Stopping at Jehovah Jireh

As I sat next to the lapping Lake Victoria with the sun peeking through the clouds in beautiful rays, she traced the lines of my hands with her tiny, black fingers. I traced the lines of her's too. What a beautiful picture of creation!

We just returned from the island of Lingira -- where our friend Ruthie works at a Christian school. We left on Friday with plans of returning on Sunday, but delayed our boat ride home until Tuesday morning! It was a wonderful weekend filled with such godly men and women, many eager students, Bible studies, ultimate frisbee, children galore, a game of Risk, beautiful sunsets over the lake, teaching at a Primary School, and beans and rice. It was so good to be with Ruthie for so long! It was also a blessing to see where she works and the people that she loves, and to come to love them ourselves. There were four guys from America there as well -- Gabe, Tim, Jesse, and Nathan -- so it was fun to meet new friends too!

Joshua Heschel once prayed, "Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not His, to the Father through the features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with Your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all." (The Ragamuffin Gospel, 103).

One of my favorite sayings is "lost in beauty", partly because it sounds poetic but also because it takes me back a step for a moment. I can pause and gaze at the beauty that the Lord has provided. I see it in Lake Victoria, in the sunsets, in the flowers, but ever so much in the beautiful men and women that inhabit this land.

This week the church on the island had women's week, so our dear Ruthie gave the message. She talked about how when a man pursues a woman, she need only stop running and be captured. Embraced. It is the same with God; we need only stop and acknowledge that our sins have been forgiven.

“The saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise. He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness, it is what we do because we have been forgiven.” (The Ragamuffin Gospel, 74)

All I do is stop. As I acknowledge that I am a sinner, I see Him as an ever sweet Savior! He meets me there and carries me to the cross, sits me at His table, and clothes me in His perfection. 

I stop here too. I stand in awe at the beauty of this land, these people. 

Although it was sad to leave our new friends at the island, I was overwhelmed when I stepped into the Center. In a moment there was a woman crying at my feet, I couldn't even tell who it was. After a bit I got her to calm down enough to find that it was Edith! We haven't seen her in about a month now, so both of us were a little overjoyed! She handed me Miracle and I bawled. That baby, the one I had desperately cried out to God, "please, let this baby live" is gone. I had to keep asking, "Are you sure this is Miracle?" because she has chubby cheeks and neck rolls now!! She laughs! I can't even express my joy in that moment; tears of joy were flowing freely. Thank you so much for praying!

After all that excitement, I went with my friend Mwamini to her house. She has twins (all twins have the same name here, based on boy or girl, first or second): Waswa and Nakato (boy and girl) that come to the Center. But at home she has another set of twins: Waswa and Kato (boy and boy). Talk about confusing. Then an older boy Tomali who is five. Her husband ran away when he found out she was pregnant with twins a second time. She has a beautiful heart and believes in the power of prayer. We prayed a lot today. Sitting on her dirt floor humbled me. Laughing with her, Scovia, and Kampi delighted me. Relationships are hard and messy and long, but there is nothing that beats honestly opening up to another, sharing the same Jesus as them, and loving through laughter and tears. I cried with these women today, but we also shared beautiful laughter! Scovia is praying that her husband comes back, and all three are looking for jobs. As Mwamini said, the God that saved Miracle's life can provide her with food for her family. 

Manna for the day.

Jehovah Jireh -- The God who provides. I serve Him. 

Thank you for your prayers. I cannot express how grateful we are! I tell my dear friends that people in America are praying for them, and they cry. "Why would they love me like that?" were the words of Mwamini today. Thank you for praying for us too. Pray that we would continue to abide in the wonderful grace of Jesus, that we would stop and see His forgiveness wash over us, that we would rely on His strength to love each person, to breathe each breath. Thank you.

To God be the glory!

Court and Kate

When the sun doesn't shine and the solar panel lights fail at 7pm, you get creative!

 Papa O! He has the funniest stories!

 Emma pretending to jump into Tim's arms!

 Teaching the story of Shad, Rack, and Benny at the primary school!

 So many kids!!

 One of our new friends, Tim! So sad he's leaving this week!

 Jesse and Tim. This place is unreal!