The Story Begins

Meet Hercilio! Early on this trip to Mozambique, I gave him my camera to enjoy for the time we were there.  He is a member of Team Pfuka,a group of young Mozambicans who devote a year of their lives to evangelism through sports, music/dance, and witnessing.  The Pfuka Team attended the Crossroads business training and traveled with us to the bush. 
Almost all of the pictures I brought home are taken from his point of view.  It has been fascinating for me to look at the photos he took.  It is very cool to see what attracted his eye. Thank you, Hercilio, for this gift.
Processing this recent journey into Mozambique is difficult because I arrived home on Monday to discover that my mother is quite ill.  Needless to say, that required all my focus and attention this week.  She is doing well right now and for that, I am deeply grateful.
This was my fifth trip to Mozambique, and through these journeys, God has been teaching me to trust him at a level that has been challenging and stretching.  It was a great blessing to find myself able to enjoy Mozambique and all it has to offer, in spite of plenty of challenges and circumstances that were potentially stressful.
It will take a while to process all that transpired there, but there are three major highlights that spring to my mind:

• Feeling the prayers of those praying and fasting for us while we were preparing and working in Mozambique.
• Watching God dissolve every barrier the enemy put up to accomplishing the purposes he put on our hearts.
• Being present for the planting of a new church in Ziahle ~ it was like nothing I have ever experience before spiritually.

Over these next few months, I will tell the stories of our time there and the amazing work of God in Mozambique.  

So it begins!  Tomorrow this team will leave for Mozambique.  Some things have changed since my last post (November!).  We are still doing the business training in Xai-Xai and the rest of the team will be at Hope House training the orphans in life skills like mechanics and bead making.  We have wonderful things to take with us:  volleyball equipment donated by Dicks, knit bears and hats made by Eager Hands for Mozambique, medical supplies donated by Global Links, and a DVD player with some DVDs donated by Crossroaders.  We truly are blessed to be a blessing to others, and it moves me that so many have participated in this trip!  What a gift God gives us in each other~
Our second week in Mozambique should be really interesting.  We will travel to the bush to a remote church/school Les and Mark have established and park our vehicle; then we will walk.  Partnering with two Mozambican teams trained in evangelism, we will travel on foot with a donkey and cart to carry our generator and heavy supplies to spend four days in two villages where there are no roads and share the gospel as we serve the villagers in practical way.  At night, we will show films (Light of Life- Genesis to the birth of Jesus and the Jesus film).  We plan to pray with those in need and just be open to whatever the Holy Spirit has for us there.
The time has come.  All the planning and preparing and praying that has gone into this trip is about to bear fruit. I can't wait to see what God does with this moment in time in the Kingdom.
Kanimambo Xikwembo Xamatemba ~Thank you powerful God!
"The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."  
John 3:8

True Community

Meet the children of Hope House.

These precious children have been brought together by Les and Mark Harper to create a "family" where there was none ~a community gathered in the name and love of Jesus Christ.

This is a "real"community- everyone there knows they need each other and Christ to survive. There is nothing false or superficial in the hearts of these kids who have been snatched from the jaws of the fouler.

This is a "deep community- when one of them is sick, they lay hands on that one and pray for healing. There is no "plan B". Jesus is all they have and they are grateful for his love and mercy. They are expectant that he will supply what they need when they need it.

This is a "whole" community. They have everything in common. They are a family in the deepest meaning of the word.

Last year, we built a training center on the land where Joy House is to be built as an extension of Hope House. Our team will return this June to complete the building of Joy House and help the older boys move into their new home. Here they will continue to be discipled as Christ followers and trained in practical life skills.

The real training occurs, however, in the reverse. Our team will be trained by these orphans in building and being community. We learn so much from our Mozambican "teachers". They are an inspiration! Please pray for us as we minister to them and they minister to us!

