are promoting the homelessness/begging, but what I saw that day was incredibly beautiful, and I know in the midst of it all, I saw God moving, warming hearts and planting seeds. What I saw were some people who are so completely sold out to serving Christ, that absolutely everything that they do, live and breath is very intentional in seeing their vision come to pass.
What I observed that day I have applied to my heart and learned a very powerful lesson. What about you? How are you being intentional in the vision you have? Do you know your calling? What is your vision for God’s Kingdom? How are you achieving it? Let us be a people who are able to learn, who are able to apply lessons to our hearts and action to our lives so that our theology is not mere academics, but life.
Grace and peace to you all. Love you!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Lesson from Ethiopia
As I process all that we saw and did in Ethiopia, I am humbled a great deal by some of the lessons that God taught me. One is as follows:
From the time that we arrived in Addis Ababa, we were either traveling or teaching. Our day would begin quite early with trying to get the girls, and ourselves, dressed, fed, and out the door. We would teach all day long, and then were usually guests in someone’s home for dinner at the end of the day. By the time we would arrive back to our room, it was usually quite late. Needless to say, it was quite difficult to find time to wash our clothes. Washing machines are not found in these parts, and hand-washing clothes does take some time, and energy.
So by time we arrived back in Addis Ababa from Nazareth, we as a family were quite out of clean clothes. The girls had reworn all that they could possibly rewear, but any mommy of a toddler and pre-toddler knows that a child does not have to wear the clothes very long before they are quite dirty. So after wearing the same clothes for a few days, they were quite filthy. And between the food, the rain, and the mud, the shirts and pants were able to stand and walk on their own without any body standing in them. They were quite ripe.
At one point, we tried to hire someone to wash the clothes for us, but the lady saw that we were foreigners and tried to take advantage of the situation. She was offering to charge us quite a bit of money for each piece of clothing that needed to be washed. We could neither afford to pay her said price, nor had the desire to be robbed by said washer.
So, by the time that someone criticized me for not having my children properly dressed for the weather of Addis Ababa, it was all I could do to not properly put him in his place, to make sure that he was aware of the fact that we had come by invitation to do trainings, that we had been busy traveling and teaching since we had arrived in the country, and were not able to find anyone who was willing to help us with the washing of our clothes. I believe that my tongue was bleeding as I bit down in frustration and attempted restraint. You see, as a mother and a wife, I feel quite responsible to be sure that my family is taken care of with all that they need. So when I am in a position that will not allow me to take care of my family, I feel great pressure and frustration.
So it came to the point where I was teaching during the day, and had to wash clothes by hand in the bath at night. Much to my shame, my attitude at that point was quite negative, and I found myself grumbling to my husband about the situation rather than simply doing what needed to be done and moving on.
That night, God brought to my mind an encounter that we experienced last year while we were in Northern Ghana. We were introduced to an American "missionary" couple that had been in Ghana for about 10years now. They have a very nice house, built on a very nice compound with very nice high brick walls all around the compound, and a very big guard at the gate controlling who is able to enter the compound. They have two children who have now grown up in Ghana, and yet they do not speak one word of the any of the three main languages that are spoken there, nor do they have any Ghanaian friends or interact with any Ghanaian people. In fact, they rarely leave their “little America” compound.
One might say, “So what? They are protecting their family.” The problem is, the local Ghanaian people see that these “missionaries” don’t actually want anything to do with the people. They are there to do projects among them, to “fix” them. That is what the locals shared with us. They will receive anything that the “missionaries” are giving out, because they are doing several different projects, but the Ghanaians feel rejected by the missionaries, unaccepted in who they are, less than. So when it comes times for the missionaries to preach the gospel, the message is rejected along with the messengers. Their attitude toward the local people had become a great hindrance to the spread of the gospel.
As God was reminding me of the words from the Ghanaians, I felt a great amount of shame and remorse for my behavior and attitude. Was I too good to do my own laundry, even if by hand? Did I come to be taken care of, or did I come to serve others? Was my bad attitude becoming a hindrance to the spread of the gospel?
