When God Hears...

...and ANSWERS prayers! November 13, 2013, I asked the women that volunteer at our Mbon feeding, what were their dreams for the feeding. They said, "we want to feed more than once a week and we want the children to receive help with their homework." The beautiful thing about this...they were dreaming for their community...not for themselves. 

After this party, Brett and I headed back to North Carolina for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I didn't get an opportunity to share with our community development team their dreams. 

Imagine my joy when, upon returning, we were at our first community development meeting and Carla said, "I want us to go to 2 feedings a week at Mbon and begin to tutor and disciple the children." My eyes filled with tears as I shared about the ladies dreams. God confirmed!

Today was the kickoff! We were expecting 80-100 children and 196 showed up. There were some rough spots and some things that will need to be tweaked, but overall it was great! 

We dreamed big dreams. We prayed big prayers and God answered in a big way!

I'm feeling blessed!

Have you ever tried to...

Get a few more minutes of snuggle time with your spouse before you have to hit the day running?

Take a bath in a freezing bathroom?

Take a bucket bath?

Use an outhouse?

Read your Bible at 6:00 in the morning...without coffee?

Sit through a four hour meeting without going to the bathroom? I couldn't do it either!

Learn to speak a foreign language?

Mix cake batter without a mixer?

Make coffee in a French Press?

Make homemade creamer?

Have a "disagreement" with your spouse, over something petty, while living in a community where there is always someone around? 

Shut the blinds so that you can cry without anyone seeing?

Drive a truck full of food to a feeding program?

Play leap frog with children that have absolutely no clue what you're doing, don't speak your language, and, once they catch on, giggle uncontrollably?

Tell a story about Jesus, using people, pretending to be flowers, birds, bears, rabbits, and monkeys?

Hug a child with a handicap and wish you could take it away?

See a plate of pap and beans and wonder why there isn't more?

Being a missionary?

Welcome to my day! 

Moments

Have you ever had a moment in your day that just took your breath away and led you to weep? One where words escape you? I had one such moment last night that I would like to share with you. 

On Wednesday's our base comes together for a time of worship and teaching and last night was no different. However, honestly, I wasn't in the mood to go. My attitude was "please, Lord, don't let it be a two hour mid-week service." I'm just being honest here. 

 

I walked into the room and, Swazi, one of our African brothers, started with, "if your attitude is bad, pray and ask God to change your attitude." BAM! Called out by God in front of an entire room full of people. To be honest, I probably wasn't the only one! The Lord checked my heart and I checked my heart and decided that, though I didn't feel great, I would enter into worship. 

Jeremy started and, let me tell you, the Presence of God was, well, present! We began to sing, you make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us. Wow! When you really listen to the words and realize that He took our tired, dusty, parched selves and He added some water until we were filled with the joy of Him and He makes us into new creations...Wow! At this point, you may be thinking that this was my moment...nope.

As worship came to a close, Lennon, another African brother, stood to teach. He didn't take a great deal of time. He spoke of Jesus and the washing of the disciples feet. Humbling Himself, he washed away the dirt and grime from their feet, but I believe He was also washing away much more than they could ever know. Then Lennon did what I knew He was going to do, he invited us to humble ourselves and wash one anothers feet. 

No one hesitated. People were getting to their feet and immediately asking others "can I wash your feet?" We were eager to wash away the dirt and grime of others days. We were eager to humble ourselves and pray for others and be an example to the young people in the room. The thing is...the young people became my moment. 

You see, the young daughter of our leaders, asked one of the little guys on our base could she wash his feet. Christian is only three and Emma is 10. As Christian tried to sit on the chair and put his feet in the water, you could see on his face that he knew this was something real. Usually quite full of himself and silly, in this moment he was serious. His little tongue stuck out to one side in concentration, fully focused on what Emma was doing. Emma, with head bowed over his little feet, washing away the dirt and the grime, praying over her little friend. There was such a moment of pure innocence that my heart broke inside of me. When the entire moment started, I wanted to take a picture, but God said, "no, just watch." As I watched this exchange, my heart began to weep. Such pure innocence in action, Jesus in action. 

This moment, released a fresh anointing into the air. The little children came to Him and He didn't turn them away, but used them to refresh a heart that had begun to feel that such pure, simple innocence was forever gone from this earth. 

God bless the children for they are the future.

A Fine Line

Getting out of the car, I see their faces and watch as they begin to walk the fine line between trying to sell you their wares and not begging you to buy. I listen as they call out and say, "mama, I make you a good price." What I hear, however, is something entirely different. What I hear is, "mama, do you see me? Do you see that this is the way I feed my child and support my family? Mama, I have a story, do you want to know?" This all takes place in a matter of seconds. It's in the final seconeds that I see the line being drawn. Do I continue to try and sell this to feed my family or do I look away with a look that says, "oh well, someone else will come along?"

Honestly, I haven't thought of those ladies since I left their stalls by the waterfall, at least not until this morning. You see, I've found myself in that same place lately. Asking, "do you see me? Have you forgotten all about me? Remember the promise you made? I have a story, do you want to know it?" Walking that fine line between not begging for support and trying to sell you my wares. 