Light into Darkness

Missing the point

(Originally posted February 2010)
Oh, that I could draw! As I read Luke 2 tonight, I had a vision of the birthplace of Jesus and I wish I could draw it~ it would be my Christmas card for the rest of my life. Art through the centuries paints a picture of the birthplace of Jesus that misses the whole point. It was not a pastoral scene as pictured in this Renaissance painting.
It was not even a quaint, humble stable as pictured in the cards of greeting we send to one another as we celebrate His birth. It was most likely a cave with a shallow trough carved out of the rough rock~ dark, dank, dirty. Cold. Comfortless. Not unlike the cement floor on which this little one of Mozambique rests. My little Lucas . . .




If we really pay attention, this dark, dank cave in which Jesus was born was a picture for us of the world without Him. Jesus came into this weary world to bring His light into the darkest, dirtiest places we can imagine~ It is this light alone that can save us from the sin we are so bent upon.
Because of our incredible lack of imagination, we miss Him continually. When he came into the world in such humility, His chosen people missed him because they expected something different~ a militant savior who would deliver them from political oppression. What He offered was freedom from the oppression from sin and eternal life in His Kingdom. We are so short sighted~ still~ with all we have, with all we know about the life and actions of Jesus. We still don't really want what he has to offer.
What do we want from Jesus? We want God to provide what we think we need in this life. He actually gives us everything we "need". As a result, we miss Him. We think we need things: money, jobs, homes . . . (the list is longer than I dare attempt), and when He doesn't supply those things in the way we expect, we miss Him. If we look at what He actually does provide for us, we will realize what we really need and fall on our faces in humble gratitude and awe of His provision.

She's Come Undone - again

"Then he said, 'Here I am~it is written about me in the scroll~I have come to do your will, O God."

Hebrews 10:7

There is a special place in Mozambique where God called me to a new level of obedience in my life ~where I came "undone" before the Lord. I responded with trembling arms raised in the night as an amazing wind swirled through Bethel~

When God calls, there is but one response: "Here I am". Those words always stir a passion in my heart. The first time I read Samuel (1 Samuel 3) when Eli realized what was happening and told Samuel to say "speak Lord, your servant is listening", I knew that God was calling each of us to respond the same way. That was so many years ago-long before that moment under the tree in Mozambique in 2009. Each time I come across these words in Scripture or in worship, I offer myself again to God, and each time I believe I come a bit closer to the reality of what it means to offer myself to God and to do his will.

In my devotions today in Hebrews, once again I find myself standing before God, confessing my need for him and my desire to do his will in every area of my life. The truth is that God is not looking for meaningless sacrifice or robotic compliance to rules and regulations; he is looking for total surrender of my will in all things at all times. The words are easy to say; the walking it out is always the challenge.

Lord, fill me with knowledge of your will for me this day through your Holy Spirit that I may draw strength and direction from you as I offer myself to you. Have your way with me, O Lord- Have your way.

These Things You Should Teach

Titus 2: 11-15

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

¹⁵ These, then, are the things you should teach.

In 2009, Crossroads sent a team of teachers to Mozambique to train teachers. Since then we have sent teams to drill and repair wells, to explore possible partnership with a rural hospital, to research small business development and create a business training, and last year as a group of Crossroaders built a training center for the Hope House orphanage, a team of teachers returned to train not only community teachers, but a group of government teachers as well. Every trip has focused on evangelism and sharing the gospel, but it has been deep in my heart that Crossroads is also supposed to develop leaders in Mozambique who will plant churches and disciple leaders and Christ followers. Clearly God has been preparing the way for the people of Mozambique and the people of Crossroads to partner for the full expression of his purposes there.

The time is near. Hearts have been prepared.

God is setting in motion all that is needed for this phase of the work in Mozambique to begin.

In June 2012, a Crossroads team will once again travel to Mozambique to be the hands and feet of Jesus. One group will provide a business training in Xai-Xai while the rest of the team will work at Hope House to provide a Community Bible School for the village where the orphanage is located and provide skill and craft training for the kids of Hope House.

On this trip, a small group of Crossroaders will travel to a distant village to join with a group of Mozambicans to share the gospel with neighbors in a nearby village which has no access by road. So, we will walk. We will carry what we need: food, water, fuel and a generator show the Jesus film. We will share the gospel of Christ and minister in prayer. We will bring the Light of Christ to a place where there was no light and we will plant the seed of Truth in the soil God has prepared.

