a ministry day - part 2

The brick walls of the church provided shade from the midday sun as community volunteers gathered to worship, pray and talk.  After a short encouragement from Romans 8, there was a brief discussion about receiving funding for uniforms; t-shirts and chitenges for the ladies and trousers for the men. Bishop Mwambelo also announced an upcoming week of training. It was time to leave for home visits, time to be Jesus in flesh for the people of Makalulu.

Our first stop brought us to the one room home of Mike, a forty year old male who was once a mini bus driver. HIV+, his wife ran away when he became ill. He is living alone, fighting TB, relying solely on the goodness of neighbours to provide little bits of food. Though his hearing is impaired, we attempted to share words of hope. A visitor from Canada recalled Paul speaking to the Corinthian church about the thorn in his side - Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.2 Corinthians 12:8-9 As God’s presence filled the room, the rest of us were encouraged by the words, even if Mike couldn't quite hear them.

He remained silent, but his eyes, prominent above shrunken cheeks, spoke volumes; pain and hunger reaching out for relief. When we presented our gifts of mealie meal and cooking oil those same eyes began to shine as tears filled them, threatening to pour. As we said our goodbyes, the image of his eyes remained with me, as I prayed that God would answer all the unspoken questions they were asking.

Rachel sat on the floor so that we, her guests, could be comfortable on an old sofa and chairs.  Family pictures brighten the dark walls of the small house she shares with one of her three children, the older two living in Ndola. Rachel’s husband, like so many others, ran away when she became sick two years ago. At age fifty and HIV+, she is being supported by relatives.  Selenium supplements have helped her gain some weight, allowing her to spend time moving about, not bedridden as she had been previously. We all rejoiced in the good report and prayed for continued strength and healing.

Our last visit was to Lisa, a widow with eight children, seven of whom live in the Congo where their father’s family is. Only her youngest child remains with her. With few seats in the tiny room, Lisa patted the end of her bed, asking me to sit beside her feet. I was almost afraid that her thin, brittle looking, illness ravaged body would snap.  She was barely able to sit up in bed – but her face was radiant with the joy of the Lord. 

At fifty, she looked more youthful than many younger women we met earlier. Words of healing and truth were declared in a house that was all at once a holy place.  Psalm 118:17  I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done and 2 Corinthians 4:16  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day were proclaimed and declared over the life of this beautiful believer. We laughed, and sang the praises of Jesus, lifting our hands with Lisa as she rejoiced in Him.

As those who had come to simply serve, we ended our day filled beyond measure by the goodness of our God, and the wonder of His extravagant love.

names have been changed

 

a ministry day - part 1

The cool of the morning was fading into another hot Zambian day. The back of the pick-up was packed with rations purchased with funds generously donated. Dust rose off the dry ground with each step as six of us devoted ourselves to being the hands and feet of Jesus in the Makwati community. Home visits to the sick and desperate are a regular part of the ministry of Christian Care Centre in Kabwe. 

Our first stop was to see Robert, an HIV+ double orphan who was left in his Auntie Elsa’s care while his grandmother went to do farm work.  At first glance he looked quite healthy, shining eyes watching our every move above chubby cheeks. His auntie’s daughter, a wiggling two year old sat with us also. She was just a bit bigger than Robert so we assumed they were close in age. Several of us gasped, shocked and saddened to learn that tiny Robert was already six years old.

The gifts of mealie-meal, soya pieces, cooking oil, sugar and salt would not sustain Robert and his grandmother for long, but we pray that the words of encouragement we shared, and the love of Christ displayed have a longer lasting impact.

Our next stop was to visit Mary, a widow of thirty-one years who looked both younger and older at the same time. A double orphan, she married so young she cannot recall the age. Now her five children also know how it feels to lose a parent as their father was killed in a car accident. The man responsible for the accident provided just enough money for Mary to build her tiny home. When she is well enough she does piecework, but is rarely able to provide enough food for her family. She recently accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. We prayed with her and explained that the gifts of food and a jacket we left were just a small measure of His great love.