The problem was, I was trying to serve Jesus without any sort of sacrifice or struggle. Yes, I was teaching throughout the day, but God provided me the strength to stand and the words to speak. But then at the end of the day, I was wanting to be served rather than serving, and it lead to a grumbling, complaining heart rather than one of gratitude and joy to be experiencing the things that I been honored enough to see, hear, and know. And I had allowed something as small and petty as dirty laundry to rob me of my joy and remove my spirit of servanthood. I am not so important or so proud as to not be able to do my family’s laundry, even at the end of a long day. I had blown it, and in God’s great grace and mercy, He let me know.
What was missing was the cross. You see, the way of Jesus is the way of the cross. He came to teach, to heal, to love, and at the end of the day, He came to carry a cross for the redemption and salvation of all mankind. So if what we are doing does not somehow have some aspect of suffering, some aspect of sacrifice in it, is it truly of Christ? Even if it is simply doing laundry, quietly, humbly, thanking God for the opportunity to serve.
I pray that my downfall would encourage you to not take the same path. Grace and peace to you all, as I accept the same from my Lord
From the time that we arrived in Addis Ababa, we were either traveling or teaching. Our day would begin quite early with trying to get the girls, and ourselves, dressed, fed, and out the door. We would teach all day long, and then were usually guests in someone’s home for dinner at the end of the day. By the time we would arrive back to our room, it was usually quite late. Needless to say, it was quite difficult to find time to wash our clothes. Washing machines are not found in these parts, and hand-washing clothes does take some time, and energy.
So by time we arrived back in Addis Ababa from Nazareth, we as a family were quite out of clean clothes. The girls had reworn all that they could possibly rewear, but any mommy of a toddler and pre-toddler knows that a child does not have to wear the clothes very long before they are quite dirty. So after wearing the same clothes for a few days, they were quite filthy. And between the food, the rain, and the mud, the shirts and pants were able to stand and walk on their own without any body standing in them. They were quite ripe.
At one point, we tried to hire someone to wash the clothes for us, but the lady saw that we were foreigners and tried to take advantage of the situation. She was offering to charge us quite a bit of money for each piece of clothing that needed to be washed. We could neither afford to pay her said price, nor had the desire to be robbed by said washer.
So, by the time that someone criticized me for not having my children properly dressed for the weather of Addis Ababa, it was all I could do to not properly put him in his place, to make sure that he was aware of the fact that we had come by invitation to do trainings, that we had been busy traveling and teaching since we had arrived in the country, and were not able to find anyone who was willing to help us with the washing of our clothes. I believe that my tongue was bleeding as I bit down in frustration and attempted restraint. You see, as a mother and a wife, I feel quite responsible to be sure that my family is taken care of with all that they need. So when I am in a position that will not allow me to take care of my family, I feel great pressure and frustration.
So it came to the point where I was teaching during the day, and had to wash clothes by hand in the bath at night. Much to my shame, my attitude at that point was quite negative, and I found myself grumbling to my husband about the situation rather than simply doing what needed to be done and moving on.
That night, God brought to my mind an encounter that we experienced last year while we were in Northern Ghana. We were introduced to an American "missionary" couple that had been in Ghana for about 10years now. They have a very nice house, built on a very nice compound with very nice high brick walls all around the compound, and a very big guard at the gate controlling who is able to enter the compound. They have two children who have now grown up in Ghana, and yet they do not speak one word of the any of the three main languages that are spoken there, nor do they have any Ghanaian friends or interact with any Ghanaian people. In fact, they rarely leave their “little America” compound.
One might say, “So what? They are protecting their family.” The problem is, the local Ghanaian people see that these “missionaries” don’t actually want anything to do with the people. They are there to do projects among them, to “fix” them. That is what the locals shared with us. They will receive anything that the “missionaries” are giving out, because they are doing several different projects, but the Ghanaians feel rejected by the missionaries, unaccepted in who they are, less than. So when it comes times for the missionaries to preach the gospel, the message is rejected along with the messengers. Their attitude toward the local people had become a great hindrance to the spread of the gospel.