My wares are not tangible trinkets that can be looked at, admired, and taken home to show people I went to Africa. My wares are of the spiritual kind, the kind you can't see with your natural eyes. My wares are teaching tea time to eight beautiful and amazing ladies whose lives are being changed. My wares are standing by the bedside of a child clearly stricken with Aids and TB, getting down on his level, touching his face and saying, "nbubani ligama lakho (what is your name)?" My wares are chasing children down the hall of the hospital trying to brighten their days just a little bit. My wares are touching a mama, whose child is in the hospital, and saying, "can I pray for you?" My wares are handing a plate of food to a tiny little body and praying as I hand it to her, "God protect this small one. Heal her body." My wares are singing, dancing, and telling stories to hundreds of children each week. 

This morning God gave a fresh perspective on the ladies at the waterfall and in the process broke my heart for them. They will no longer be just women selling their wares. I will see them. I will hear them. I will understand that just because I may never know their story, doesn't mean that they don't have one. 

He also reminded me that, though others may not see me and the wares that I sell, He does. Though others may not understand the intangible aspect of my wares, He does. He sees me. He hasn't forgotten about me. He keeps His promises to me and, most importantly, He knows my story and He loves me.

Psalm 37:25- I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or theri children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

One last note...thank you to @HighRockWest! You have seen us. You have not forgotten about us. You have adopted us into your family and for that we are truly thankful and blessed!

If you wish to give, please click on the link below. Your donations are tax deductable. Thank you!

http://goo.gl/Ec

 

Only to His disciples...

In my study on faith, I've realized that the very people who walked with Jesus, were also the only the ones Jesus said had little faith. The very guys who were with Him ALL THE TIME, were also the ones who doubted the most. Following are those scriptures where Jesus was speaking to the disciples and used the words "O you of little faith" and what was happening when He spoke these words. 

We start with Matthew 6:25-29 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Jesus is saying don't worry. In vs 30 He tells us why we shouldn't worry and then...

Matthew 6:30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? This is the first scripture where He tells them they have little faith. It doesn't take much faith to follow the law, however, it takes great faith to follow Jesus. At this point, the disciples were following Him, however, I don't think they really knew exactly Who they were following. I can say this based on Matthew 8:27, but I'll get to that later!

Other translations of O you of little faith are...

CEB...you people of weak faith

CJB...what little trust you have

CEV...why do you have such little faith

ERV...your faith is so small

EXB...don't have so little faith [or how little faith you have; you of little faith]

Next we have Matthew 8:23-25 Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" There's so much that can preach in this scripture! Without warning, a furious storm came up...how many times have we been caught up in a furious, out of nowhere, storm? Jesus was sleeping...sleeping in the midst of a furious, out of nowhere storm! How?! I believe it's because He knew His Father and knew that He could trust the Father.

Matthew 8:26 He replied, "you of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 

Now, here's where I can prove that the disciples were following Jesus but not exactly sure of Who they were following...vs 27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves, obey Him!" They were drawn to Jesus, however, they didn't trust Him yet. They didn't know exactly Who He was so they couldn't fully trust Him. Hmmmmm sound familiar? If we don't truly know the character of God, we won't trust Him. If we don't truly know the character of Jesus, we won't trust Him. If we don't truly know the character of the Holy Spirit, we won't trust Him. If we don't trust, then our faith is small and weak. However, when we begin to understand the character and can trust, then our faith grows great. 

Next we have Peter walking on the water. Matthew 14:28-30"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?" I must admit that when Jesus says Peter has little faith, I get a little upset. At least Peter got out of the boat! I do get it though that Jesus was telling Peter that if he had not doubted, he could have continued to walk on the water. Don't know about you, but I also believe that Jesus was probably laughing a bit at Peter when He told him he had little faith. I think Jesus gave Peter props for at least trying, but Matthew missed that part. 

Next is the discussion about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16:5-7 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread." Jesus was warning them against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and they didn't understand. 

Matthew 16:8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?" Jesus was still trying to teach them truth, execpt they still didn't understand Who He was. The Pharisees and Sadducees were still completely hung up in the law and Jesus was trying to show the disciples that love and grace were greater than the law could ever be. 

Matthew 17:14-19 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" Jesus seems pretty put out with the disciples at this point. They've seen Jesus cast out demons, walk on water, heal the sick and yet their faith is still small.

Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Have you ever seen a mustard see? It's tiny! Jesus was telling them all they needed to do was learn to trust Him a tiny bit. 

Somewhere between Matthew 6:30 and Acts 1 the disciples faith grew. This gives me great hope! I believe that these stories are in the Bible for our benefit. They tell us that the great men of the New Testament, the ones who were always with Jesus, struggled in their faith and yet, after Jesus left to go sit at the right hand of the Father, these were the very men that carried the Gospel to the earth. Great faith comes when we know Who Jesus is. It may have taken awhile for the disciples to learn, but learn they did and then nothing could stop them.

Your thoughts, as always, are welcome!

Should you wish to support Brett and I on journey in South Africa, please go to www.worldoutreach.org and follow the prompts. Thank you!