This Mozambique Monday morning, I am praying for the people of Mozambique that the Light of Christ will overcome the darkness. The people who hear the Word of God will be filled with the Holy Spirit and released from fear and superstition. The Light of Truth will spread throughout the land and leaders will be called by God and guided by His Spirit to disciple those around them so that they will be set free to worship, honor and glorify the one true God. Praise be to God for the work he is doing not only in Mozambique, but throughout the world.

Dancin' in Mozambique!

This was one of the most amazing trips into Mozambique so far! God was so gracious as he provided inspiration for the curriculum and an awesome partner in the training- Leo Vollbract! So much happened there and eventually I will share more, but what I want to share most is that I had fun! The video clip below is a good example of just how much freedom I experienced as I danced with the teachers after a long day of training. I was returning to my room-hoping to take a warm shower and maybe a little rest before dinner, when I heard the sound of singing and clapping. I ran toward the women gathered by our rooms and joined in the festivities. The thought of a shower disappeared as we danced and laughed together that evening. The next morning, I showered without hot water or light, but it didn't matter. The opportunity to celebrate with my sisters that night was worth it.

A Thorn in My Side

My instinct in life is to do everything in my power to avoid situations that make me feel weak and helpless, yet here I am facing one of the most difficult tasks I have ever faced. Our team is planning a teacher training for July in Mozambique. In March, I traveled to Mozambique where I visited four classrooms and observed the teaching methods so that we might be able to write a practical curriculum that will be truly valuable to the teachers there. Yet, I still feel completely at a loss as to how we should proceed. I shared with a friend recently that it feels a lot like walking on water! I know Jesus has called Crossroads to make a difference in Mozambique and this is the current task before us, but it's hard to keep my eyes off the waves raging about my ankles!

What seems impossible in the natural realm, becomes possible when I allow God to take the simple things I bring to him and let him make something out of them.This training stretches me so far beyond my own ability that it has to be God's hand that moves and not my own.

He knows the needs of each teacher coming to the training, and the gifts and talents of each person on the curriculum team. He is the master weaver~he will weave a beautiful tapestry with the simple threads we bring to him, if only we let him.

Today, I was brought once again to that Scripture where Paul refers to the "thorn in his flesh" (2 Corinthians: 7-10)

When Paul pleaded with the Lord to take the thorn from him, the Lord responded, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness".

Ignite

"Ignite my heart/ Let your fire burn in me

Ignite my heart/and take all of me."

These words stir my heart. As I burn with passion for God however, I've noticed scorched earth around me. I sense a distance from people who find my passion too intense; my dear husband has no eyelashes or eyebrows!

Sometimes the issue is not burning with passion for God, but learning to burn in a way that does not consume. In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses by drawing him to a bush that Moses saw burning but not being consumed.

That is how I want to burn for God ~To burn brightly, in a way that draws people close so that God can speak to them; but not so intensely that I burn up whatever or whoever gets close to me.

Sometimes my challenge is to stay engaged in the things of this world-you know, things like cooking dinner, doing laundry, hanging out with friends family! I do these things ~the chores get done, but my energy, my enthusiasm is elsewhere. Even hanging out with family or friends is a different kind of effort these days.

I prefer getting stuff done on the Mozambique work that is before me. I have bowed before God more than once to offer this up to him-willing to give up the work for Mozambique if I am not supposed to do it. I am so undisciplined about spending too much time focused on the work and not enough time focused on the important relationships in my life.

Each time I come to this place, I sense that God is telling me I can continue to work, but I must learn to discipline myself to stay engaged with my world around me. What good am I if I simply burn for him and am not winsome- not drawing people toward the love of God? This is such a challenge for me. There is nothing I long for more than to live gracefully as I serve God; instead, I feel awkward and clumsy-needing to apologize for my behavior more often than I like. It is my prayer that God will give me the grace I desire and my struggle will become a story that will draw others closer to Him.

Perfection

Recently, I realized that as I set out for Mozambique on this trip in March, that I am once again dealing with perfectionism. When perfection is my goal, fear sets in. What if I make mistakes? What if the video I take is not good enough? What if I don't handle delicate situations well?

What if.....?