As God was reminding me of the words from the Ghanaians, I felt a great amount of shame and remorse for my behavior and attitude. Was I too good to do my own laundry, even if by hand? Did I come to be taken care of, or did I come to serve others? Was my bad attitude becoming a hindrance to the spread of the gospel?
The problem was, I was trying to serve Jesus without any sort of sacrifice or struggle. Yes, I was teaching throughout the day, but God provided me the strength to stand and the words to speak. But then at the end of the day, I was wanting to be served rather than serving, and it lead to a grumbling, complaining heart rather than one of gratitude and joy to be experiencing the things that I been honored enough to see, hear, and know. And I had allowed something as small and petty as dirty laundry to rob me of my joy and remove my spirit of servanthood. I am not so important or so proud as to not be able to do my family’s laundry, even at the end of a long day. I had blown it, and in God’s great grace and mercy, He let me know.
What was missing was the cross. You see, the way of Jesus is the way of the cross. He came to teach, to heal, to love, and at the end of the day, He came to carry a cross for the redemption and salvation of all mankind. So if what we are doing does not somehow have some aspect of suffering, some aspect of sacrifice in it, is it truly of Christ? Even if it is simply doing laundry, quietly, humbly, thanking God for the opportunity to serve.
I pray that my downfall would encourage you to not take the same path. Grace and peace to you all, as I accept the same from my Lord
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Back in Kenya after Ethiopia
Praise the Lord! Egziabher yimesgin (Amharic)! Bwana Asafiwe (Swahili)! What a joy to be able to reconnect with you all! I have missed you and the opportunity to share with you the things that God is doing. I just returned to Kenya last night after spending the past two weeks in Ethiopia. For some reason, I could not access blogspot from any of the places that we were in Ethiopia. Many thanks to my friend Stephanie for making a post for me.
What a busy two weeks it was! The first week we spent in a small city called Nazareth, maybe you’ve heard of it. Ok, it’s a different Nazareth than where Jesus grew up, but it was still really cool for me to be teaching in Nazareth, Ethiopia. Truly, there are some very good things coming out of Nazareth. Rev trained 16 pastors to train local, lay church-planters, and I had the very unique privilege of training their wives. It was a great opportunity and a very unique set-up to be able to interact with pastors and their wives at the same time!
The women were incredible to get to know, and powerful prayer warriors! Seriously, have you ever heard prayer time that absolutely sounded like a battle cry? These women were ready for war, and when they stood and spoke with all the power and authority of the Holy Spirit in them, I know beyond all doubt that the prince of this world was not only furious, but scared. Seriously, y’all, power.
There was really fantastic feedback from both the pastors and the wives when the training was finished, and some very exciting actions plans of how it will all be used, so we are lifting them up before the Lord to see what He will do with it all.
We then traveled back to Addis Ababa so that I could do another training session for women. This was incredible training time that started out with 25 women and ended with 30 ladies fired up to return to their areas of ministry. For me, this was particularly exciting because all of the ladies came from very different regions around Ethiopia, and worked in more rural areas. Several of the ladies are from strongly Islamic regions, and several others are from areas that are engrossed in traditional cultures, such as witchcraft, adolescent (or younger) arranged marriages, prostitution, and much, much more. As I sat with the women and talked with them about the issues that they face on a regular basis, my heart was broken all over the floor. To hear the ladies say that rape was one of the biggest issues in their communities was just so sad. According to them, it is more common than not. Prostitution was the next most common issue. I can testify to this one, as my husband was approached several times during our short two weeks in Ethiopia by prostitutes. We stayed at a guesthouse one night, only to discover that it was more of a one-hour type of place rather than an all-night-rest-for-the-family kind of place. There was much activity all night long.