Our last stop brought us to the small home of a sixty year old widow named Joyce who was supporting herself and three of her eleven grandchildren with a small stand where she sold tiny dried fish called kapenta. She squealed and ululated joyously as we unpacked dried beans, kapenta, onions and cabbages for her to add to her stand to increase her sales potential, empowering her to take steps towards success and self-sustainability. Instead of needing to rely on the kindness of others, now Joyce herself would be able to provide for her family. She could not stop praising God for His love and miraculous provision, lifting her hands to give Him all the glory. 

Her worship and adoration of our Lord and King was as refreshing as a cold cup of water to us weary but now filled servants who had simply followed His request. 

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  Matthew 25:40 NIV

names have been changed

 

are you standing firm?

The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil.

    They plot crooked schemes.

They lie to convict the poor,

    even when the cause of the poor is just.

But generous people plan to do what is generous,

    and they stand firm in their generosity.

Isaiah 32:7-8 NL

I am choosing to stand firm.

In what ways is the Lord asking you to do the same?

Have you followed the Compassion Bloggers?

The World Help Bloggers?

Do you feel called to go?

Or perhaps you're called to send?

Do you want to know more about the work Rick & I plan to do in Malawi?

Ask me!

singing in the Sunday chorus with Deidra

 

in their shoes

not my words today, but His as I opened my journal to listen--

walk in their shoes

or lack of

right now

to gain empathy

to hear 

My heart

be open to learn

be open to feel

accepting emptiness

gives me space

to fill

that is where

the joy goes

the pub is open again, I'm hanging out with the poets
 

not an issue to solve

Do you see me as a problem? A puzzle?  Something to fix?

I want you to see me.  Just me.  

A little girl who has to grow up too fast.

I'm not just a headline.

I live and breathe and hurt.

I am just like all the other children you know.

Yes, I cry, but I laugh too.

I am not an issue.  I am a life.

I am an opportunity.

I am an invitation into relationship.

What God created us for.

I am waiting.

He Is waiting

What are you waiting for?

Poverty is not necessarily an issue to solve; 

it is an opportunity to serve. 

As we go through each day, 

our heart’s cry should be, 

"Lord, where would you have me give, 

serve, and invest myself to bring hope to the poor?"

Orphan Justice author, Johnny Carr

Is the Lord whispering to your spirit, urging you to get involved?  

Click here to begin the sponsorship journey.

  

when I see you - I see me

I can almost feel the tears wet on your cheeks.

Sticks and stones break bones, and you've been lucky to avoid that kind of pain. But unlike the old rhyme, names and words cut deeper than flesh, leaving wounds that may take a lifetime to heal. What was it this time?  Fatso?  Ugly?  Stupid?  You've heard the words often enough that you begin to believe them, and worse, you think you're the only one deserving of such teasing.

I can almost taste the salt of those tears.  And the sting of isolation.  You are certain that you are all by yourself. But know this, little me. You are not alone, have never been, alone.  God is beside you, holding you even as you shake with sorrow.  He is molding you, preparing you to become the me that writes these words.

Years will teach you that some of what was said was true. You are not like everyone else.  But you will grow to celebrate all the ways in which you are unique.  One day someone will speak words of pure truth over you that will bathe all of those scars:

You are not different, you are set apart.
By Him and for Him.
His design with which He is well pleased.
And loved, oh so very loved.

Want to help a little life know the love of both God and man?  Consider sponsoring a child today.

I can hardly believe that it has been a year since I joined in Compassion Blog Month 2012.  God moved hearts and many children found love and care through those who began new sponsorships. While it was a joy to see love in action the needs are still great.

The goal this year is to get 3,160 children sponsored online by 11:59 p.m. mountain time on September 30.

joining Emily and the imperfect redeemed

Activist Faith by Burroughs, Darling and King

I have long been moved, almost haunted by the words of James:

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. James 1:27 The Message

How can I claim to be a disciple of Christ and shut my ears to His call?

