Today is the day, let it be so

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." (Psalm 105: 1-4)

Did I love well, Lord? I know the answer, or at least part of the answer, is that it doesn't matter what I did or think I accomplished.

As I think about the summer and reflect upon what has happened, I wonder if I exhausted myself in love. My fear is that I settled for less or that I didn't do enough. The truth is I am but a small part of the work in Kenya. Quite frankly, with or without me, the Lord is at work. What a joy to be a part of the work for this short time and to see Him glorified in new ways.

This summer has taken me on a journey spiritually. The slow fade that occurred during medical school became obvious towards the end of my semester and I knew that the Lord was starting to reclaim what was His. I look forward to sharing the lessons I learned with you all during my report at the church. Some things are just better in person and I can't wait to bear witness to all that I saw, heard, and learned.

As for this day, it is the day and my heart must learn to accept its coming. Unfortunately, I feel like I am leaving a life that I was made to live. To know that you have found your "place in the world" is rare, to be confident of where you belong is also rare and I am thankful to have been given that insight. But, it is that knowledge that makes it hard to leave AFREEKA! I am more certain than ever that I am to finish medical school. I have seen a vision and been motivated on the path. I must return because school has reared its demanding head. There is peace in the journey home. There is hesitation to return to the life that is waiting in Jackson. I have vowed to do things differently this year. I don't want to lose myself in the process and it is too easy to do. I pray that I don't too quickly forget the lessons of the summer. I pray that as Kate and I travel back to the States, that we will have a peace over the work of the summer and the schooling that lies ahead of us. I look forward to seeing you all and hearing of what God has done in each of your lives. Again I tell you thank you for your faithful support and encouragement. I am blessed beyond measure with a family the size of FBC Senatobia!!!

Here in Kenya they say, "It's only mountains that never meet, people always meet." How true this has been in return to this wonderful country. I love you all and will see you soon!

Goodbyes and Tomorrows

“And by your name we cry, Abba Father” As I sat in church this Sunday, trying to take in every single moment, I was struck by something completely different than what I expected. It being our last Sunday in Litein, I wanted to remember the songs, smells, the sounds and the words spoken. I wanted to remember the face of the pastor and every small detail but what I remember instead are the sweet voices of the children from the orphanage in Litein. There is something about hearing orphaned children sing your praises, Lord, that break my heart every time. To hear them say, “Lord I lift your name on high. Lord I love to sing your praises. I’m so glad you’re in my life, I’m so glad you came to save us.” It seems amazing to me, how forgiving children can be. The adult in me struggles with the “why” of so many things of this world (orphaned children being one of them). They willing cry out thanks to God for their lives because they have some food and a place to sleep and feel protected. My heart screams out for them questions that aren’t mine to express. I sit comfortably on my bench in church, tears rolling down my cheeks because I can’t help but think of all the things they have experienced – the pain, the rejection, the fear, the uncertainty. These children are stronger than I could ever hope to be. Instead of cursing or blaming God for the evil that they have been exposed to they thank Him for the good He has done.

I praise you Lord for your faithfulness in the lives of your children all over the world. I thank you for rescuing your children and placing them in foster care, adoption agencies, and children’s homes. Thank you for giving them a second chance in this life to know love and joy as you designed it. But, I beg your protection and provision for the sweet children that are still sleeping on mounds of trash and who know the pain on starvation all too well. May they know, in some small way, your love today so that they might have hope to carry on in a world void of any hope of its own to offer.

Now… for a change of pace I’ll fill you in on what our schedule looks like for the next week. It seems that our time in Litein, has indeed, ended too quickly. We are leaving on Wednesday for Massai Mara. We will go on safari there and then head into Nairobi before leaving on July the 26^th. It has all passed so fast and I am not quite ready to return to the world of packed schedules, busy lifestyles, and time demands. It has been so nice to “be free” here in Kenya. My heart rejoices at the time the Lord allowed and all that I have learned, seen, and done. My “clay made heart” aches to question the gentle, firm hands of my potter… but I will refrain again. I take comfort in knowing that I am but a small piece of the puzzle and that my faithful Father is always at work. I don’t fully understand all that the Lord has done or is doing through this stay but I do know that He IS doing something.

“Now we know in part but soon we shall know fully, just as we are fully know.”

Pray for God’s grace as we say goodbye to all of our friends at Litein. Pray that God provides closure in our work and a sense of completion for the summer. And lastly, pray that God provides safety in our traveling and continues to draw us closer and closer in His arms. It is easy to shut down and prepare for the end and miss an encounter with the Lord, I pray that this final week allows time to really reflect and draw near to our gracious, loving Lord. May God bless your lives this week with enough joy to make you fully aware of his presence.