Why am I here?

Why am I here?  What could make me leave my family and friends?  What could make me leave the conveniences of America?  What could cause me to put my children in unfamiliar territory?  What could cause me to have my family in a place where illness is always a possibility?  What could make me stay in a place where mice and bugs come into my home regularly?  What could cause me to learn a difficult language with urgency?

Certainly not "a crutch for the weak" nor the "opium for the masses."  Certainly not a tradition that gives me comfort and is ok for me, but which is not great enough to convict and bless the whole world.  It is truth!  It is the "knowledge of truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted."  The Father sent the Son into the world to live a life perfect and unblemished to be an example for us and to make the way for us to be with the Father eternally.

I have heard it said, "If I am wrong, what harm is there because I have lived a good life.  If those who do not believe are wrong, then they will spend an eternity apart from the Father."  Though true, this is not even enough to propel me to the life I live.  I have known times of clear leading and I have known times where I did not know the next step.  I have known great joy and great sorrow.  I have known times of poverty (american style) and times of wealth (African style).  And yet God's peace has always been sufficient.  What else can bring that peace?  Not any government!  No rally in the economy!  Nothing but the Author and Perfector of Peace!  If I have such great peace and the whole world is seeking it, how can I keep it to myself.  I have a hope of an eternal future which is great!  But more real to me is what I have already experienced in my life.  My mind cannot fathom the greatness of eternity in the light of all I have experienced.  But I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able!  I am eternally grateful for all that The Father has done for me and for the abundant peace with which I have been blessed! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

New friends!!

Yea for new friends!  William and I passed by a house last week on our way home from buying bananas.  I could not hear all that the ladies inside were saying, so they invited me in to the courtyard.  As I left, they said they would come to see me on Saturday.  On Friday, one of the ladies was walking by our house and said she would come see me the next day.  I was so worn out by the long week that I misunderstood what she said.  So I still waited on Saturday for them to come, but they never showed.  No wonder, after how confused I was on Friday.  So I decided to go there again today.  They have tons of kids for William and Mariama to play with and I wanted to make sure they were all ok.


As we walked down the street, I saw my friend sitting outside of her house.  I went over to say hello and she asked where I was going.  I told her I was going or coming (I can't remember which verb I used) to greet.  She got excited and invited me into the courtyard, where she told everyone else that I had come. The older lady that I met last week came over along with some visitors they had.  Within a few minutes, both of the women's husbands had come over to greet me as well.  We chatted for a while.  I talked at toddler pace and listened to them rattle out the words.  It was so good to find a home where they speak the language I am learning, ie. not another dialect, and people who were so glad I came by to visit. 


Shortly before I was going to leave, the older lady said she was going to take care of the children and then mentioned that her body hurt.  I asked the lady if it hurt just then or all the time.  She said it pretty much hurt all the time and went to do what she needed to do.  I expected her to return in just a few minutes.  As the time drew closer that I really need to leave, I told the younger lady that I was going but that I would be praying for the older lady's body to feel better. The younger called the lady and her husband over to pray right then.  I told them I would pray in our first language because I do not yet feel comfortable to pray in our new language.  So we all prayed.  When it was over, they all expressed how glad they were with me for coming over.  The younger walked me and the kids home.  She came into my courtyard before going home and said now she could visit me.  That was my best visit here thus far.

Praising the Father for new friends!!!

Pressing on!

Yesterday's Word study was from Philippians 3.  Verses 13-14 took greater focus for me than ever before.  "Forgetting what lies behind" means not only the bad stuff but the good stuff I might want to sit and relish.  Each day is new!  That means I have to live each day pressing on to the finish.  I cannot say, "I've done well, so think I will sit back and rest."  As long as there is breath in me, the Father still has something for me to do.  I cannot start well and then end poorly.  Then I just get remembered as one who ended poorly.  Yes, I need to let go of the bad in the past.  But I must also set aside the good, and pursue even greater things.  Life is a marathon, not a sprint!  We must run each mile consistently with the same fervor with which we began, if we are to win the prize set before us.  Until we draw our last breath, we have not yet laid hold of it.  So press on daily!
One can imagine that by starting the day with that passage, I strained through the day.  As I laid down at night, I felt good about how I had spent the day.  Language and studying, caring for the family!  But I cannot even be content in that.  I must press on even through the rest of today to the very end.  So to my fellow travelers on the narrow road, I say, "Press on!" 

Being middle aged!

Ok, now I know many have said that I could not be middle age because people expect to live longer these days, in my family in particular.  However, it is funny that some languages, ours for example, have a word for child or for older person, but nothing for the age I am in.  It is this funky in between age.  I feel like I know nothing or at least have much to learn most days.  But some that are younger, not as far down the road as I am, look to me for encouragement and advice at times.  To add insult to injury, my body shows that I am in between both ages.  Youth have their blemished skin.  Older people have grey hair.  I would be ok to have one or the other, but both is just not right!  I guess that is what makeup and hair color are for, huh? 

I realize that this is a much more trivial post than my others but it is just another part of my life.  But before you think I am unhappy or feeling sorry for myself, let me reassure you----I love my life!  I am not in the best shape of my life, probably, but I am closer to the Father than I have ever been.  I have a super husband who is an awesome cook and leads our family to follow the Father.  I have precious children that are so sensitive about spiritual things and desire to be a part of what we are doing, which right now is learning language.  I live in Africa!!!  Which sometimes is said, "Oh, that's just part of living in Africa" and at other times is, "Living in Africa is so awesome."  I start to write "so cool" but that would not be accurate because it is so hot.  I miss many people, my parents in particular, in the states, but the Father is faithful to give me what I need each day.  I love my life!  I would not change a thing!  I am content!  I am thankful for all that I have been blessed with in my life!  Every day with the Father is a new adventure.  I cannot wait to see what tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, etc., hold for us!

A faithful Father!

Last Friday, we had a review/ assessment/ quiz to see how much we were getting in our language class.  Books were closed.  We had to pronounce, conjugate verbs, and know numbers.  It was comforting to know how much we had gotten and challenging to realize what we have not.  That night we had the team over for pizza and movie night, so we were up late.
Saturday, we went to the marche to stock up on food and my change purse was stolen.  Thankfully it was not much by our standards since we had already gotten the shopping done.  Then we had a couple that is dear to us visit, but it was more of a business call due to a meeting all day with our team leader.  Then the team was over that night along with the couple for dinner.  Another late night!
Sunday was a good time of fellowship and praise with the team.  Then spent the afternoon planning the week's homeschool.  Up late again because of talking to Grandma.
Monday found me just worn out.  One should never wake up tired.  I nonetheless woke up to meet with the Father.  In Ephesians 3, the Father fed me a tremendous prayer that Paul prayed, which I needed that day.  The Father is good!   That morning was language school and homeschool.  The team over for lunch.  Then we finished homeschool and then went to bed early.
Today was another great time in the Word of Ephesians 4.  The Father is faithful to meet us and feed us well from His Word.  Make a date with the Father today!