The Coptic Church is the overwhelming majority in Ethiopia (~50%), and have imposed a generous amount of persecution for the growing evangelical churches. Islam is the second largest religion in Ethiopia (~40%), and the Evangelical Church is around 5-7%, according to the people we spoke with. The Church is standing strong, though, and not only soaking up the trainings and discipleship that is offered to them, but they are very quick to put it into action. The majority of the pastors that we met with were all very young and shepherding very large flocks. For the most part, though, what we saw was such a humble spirit of simply wanting to know God, and know more of Him. For a country that is recuperating from many years of communist rule that disallowed the church altogether, we saw a strong, emerging Church, concerned to address the welfare and issues of the local communities, desiring to see the people fed (spiritually and physically) and grown.
In your conversations with our Lord, please lift up the country of Ethiopia. They have some very serious hurdles ahead, that truly are impossible without the divine intervention of Jesus Christ. The good thing, though, is that we know that all things are possible for him who believes in Jesus.
There are other adventures that I will share with you, and some huge lessons that God was teaching me in that time that I would love to share with you, but I will start with this so that you know that we are alive and well. Grace and peace to you!! Love you!
What a busy two weeks it was! The first week we spent in a small city called Nazareth, maybe you’ve heard of it. Ok, it’s a different Nazareth than where Jesus grew up, but it was still really cool for me to be teaching in Nazareth, Ethiopia. Truly, there are some very good things coming out of Nazareth. Rev trained 16 pastors to train local, lay church-planters, and I had the very unique privilege of training their wives. It was a great opportunity and a very unique set-up to be able to interact with pastors and their wives at the same time!
The women were incredible to get to know, and powerful prayer warriors! Seriously, have you ever heard prayer time that absolutely sounded like a battle cry? These women were ready for war, and when they stood and spoke with all the power and authority of the Holy Spirit in them, I know beyond all doubt that the prince of this world was not only furious, but scared. Seriously, y’all, power.
There was really fantastic feedback from both the pastors and the wives when the training was finished, and some very exciting actions plans of how it will all be used, so we are lifting them up before the Lord to see what He will do with it all.
We then traveled back to Addis Ababa so that I could do another training session for women. This was incredible training time that started out with 25 women and ended with 30 ladies fired up to return to their areas of ministry. For me, this was particularly exciting because all of the ladies came from very different regions around Ethiopia, and worked in more rural areas. Several of the ladies are from strongly Islamic regions, and several others are from areas that are engrossed in traditional cultures, such as witchcraft, adolescent (or younger) arranged marriages, prostitution, and much, much more. As I sat with the women and talked with them about the issues that they face on a regular basis, my heart was broken all over the floor. To hear the ladies say that rape was one of the biggest issues in their communities was just so sad. According to them, it is more common than not. Prostitution was the next most common issue. I can testify to this one, as my husband was approached several times during our short two weeks in Ethiopia by prostitutes. We stayed at a guesthouse one night, only to discover that it was more of a one-hour type of place rather than an all-night-rest-for-the-family kind of place. There was much activity all night long.
The Coptic Church is the overwhelming majority in Ethiopia (~50%), and have imposed a generous amount of persecution for the growing evangelical churches. Islam is the second largest religion in Ethiopia (~40%), and the Evangelical Church is around 5-7%, according to the people we spoke with. The Church is standing strong, though, and not only soaking up the trainings and discipleship that is offered to them, but they are very quick to put it into action. The majority of the pastors that we met with were all very young and shepherding very large flocks. For the most part, though, what we saw was such a humble spirit of simply wanting to know God, and know more of Him. For a country that is recuperating from many years of communist rule that disallowed the church altogether, we saw a strong, emerging Church, concerned to address the welfare and issues of the local communities, desiring to see the people fed (spiritually and physically) and grown.
In your conversations with our Lord, please lift up the country of Ethiopia. They have some very serious hurdles ahead, that truly are impossible without the divine intervention of Jesus Christ. The good thing, though, is that we know that all things are possible for him who believes in Jesus.
There are other adventures that I will share with you, and some huge lessons that God was teaching me in that time that I would love to share with you, but I will start with this so that you know that we are alive and well. Grace and peace to you!! Love you!
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