I know better, but the reality is that the struggle with perfectionism creeps into my life, my ministry, my relationships and paralyzes me with fear. It's a slow, insidious process.

Fortunately, this weekend the message at Crossroads was about having a "brave heart". At some point during the message, I realized that I was afraid of what was before me! I had no idea!

Upon reflection, my fears are always the same: failure and rejection. And the root of those issues is pride! It always comes back to pride, doesn't it? The good news is that as I stood in worship before God, it became perfectly clear: Nothing matters except that I open myself to God's unconditional love and acceptance and please him only. No one else matters. Other opinions don't count, no matter how many mistakes I make along the way.

This doesn't mean that I am not to do my best as I follow God where he calls me. There is an element of excellence that honors God as we serve him. I surrender all my pride, all my fear and trust that if he calls me to do something, he will equip me. All I have to do is trust in Him.

Stepping out in faith

"The cold of space smote the unprotected tip of the planet, and he, being on that unprotected tip, received the full force of the blow. The blood of his body recoiled before it." (Jack London in "To Build a Fire")

In his short story, "To Build a Fire", London makes the point that the man's fatal flaw was that he didn't have imagination and, as a result, he underestimated the cold. Lately, every time I catch myself saying the words, "I can't imagine", I feel a subtle shiver of fear ~ Fear that my lack of imagination is limiting what God wants to do in my life; fear that I will miss opportunities to serve, opportunities to stretch, opportunities to share that which has changed me so profoundly.

In London's story, there were characters who tried to break through to the man and communicate what he needed to know to survive. The old man in the store reminded him that his spittle would freeze by the time it hit the ground if the temperature was 75 degrees below zero; his spittle froze mid-air. It didn't even make it to the ground. Clearly it was cold. But the man missed it. His arrogance clouded his mind and he missed it.

The dog that traveled with the man knew how cold it was. He didn't need thermometers or even spittle crackling in the air. He knew in the deepest part of him that he needed to be back at the camp where there was fire. He knew what the man could not, because the man thought he was in control. The dog survived.

London does not bring any theology into this story, but the reader can. When I am in communion with God, I sense deep in the deepest part of me what I am to do. But often it is much like static on a radio and tuning into those thoughts that God is giving me is challenging. I sort of hear it, then I lose it. I get a glimpse, then it's gone. But if I discipline myself in those times and get quiet, I will know. It may not be as clear as I like; but I know what God is calling me to. With fear and trepidation, I take a tiny step in the direction I am to go and the thought becomes clearer. With each tentative step, the sense of direction becomes stronger. However, with each step, the chances increase that I will become arrogant and forget what drives me; forget that it is God who directs me.

And so, I am grateful to Jack London for his story of the man with no imagination. I am grateful to be reminded that I am in danger of losing my direction if I don't stay deeply connected in step with God. Like a little girl putting her tiny feet in the giant footsteps of her father, I stretch my legs to reach the next footprint before me and trust God with all of my heart.

Beautiful Feet!

After the long flight to Johannesburg, our ankles were swollen and our spirits challenged by the unexpected delay of two days before the next flight into Mozambique. As we rested that first night, we wondered what God was doing. We had glimpses of his Divine Plan as we prayed for people God put in our path in South Africa. Once we got into Mozambique, we immediately experience a most divine appointment with the boy who had no shoes. (See Sept.10th "Coming and Going")

Tonight I was reading Romans 10 and came across one of my favorite verses: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!"

Paul is explaining to the Romans that living the Christian lifestyle is important, but we must also "preach" the good news. Paul asks us: " . . how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Evangelism is more than just living a certain way; we must not only "go", but we must "tell". Some of us are actually called to get on a plane and fly half way around the world to share the gospel with those who haven't heard it yet, but most of us are called to turn around and look to the north, the south, the east, and the west of our homes and simply ask God to direct our feet. Who is it that God is putting on your heart today? Who is it that will be forever changed because of your obedience to share the wonderful news that Jesus loves them and died so that they might be forgiven and set free from the chains that bind them? What a privilege to be a part of the transformation of a single life! Go and tell!

Beautiful Feet!