In their new book Activist Faith, From Him and For Him, Dillon Burroughs, Daniel Darling, and Dan King tackle the tough issues of our time:

Human Trafficking; Immigration; Poverty; Environmentalism; Disaster Relief; Homelessness; Defending the Unborn; War, Terror and Genocide; Religious Freedom; Parenthood and Sexuality: Crime and Urban Decay; the Orphan Crisis.

Using quotes as varied as the Word of God, modern theologians and others, the words hit the mark and convict the spirit.  For example:

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. —Dr. Seuss

All three authors share stories of people they have met and lives that have been changed, including their own. I wept through Dan King's telling of a mother in Kenya:

My biggest question is the same for everyone we meet: “How has the opportunity to run this business with the support of the micro-loans affected you and your family personally?” 

She responds simply, “Now I have some extra money to buy things for my kids.” She has three young children under the age of ten. 

This is a response that I can really relate to! I have a six-year-old son at home. As his dad, I love having a little extra money from time to time so I can buy something special for him, such as a handheld gaming system. But I don’t see many kids around there playing on their handheld gaming systems. In most parts of Kenya, the term “handheld gaming system” usually means “a stick.” Some of the more fortunate kids I see get to play with an old flat soccer ball.

So I ask her, “What kinds of things do you buy for your kids?” She shrugs a little bit and responds, “You know, meat and bread.” 

For the first time ever in my life, I am utterly speechless. Here I am thinking of all the luxuries I’m going to shower my son with when I return home, and she just told me that all of her hard work provided her the luxury of buying her kids food!

Activist Faith does much more than remind us of what God desires. The authors provide examples, resources and effective steps to take with sections in each chapter: How You Can Help;Think It Through; Helpful Tools and Resources - for Research and for Action.

I pray that this book changes each and every one of us.  May these ending words burn deep in our spirits:

As you pray for guidance, consider that Jesus might answer, “I’ve changed you so you can live out your faith where you currently live, work, and study. Begin right now.” Okay, so Jesus did not exactly say it like this in the Gospels, but it’s accurate realistic paraphrase. You might not like your job, your major, or your place in life at the moment. God might have some big plans for you in another part of the world someday. Until then, start where you are. That’s where He’s placed you for the moment. Live with Activist Faith.

Activist Faith isn't just a book, it is a way of life.  Be sure to check out the website which is intended to be an ongoing resource to support the movement.

I was privileged to receive an advanced reader copy of this important work by Navpress.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

feed My sheep

The third time he said to him, 

“Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 

“Do you love me?” 

He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

John 21:17 NIV

My heart today, as always, is with "the least of these"

 

joining the Sunday chorus at Deidra's

 

Waterfalls

My beloved wed a woman of tears
one who thought she had no heart
until it was well and truly broken
touched by the hand
of the One Who bled
I surrendered
it was then the leaking began
unpredictable
sometimes a trickle thin
more often cataracts

Each night in prayer
my husband covers me
with protection and blessing
and asks that the Lord
would continue to break my heart
for those things that break His

At times the deep ache comes
cascades of pain rushing wild
I want to scream
"when is it enough?"
already knowing His answer

when the hungry are satisfied
when the naked are clothed
when the cold find shelter
when  no man is enslaved to anyone but Me
when the lost come home

and then
only then
will I dry every tear

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever Revelation 21:4 NLT

Abiding with Cheryl today


 

Only one, but one

I blog for Compassion.  My husband and I sponsor a child in Uganda.  We sponsor a family of Canadian missionaries in Kenya. We have hopes, dreams and prayers to one day soon devote our lives to serve with Operation Mobilization wherever God sends us.  Through social networking I promote the ministries and mission trips of others, envious at times, I must confess.

Hunger and brokenness abound in places near and far.  The scope of needs can overwhelm, freeze my thoughts and leave me feeling totally impotent.  Sometimes I seethe, angry.  More often, my eyes fill with tears, my heart broken at my inability to "fix things".

I may be a single drop in the ocean, but I must not allow that truth to stop that drop from watering the seed God designed it for.

If, like me, you find yourself feeling like nothing you can do could possibly be enough, I encourage you to remember these words spoken by Helen Keller:

I am only one, but still I am one. 

