Speechless

This weekend, 22 spiritually adventurous women gathered at Jumonville for a silent retreat. The weather was daunting~wild winds and cascading rains~not exactly what we had hoped for, but God was there and He was awesome. It was perfect~even the weather. Those of you who know me, know that the wind is special to me; and I learned that it is special to many others as well. Even though God speaks in a still, small voice, the majesty and power of His creation can indeed get our attention and cause us to get a glimpse of who it is that we worship!
As the women "fasted from talking" and entered into intentional listening, the results were amazing. Like Moses coming down from the mountain after he spoke with God, their faces were glowing as they shared their experiences on Sunday morning after worship. That I could be a part of such an incredible experience leaves me "speechless".
Kanimambo Xikwembo Xamatemba (Thank you, Powerful God!)

Passion

While in Mozambique, I discovered a "passion" for sewing. It was not my passion, but the passion of those around me. Darlene brought her love for sewing to the women (and men) we met there. Some already may have had the desire or ability to sew before we arrived with our two new machines, bolts of cloth, sewing kits, and thread; but if they didn't have it before we arrived, they certainly had it afterward. The women were eager learners and worked through breaks and into the evening, racing against time because the electricity went out at 9:30 each night when the generator shut off.
Gito was Darlene's translator. What a great guy he was. He worked hard through the teaching sessions to assist Darlene in teaching the women in her group the things they needed to know to master the sewing projects before them. But Gito wanted to sew himself! He wanted to make himself a pair of pants. And so, it began~whenever he was not needed to translate, he would work on his pants. In the evenings, before the generator shut off, he could be found with several others who could not let a moment of electricity go to waste, sewing in the classroom.
Passion is contagious. The energy of the teachers in both classrooms (the sewing and the teacher training) was inspiring. The Mozambicans and the Crossroaders were all working hard; all of us were learning all that we could in the short time we had together. All too soon, we would have to leave them and they would have to return to their villages where there was no generator, no sewing machines, no concrete classroom with paper and markers and supplies.
But, in a very short time much was accomplished. In the classroom for teachers, the results were somewhat less tangible. Time will reveal the impact of the training. They learned ways they could group their students and use their community resources to increase the effectiveness of their teaching, and much more. But the sewing class was another matter. At the end of three days, they were wearing the clothes they had made. Be sure to check out Gito in his brand new green pants!
Joy is clearly the companion of passion. There was a lot of joy in Beth-El that last day as we all headed out~back to our homes with all we had learned.
We will be back, my friends to learn more from you and to share what we have with you because we have a passion for Christ and He has a passion for you!

Kanimambo Xikwembo Xamatemba

The title is translated "Thank you, Powerful God". While in Mozambique, we sang this sweet song together as a team often as we ended our time together in prayer each day. The tune runs through my mind frequently and especially in times when I am experiencing the amazing presence of God in nature. Today I snapped this photo of one of my Morning Glories reaching for the sun. It seems as fall approaches, the flowers bloom with an intensity reserved for their final fling before the crisp frost that ends their brief tenure here on earth. Perhaps we should all bloom as if tomorrow is the frost~with everything we've got for as long as we last. Thank you, powerful God for today!