Sunday School

This week was the first time that St. Nicholas Children’s Home had a Sunday School lesson. Usually the children faithfully (or begrudgingly) attend Bible Study that is led by an older peer. I attended the youngest class once before I became ill and was dismayed how it seemed that the children were not learning anything and were not having any joy in this time. The study was merely a reading of as much of the KJV Bible as possible in a half hour and if there was expounding it was not exactly theologically sound. (It was a 14 year old leading) Well, not wanting to just barge in and take over, I prayed that if God wanted me to teach these little ones He would make it possible. He did just that! The pastor saw a need for the children to receive instruction at their understanding level. Now Annelie and I will be teaching Sunday School each week. I ask that you send up a prayer for these little ones that the Life of Jesus we will teach to them will make Him seem real to them. I ask the Holy Spirit to make the words that we speak alive in their hearts and the message of the gospel to touch each one personally.

\/\/ater

John 4:14 “but those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

We are to be centers through which Jesus can flow as rivers of living water in blessing to everyone...

...Never look at yourself from the standpoint of - Who am I? In the history of God’s work you will nearly always find that it has started from the obscure, the unknown, the ignored, but the steadfastly true to Jesus Christ.

–exerpt from Sept 11 reading from My Utmost for His Highest

Streams of Living Water

This month I hit the half-way mark. I know...crazy, eh? God has been teaching me so much these days. While I was sick, He taught me patience and that this year is just as much about my spiritual growth as it is for the kids I'm working with. A few weeks ago, I was challenged to change my thinking. I had been praying since I came here, "God, show me what you want me to do here. Help me to do great things for You - to do the impossible. Show me how I can be greatest impact to these kids!" I thought that these were genuine requests. Well, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I had to stop being so self-centered in thinking that this time is about me and what I can do. I was asking God to make me do great things for Him, but He showed me that I need to let Sarah die and let Him do His work using me if needed. I know that I cannot put the revelation into words that will do it justice, but it has been a turning point for me.
I read "My Utmost for His Highest" before going to bed, and the last few nights the words "streams of living water" have been repeated and have resonated within me. I pray that I can be God's vessel, pouring out the streams of living water. To be used by Him to fulfill His purposes. To be a channel of His living water, not the source.

Back to "Normal"

...whatever normal is

My hair

I caught a fish THIS big!

You know how some things that happen in life are so unbelievable that you wish you had the picture to prove it? Like the fish that was bigger than a small child or the bird so big that it could carry away a small bus? What about if you could've had the picture to prove it, but for some crazy reason - like say... you formatted your camera's memory card after 2 days of safari pictures - you don't have the picture.
Yes. I did. Ummm, oops? I was kinda bummed but I had to laugh. It was that or cry. I then remembered that in high school if you formatted your floppy disk, the computer nerds (no offense) could still get your info off it. I was hoping that would be the same for camera cards so I left it alone. That meant that on our last day of safari I would have no camera! Of course, I was with 4 other girls who all had their camera, but it's not the same if they are not your own pictures.
The formatting incident happened while we were sitting on an airstrip, waiting for the sunset. I think that God just wanted me to sit back and enjoy His creation with my own eyes instead of through a camera lens. I had that thought a couple of times during the day where I was madly taking pictures of the elephant family that was under 50 feet away from our van. After we rolled away, I realized that I hadn't even stopped to just watch them.
We headed out early the next morning for more sightseeing. What did we see? "Courting" cheetahs right along the road. And a male lion with a kill only about a soccer field away from us! Circling around him were about 20 hyenas. It was amazing!
I got to watch this all with my own eyes, not having to worry about if I was capturing it properly on film. The memory will stay in my mind forever - no formatting will ever take it away. . .


By the way, our computer guy at the compound recovered all my pictures. Praise the Lord!

Tempo

There are a few boys here at St. Nicholas that rap and write praise songs. I am blessed when I hear them and I want to share it with you too! I tried to post it, but me and technology don't click.

So if you are interested... go to YouTube and type in the keywords "tempo - st. nicholas" and "life is hard - ndahm" and you will see them in action. At first I liked the 'tempo' video better (because my backside made a cameo appearance), but when I really listened to the words of Life is Hard...

I cried.