Africa Pictures...

Finally, I got some photos to upload...




Chriszelda



Namibian Children


Me and Hilja

Me and Viola

Our VBS - 500 children!

No zoom required here!


The red, African sunsets - gorgious!

Please read the blog text below to hear stories about these photos...

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?

Just Checking...

Hey Everyone! I am in the process of a new post all about my trip to Namibia, Africa! It was awesome! I just wanted to do a quick test drive to see if I would be able to post photos...

The Namibia Mission Team

Tallahassee and Cousins...

This past weekend, we had a family wedding in Tallahassee, FL. It’s kind-of complicated, but when your roots are from Mississippi it’s understandable … my THIRD cousin got married this weekend, and yes I know my third cousin. My dad’s side has always managed to keep up with each other and maintain a long lost tradition of family reunions. Johanna (my 3rd cousin) feels like a first cousin. She was there at all our family visits to Osyka, Mississippi where my grandparents lived. We had a chance to reminisce about the good ‘ol Osyka days ...
bunny rabbit funerals, multiple weddings (Sarah and I were always the wedding planners), bike races, Easter Egg Hunts, gymnastic competitions, Fish Fries, campfire singing (Coom-By-Ya – sp?), 4-Wheeler racing, FIREWORKS, filling the birdfeeders with Granddaddy, and dare I forget to mention EAT!!!!

We have lots of fun memories out in the country. And over the weekend it was a lot of fun to have all the cousins together again. Our newest addition, my little niece – Zoe Margarget – was a TON of fun! Since she doesn’t live in Tampa with the rest of us, you can imagine how we ate her up!

Tallahassee was a beautiful place to get married - Johanna we wish you the absolute best and pray for you to have Christ at the center of your marriage ... making it more than you could ever imagine!

Namibia, Africa

In case I haven’t already told you…

I’m going to Africa in June! Late last fall, I began to have a sensitivity to going beyond my community in sharing God’s love with others. I have heard story after story (including my husband’s) of how God will open your eyes to so much as you experience Him through serving another nation, another people for the cause of His message of salvation. By early this year, Artie and I had reached our decision point for me to take the next step and traveling on my very first mission trip. I cannot express to you how confident I am in this call to go (and those of you that know me, know that I typically wait until I am fully confident). I am so convinced that this is a God-journey for me!

We will be leaving on June 1st to begin our travels to Namibia, Africa (we originally had destined to be in Botswana, but had some things come up to take us to Botwana’s western neighbor, Namibia) returning June 18th. It is a very safe and peaceful country that is impoverished and in need of help in getting their new public education up and running. The team and I will be working with village orphans and foster parents, coming along side full-time field missionaries in setting up forms of trade to help the people earn an income, lead a Vacation Bible School at the local orphanage, institute libraries at the schools, and teach young teens about abstinence through the means of God’s values. We had our first meeting today and with every bit of information they give us in our preparation, my heart grows more and more for the mission God has given me.

I do ask that you come along side me and the other team members and PRAY for us. We will have great advantage in language and in length of time to build relationships. You can pray for the people: to receive God’s message of true love thru Christ. For the team: for unity and strength as we embark on a lot of hard work and for protection. For me: for my absence from Artie (we haven’t ever been a part this long), for my strength, boldness, compassion and for my dependence on the Spirit’s work.

I will be taking my camera and will definitely share my journey when I return. In the meantime, I will keep you posted to any way you can pray for me and the team. And THANK YOU to all who have supported me in my journey through prayers and so much more! Your graciousness has astounded me! I look forward to watching God work and sharing it!

Monday Night Girls

So – I have a confession to make … I love my college girls Bible study group! It’s my most prized work right now (besides my marriage, of-course!). There is nothing that brings me more delight than to come along side these precious girls and watch them grow in God’s truth and help them practically APPLY IT TO THEIR DAILY LIVES! I absolutely love our Monday nights together. They are precious! We have such different personality traits and walks of life that we are able to learn so much from each other. We’ve been studying Beth Moore’s, “Living Beyond Yourself” Bible study which studies the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit – and this has got to be the most practical Bible study I’ve ever done. And the girls have all agreed. In dealing with the impatient, joyless, faithless, loveless (we could go on) attributes of life and self – we are humbly reminded of the Greater, that is the Holy Spirit, that lives in us and that we can live victoriously in Christ. Amen!

I keep up with the girls’ blog sites and such and one of them wrote the most precious entry …

“I have rediscovered... a lot of things. God's Love, His peace like a river, His faithfulness, Trustworthiness, Believability. He has led me, directed me, carried me so many times before... why should this time be any different? It won't be. Thank you Jesus. Amen.
I do love Mondays. And Beth Moore Bible studies...”

Is that not the most precious thing you’ve ever read? Ohhh – it just brings me tears of such joy to watch young hearts discover the love of God aimed right for them!
So, this blog entry is dedicated to you, girls! I have loved your emails and your questions and our hangouts! I will continue to pray for you as you journey in this goal Spirit-filled living. But know this … I love you and I am one of your biggest fans as you chase the Heart of God and share that with others!

Running along side you in Christ Jesus,
Lela

THIRSTY 06

THIRSTY 06 - A leadership conference at North Point in Atlanta, GA. A group of us that work in the singles ministry at DIBC went together to Atlanta to attend THIRSTY. We had an absolute blast! We laughed until our stomachs hurt and tears were coming down our cheeks. It was so much fun! But not only did we experience the fun of community, God poured into us beyond all expectation. We heard from Louie Giglio, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan (or Jacki Chan!), and others. I honestly have not been more compelled and encouraged in all my Christian life! The simple yet empowering message of God abiding in us was life altering! Praise God!

One cool thing is that I got to meet one of my inspiring music "mentors" (through listening to her music) ... Watermark's lead singer, Christy Nockels. She was awesome!

I loved every single minute of our time in Atlanta (not to mention our van rides there and back - the poor guys, they had to put up with Charlotte and I's silliness all the way there and all the way back). It was great! Thanks James for taking us!