Tag Archives: Africa

A Trophy named Grace!

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I went to visit Grace this morning. I passed Otara, her husband, along the way. He was headed to the guys’ Saturday discipleship group.

Grace is unable to attend our ladies Thursday study so we want to spend time together somehow. Her little English and my kidogo Kiswahili makes that a challenge.

She is reading in Luke so we picked up from there. Her children gathered as we read first from English then from Kiswahili.

I love the evidence of God’s transforming Grace in this home… proclaimed in the smiles and laughter and an understanding that can come just from God Himself.

We talked about knowing Jesus, how He told the story of how those invited to a great supper were too busy to attend, how we must be willing to leave everything to follow Jesus and THEN…. the kids… talking with their cousin who was there… began touching their head and then their heart and THEY were telling him the difference between knowing Jesus and knowing ABOUT Jesus!!!! I could hear ‘kujua Yesu’ and “kweli, kujua Yesu, Kweli! I know what that means!

Oh how I wish you were there!! Oh how I wish all you who love us, pray for us, support us… Oh I wish you could see the fruit of our labor…. Yours AND mine!!

To God be the glory and honor here in Kebabe. May His Name be high and lifted up!!

Please keep praying that this village would be adding to the church through the Holy Spirit. Pray that the people would believe in Him who was sent. Pray that as God transform them, that they would grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, that He would give to them a spirit of understanding, knowledge and wisdom. Pray they would be moved to share the gospel boldly!!

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Weariness creeps in…

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~ Be still and know that I am God!
~ He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it!
~ Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart!

Three verses The Lord is working in my heart. It’s easy to be restless, to be weary, to loose heart and forget Who is doing the work. Forget the certainty of that.

We received a call from a Maasai friend that is in one of Randy’s classes. ” I am coming to greet you.” He arrived right after church and while he and his friend sat in the hut, talking with Randy, I prepared lunch.

Sitting around the table I knew I had missed something and I was told how “our Maasai” has been leading a church as a Mormon pastor. {Ahhhh, okay….?} He went on to say that through his studies that Randy is leading through the Word of God, he realizes that this is false teaching, false doctrine! “How do I get out of it?”

After my heart beat slowed down closer to normal I hear Randy tell him how he “needs to repent before God. Humble yourself and repent.” I look across the table and this tall, Maasai warrior has eyes filling up. “God will take care of the rest. He will give you the words and He will use this for His glory!”

We sat around, encouraging and sharing scriptures and then fervently praying together. First I prayed, then the friend, then the “Maasai” prayed with such passion…. In Kiswahili. I looked at my husband and saw an emotion I have come to admire and respect and praise God for.

Randy closed in prayer and our friend is off to confess to his congregation and begin teaching ONLY Truth. Please pray for him!

The encouragement continued as after they left, I grab my Bible and rushed off… hopping a thorn bush, slipping by the cow, cutting through a tea field and then a corn field to arrive at Leah’s. We are studying the Bible together with a few of the women in the village.

As we open The Word and they began taking turns reading the scriptures, in English, in Gusii, in Swahili…. I sat and watch the discussion.

Sometimes I could make out what was being said, sometimes they would turn to me and repeat it in English… But what I knew…. God was revealing, The Spirit was teaching and Jesus was giving understanding!! I did not know the all the words spoken but I knew the body language, I knew the expressions and I completely recognizes the AHHHH moments!!!

We’ve been weary. But God in His graciousness, took us away to refresh as we retreated with many others at the CC East Africa Missionary conference. Through the teaching and encouragement He reminded us to stay the course, to NOT loose heart and grow weary… But to press on!

Then we returned to the village and our God reveals He is indeed at work in Kisii and I am blessed and honored to be a part!

He knows my name

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So I’ve met many many people as we make a point to walk thru the village as often as we can. That’s life here, greeting, visiting and greeting some more. And Africans don’t just give you a nod and ask how you are, all while walking past so quickly that the question isn’t finished before you are headed in opposite directions… Let alone an answer. OH No, greetings are very important in African culture.

So the greeting… I love! I’ve always enjoyed that but I’ve always been bad with names. I confess I rarely get my kids’ names right. But I usually remember faces and details of conversations and of our lives we share. Back home, I get around the name thing… And as one of the youth wrote in a “going away” book, I know LOTS of people named “sweetie”.

When I got here, everyone looks the same to me. And before that tilts someone with gasps, ah, these beautiful black people say the same thing about mazungas (white people). And they say Asians are even harder to tell a difference. Hmmm, not sure on that, “my Asians” are easily distinguishable. ;))

Anyways, I was praying and asking God to help me to know the faces of my neighbors. Help me to remember the tidbits of their lives that they share. And Lord, help me remember my new friends’ names!!

As I prayed for this, I was reminded of a song…

I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

Does it bowl you over? It does me! I mean, the Creator of the Universe… He KNOWS me!!

Not only does He know me…

But He has forgiven my sins… Setting it as far as the East is from the West…. I want to forgive like that.

When I pray… He leans in, bends His ear… to hear me…. I want to listen like that!

He loves me with a Love unconditional! I want to love like that!

And then I thought about the faces… Then I thought about HIS FACE!!!! Then I thought about one day soon seeing HIM – face to face!!

This is my hope, not obscured hope but secured hope!! And I want that hope for my new friends I enjoy greeting so much… LORD JESUS… Reveal Yourself to me, in me, through me… May I be a Light that takes the hand of my new friend, Sweetie, and with haste, may I usher her to YOU!!!!!