After the long flight to Johannesburg, our ankles were swollen and our spirits challenged by the unexpected delay of two days before the next flight into Mozambique. As we rested that first night, we wondered what God was doing. We had glimpses of his Divine Plan as we prayed for people God put in our path in South Africa. Once we got into Mozambique, we immediately experience a most divine appointment with the boy who had no shoes. Click here.

Tonight I was reading Romans 10 and came across one of my favorite verses: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!"Paul is explaining to the Romans that living the Christian lifestyle is important, but we must also "preach" the good news. Paul asks us: " . . how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Evangelism is more than just living a certain way; we must not only "go", but we must "tell". Some of us are actually called to get on a plane and fly half way around the world to share the gospel with those who haven't heard it yet, but most of us are called to turn around and look to the north, the south, the east, and the west of our homes and simply ask God to direct our feet. Who is it that God is putting on your heart today? Who is it that will be forever changed because of your obedience to share the wonderful news that Jesus loves them and died so that they might be forgiven and set free from the chains that bind them? What a privilege to be a part of the transformation of a single life! Go and tell!

Right Song, Wrong Side

Many years ago, I heard an amazing sermon by this very title~"Right Song, Wrong Side". In essence, it was the story of the Israelites who faced the Red Sea as the Egyptians pursued them (Exodus 14-15). They complained bitterly to Moses that it "would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert"! But Moses told them to stand firm and they would see the deliverance of the Lord! And they did~the sea parted and they crossed on dry land. On the other side, they sang songs of praise and thanked God for his deliverance. Right song~wrong side!

When we are facing barriers in our lives, that is the time to praise and thank God for his deliverance; that is an act of faith.

When our team arrived in Johannesburg, we were 15 minutes late and missed our plane to Mozambique; we had to remain in Johannesburg for two days. We were flexible and sought the Divine Appointments God had for us in South Africa. However, when we got to the airport on Wednesday, we were told that we had no tickets to Mozambique! It was one of those moments, one of those special moments, when how we responded would determine the rest of our journey spiritually.

As we huddled in a circle, seeking God's direction, I was reminded of this sermon I had heard so many years ago and shared it with the team. "So let's start praising God"! And that is what we did~we stood there in the Johannesburg airport without tickets into Mozambique and praised God for what he was doing and what he was going to do! Needless to say, we got tickets to Mozambique, and we continued our journey seeking to do God's will every step of the way. It was a trip filled with obstacles and barriers, and we had many opportunities to respond in faith through praise and prayer. I am grateful for that pastor long ago who shared this interesting perspective he called "Right Song, Wrong Side", and am grateful to God that he is faithful in all circumstances.

Back to Bethel!

Matthew 28:19 tells us to go into the world and make disciples, and that is the Scripture that drives the vision of the work in Mozambique that calls me back to Bethel once again. This lovely little place is where my missionary journey began; where God touched my heart and changed it in ways that altered the focus of my vision in remarkable ways. Nothing looks the same.

Last night, I came home after Portuguese class and, as I walked to the house from the garage, I happened to look up. The stars glittered in the sky as only they can on a crisp fall night, and I was taken back in my memory to the stars of the southern hemisphere as I stood still in Bethel for as long as possible to drink in the night sky and the unfamiliar constellations. It' s the ordinary things that I see differently today. While in Mozambique, I noticed that we snapped pictures of flowers, clouds, beaches, boats, birds, each other~ ordinary things that didn't seem ordinary because we were in Africa. When I came home, I began to look at the beauty of the ordinary things around me as if I had a new sense of sight, and that has not faded in two years. I confess, I was a bit that way before I traveled to Mozambique, but something has shifted in me and I experience a heightened sense of beauty in the ordinary.

Perhaps that is what it means to have the "eyes of God". Perhaps when we can look at ordinary things and see extraordinary beauty and value, we are seeing the world as God sees it. I once heard it said that saints were just ordinary people used by God in extraordinary ways~I believe that is true. If we truly allow God to use us in any way he chooses, we will live extraordinary lives, to be sure.

