O’er The Land & O’re The Free…

…And the Home of the Brave! Well, that is what I felt when I returned home. I was incredibly humbled at the greatness of God yet so brave and empowered to step out for the sake of Christ due to my experience. My mission trip to Namibia, Africa to share the love and salvation of Jesus Christ was utterly incredible! There is absolutely nothing like seeing God at work on the other side of the planet. I did a Bible study by Henry Blackaby when I first became a Christian called “Experiencing God.” In this study he explained that you cannot manufacture God’s work. You can’t declare His Hand to move and you definitely can’t save a soul. You can only, simply, whole-heartedly JOIN God where He is already working. I saw the truth of that on my trip. God was already there, already moving, already speaking to the hearts of seekers and definitely preparing hearts for our coming. God laid three young girls in particular on my path in Arandis, Namibia (where we served) … Hilja, Chriszelda and Viola. There were definitely more, but there was something uniquely special about these three. I spent the majority of my time with the orphan/abandoned children that were the focus of our trip (and hundreds of them asked Jesus into their heart!!!), but any spare time I had I spent with these three.

Hilja ~ she and I related so much in our hearts for ministry. She is engaged (or promised, they don’t call it engagement until the week of the wedding) to be married to an Angolan in seminary. Her wedding is in December. We shared a lot of words about being the woman God calls us to be as a wife and support role to our God-given men. (I have a really neat story to share about her – I’ll write again) She drew so much from our team – she truly was a joy to be with.

Chriszelda ~ she was very special and so beautiful. She was a young girl who sang with Pastor Tresford in the church services we attended. We talked a lot about the Heart of Worship. We shared our testimonies and shared Scriptures that had changed our lives. We would learn worship songs from each other and teach the different ways of our cultures. She wanted to be married and asked me tons of questions about me and Artie’s relationship. She begged me to bring her an American man to marry, one like Artie she would say! See, she was up against a great struggle in her culture. Men are very absent and non-committal (I only met two marriages!). She lives in a very unloving culture – desperately clinging to the promise of

... Psalm 143:8 …

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Viola ~ stole my heart! I was so humbled at how God had placed her in my life! I couldn’t believe how amazingly I related to her! The same struggles, the same fights of faith – and she was on the fringes! God put her in my path because He had worked in my life and re-built the walls in my life in order to share my journey with Viola! I shared so much of Beth Moore’s Breaking Free study and a lot of what I have learned at my church about making victory in Christ a reality in my life. Brenda, one of the full-time missionaries we were with, had introduced us and asked me to be open with her and share my story. After spending next to no time with her, I told Brenda that maybe God brought me all the way to Africa just for her! As soon as I got home I mailed several copies of Breaking Free and sermon series to be studied in Africa! Praise the Lord!

So this is what I learned … God IS at work all around the world! The message of freedom, the hopes of a real unfailing love, and the promise of God’s will for His Own is just as desired and freely offered in Africa as it is in America! There is going to be a lot of people in the sky when He calls us by His trumpet in the end and I am so thankful to know a few by name that will be far in the Western sky!

O Say, Can You See?