Write What You See

Sometimes there are not words for an experience. When we went to Mozambique this fall, we took very little with us. Mostly we took our desire to pray for the people God put in our path. Chicuque Rural Hospital provided an incredible opportunity to do just that. We found the people there incredibly open to our offer of prayer in spite of the language barrier. We stumbled through the little bit of Portuguese we knew and hoped we had asked correctly, "May I pray for you?" Folding our hands, pointing, smiling~we would gesture what we meant in case our Portuguese was not understood. They understood. Sometimes people would stand back and watch to see what we were doing, then they would motion for us to come to them.

Everywhere we went, we prayed for those around us as often as the Spirit of God moved us. Some of us were more comfortable than others at first, but God has his plans. He drew us into opportunities and gave us the courage and the words. He changed us as we prayed and I believe that he changed those for whom we prayed.

Before I left on this trip into Mozambique, I believe God urged me to "write what I saw". My mind is filled with the images of Mozambicans who smiled through their pain and wept as we prayed for them in a language they did not always understand. I particularly saw the exhaustion and frustration of the leaders there who work daily with not enough equipment or resources. God has called them to care for his people in this part of Mozambique and they are trusting in his provision. I continue to pray for his provision for the people of Mozambique.

Coming and Going

Coming and going into and out of Mozambique is not always simple. This trip, it was complicated and we found ourselves delayed for two days in Johannesburg. We had prepared to be open to whatever God wanted to do with us on the journey, but it took a little while to get that maybe he had a "plan" for us in South Africa before we ever got to Mozambique.

Her name was Angela~ and she responded to prayer like a potted plant that longed for a drink. She was our cook the first night at the guest house in Johannesburg and we connected with her in prayer the second night. She asked for strength to live the kind of life God would want her to live. She was orphaned and lonely. I believe with all my heart that she was the one of the reasons were were there.

On Wednesday, we finally arrived in Mozambique. We drove through Inhambane to get some metacais (Mozambican money) and while Jill and I waited in the van for the money transaction to take place, two young guys asked us to buy some coconut bread. These are delicious little rolls sold on the streets by kids for about a dollar. Pastor Jonathan bought a bag for the team then went with the others to handle the money transaction. The driver took the van to put some air in the tires then returned to the area where we had dropped off the rest of the team. As we waited, these two boys showed up again. At first we dismissed them~ we had already bought their bread; but eventually we yielded to their winning smiles and started to try to talk with them. In halting Portuguese, I asked their names and they responded: Sergio and Joao. Sergio, it turns out, knew a little English~ whew, that made communicating much easier. I know just enough Portuguese to get myself into trouble. As we "talked", Sergio pointed to the word "Methodista" on the van and said he was a Methodist. I asked him to tell me what he knew about Jesus. At first he seemed stumped, then as I started to tell the story, he began to talk about the third day~ His face lit up and his eyes were alive with excitement. He knew all about the resurrection and was very impressed that Jesus rose from the dead. So, by the way, am I. ( Sergio is the one in red and Joao is in blue.)

Out of nowhere, Sergio pointed out that his friend Joao had no shoes. Caught completely off guard, I looked down and saw that indeed, Sergio had no shoes and it looked like he had never had any. Immediately, we started asking where shoes could be found in Inhambane. The language barrier slowed us down tremendously, but God had his plans.

Pastor Karen came along with the rest of the team right about this time. She saw what was happening and dug her suitcase out of the van, out from under all the other suitcases, right there on the street. She took out a pair of shoes (I believe she had just bought them in Johannesburg) and put them on Joao's feet. He hugged her with gratitude and we all knew that once again, God had his plan. This is only the beginning of our "comings and goings" in Mozambique!

African Mornings

"African mornings" begin for me around 4:30 EST. It doesn't seem to matter what time I go to bed or if I napped the day before; my body is still on Mozambique time. It will pass soon and I will be on USA time shortly, so I am savoring these early morning moments as a time to pray for the Healing Hands team, for the dedicated men and women we worked with at the Chicuque Rural Hospital, and for the Cambine sewing school and seminary. It is also a time to pray for the many people with whom we shared the Gospel and prayed while we were there.
This trip was an amazing journey with many twists and turns along the way. Whenever our "forward progess" was thwarted, we were able to seek the divine appointments God had for us in the places we found ourselves stalled.
It will take time to process all God did in us and through us while we were on this trip. For now, I am just filled to overflowing with gratitude for the opportunity to participate in God's amazing plan to reach people with his healing love and mercy~to the ends of the Earth! Kanimambo Xikwembo Xamatemba~ thank you powerful God!

Friday Night Fire

Alone, but not lonely, I went to the bottom land near the creek where we have carved out a piece of ground based on memories of campfires and volleyball parties of former days when all this land belonged to our family and we had freedom to enjoy every acre.

The crackling fire accompanied by the songs of the coming night~birds, crickets . . . then dirt bikes and ATVs break into my silence. But they're just having fun. There's no malice as the screams of gasoline engines pierce the sweetness of the evening. Still, I'm grateful when it passes and I can soak in the silence again.

As I gaze into the fire, the recent promptings I've sensed from God lately come to mind.

Words from God come to us mostly through Scripture or personal prayer, but sometimes he will speak to someone else in prayer so they can speak it to you. Daniel, a man known for his sensitivity to God's voice, prayed for me on June 11th. One of the things he said was, "Relax". Lots of people tell me I should relax, but hearing it from God was most effective. I have obeyed. I went to the beach for a week without my laptop, without anything that could even resemble work. Several mornings, I awoke quite early and walked to the beach for some alone time with God~listening; seeking God's direction for my life.

"Scribe" ~ that was one of the prophetic words I heard. As I walked along the beach, I began to ask him what it was that I was suppose to write. Silence. If he spoke, I didn't hear.

Then tonight, sitting silently before the fire, I asked again.

"Write what you see", I sensed.

"What am I going to see, Lord?"

I immediately think of my journey to Mozambique.

"Am I going to see people healed? Will I witness sight returned to the blind? Will the lame walk? Will the oppressed be set free?"

That is my hope for this mission into Mozambique ~ that God will use the Healing Hands team to heal his people in Mozambique.

Of course, he wants to heal his people everywhere, even here. But the climate in Mozambique increased the probability. There's so much doubt here ~ so little perceived need. The people of poverty and pain are ready to receive healing. And I am ready to write what I see.

Moments to remember

Summer is such an exquisite time of the year. The annual trek to the lake house with long-time friends was lovely, as always. There is nothing more relaxing to me than floating on a raft watching the clouds shift in shape or staring into the campfire enjoying the silence of the evening broken only by the croak of a frog or the gentle splash of a fish~and, of course, conversation.

But moments such as these must end and we are called back to life as we know it.

The drive back into the city was peaceful enough. Not much happening on the highway at 6:30 a.m.

Serving breakfast to the hungry folks at East Liberty Crossroads campus followed by worship was a good way to re-enter the real world. The day was filled with busyness and meetings and even some frustration, but deep in the back of my mind, I was still floating on the raft. I can retreat anytime I want by simply revisiting that experience~

As I prepare to return to Mozambique this fall, there are memories I revisit to remind me why I want to return. Little Lucas, who was so sick then after prayer was playing and healthy, is a memory I revisit often. It reminds me that God wants to heal his people and he wants to use us to accomplish that purpose! How amazing to be a part of such a moment.

This next trip is stretching me, stretching me beyond my comfort zone to be sure. We call ourselves the "Healing Hands" team, and it is our intention to allow God to use us any way he chooses as we share the good news of Christ and pray for healing for the people we meet while we are there.

In Scripture, healing always seems to go beyond the physical realm to the spiritual. In 2Chronicles 30, Hezekiah prayed for the people who came to the Passover unprepared~ unclean. They had strayed so far from the ways of God, they had forgotten the ceremonial cleansing required by God, and Hezekiah asked God to pardon everyone who "set their heart on seeking God". Then he says, ..."and he healed them". God heals us where and when we truly need healing. When we ask for physical healing for someone, we often overlook the spiritual condition of that person. God does not overlook the spiritual needs; as a matter of fact, he goes right to the heart of the person and heals them from the inside out.

It is my humble prayer that God will have his way this September with the Healing Hands and use us to bring healing, physical and spiritual, to the people we meet in Mozambique.