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;

and because I cannot do everything, 

I will not refuse to do something that I can do. 

May our drops spill out, one by one.  Living water to quench a thirsty world.


 

Now I know...

The last assignment for Compassion Blog month is to write from the perspective of a sponsored child:

Alone, frightened
cold climbed in deep
and would not let me go.
The blankets you gave
like arms wrapped close
whispering Jesus.

I had never heard that name
but now I know
it means warm.

Alone, frightened
hunger dug in deep
and would not let me go.
The food you sent
poured into all that empty space
whispering Jesus.

I had never heard that name
but now I know
it means full.

You didn't tell me.
You showed me.
Opening your own life
to touch mine.

And now I know
Jesus means love.

As of last Friday, we were at 2,006 sponsorships. We have one week to go! Let's give 1,102 more children the gift of being sponsored this month. 

To find out the most recent sponsorship number for every day this week, follow Compassion on Twitter

 

Feeling the God-Bumps with Jennifer

and walking with the broken but redeemed with Emily

 

Not at all silly...

By modern North American standards we do not possess financial riches yet my husband and I are wealthy indeed.  We have a home on 20 beautiful acres of land, heat when the Canadian winds blow cold, food on the table and a reliable vehicle to drive.  The mortgage gets paid, as does the car loan, even though at times it seems that the money in the bank won't stretch that far. We place our trust in the God Who provides and He hasn't let us down yet.  Silly?  Maybe to some, but not to us.

And though we weren't really sure we would have enough funds to make monthly support payments, we still took the plunge to sponsor an African child through Compassion Canada.  Silly?  According to logic and balance sheets, yes, but we have learned that in the Kingdom of God, things defy man's logic.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,  and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverb 19:17 NIV

In our lack we have so much more than most of the world.  Reaching out with love to a child in need grounds us, excites us, and expands our hearts.  I know it can do the same for you.  I overflow with joy knowing that in some small way I am helping children learn about the love of Jesus.  All that Compassion does is in His name.

Please take a few moments and click over to Compassion's website.  Read about the children who need your loving support.  I pray that you will spend some time asking the Lord what He would have you do.

And if you think that prayer, talking to someone you can not see is silly, I dare you to jump into silliness head first!

Being quite serious today with Peter and the word silly

 

September draws near

September is Blog Month at Compassion, an opportunity for bloggers everywhere to let their voice ring loud with the heartbeat of Jesus as we strive to find sponsors for at least 3,108 children.

We will be given writing challenges to spark our posts, plus giveaways and prizes.  Read more about what next month will bring on Compassion's blog.

As for me, the greatest prize is knowing that in some small way I can help children know the love of our Lord through the hands and hearts of those who would choose to sponsor.

Stay tuned for more as September rolls in, and pray about how God would have you participate.

 

End the waiting

I have never known many things you know
what its like to go to school
or hold a book in my hand
how it would feel
to not have constant hunger
gnawing away inside
or wonder if today is the day that I will die

I have spent all of my days in poverty.
But God loves His children
so He sent Compassion to a church near my home

There are so many benefits Compassion provides:

educational opportunities
health care and health-related instruction
good nutrition
and life-skills training
all this wrapped up in the love of Jesus
and the chance to hear the Good News of His Kingdom.

My parents took me to this church.
They asked lots of questions about me and my family, they even took my picture.
Then they told me I was officially registered.

That was an exciting day, not only would I get to receive all of these blessings
but they told me I would be connected to a special person
a sponsor from far away who has so much love in their heart
that they would want to share it with someone like me.

I was registered, but I had to wait for someone to sponsor me.

So I waited
and I waited
and I waited...
wondering if there is something wrong with me
no sponsor has chosen me yet
so I wait still...

When you see a heart in the lower left-hand corner of a sponsor child's picture, it means that particular child has been waiting for a sponsor for nearly six months - at least 180 days.

You can be the answer to the questions of worthiness that haunt a child like the one I wrote about above.



Compassion International offers you the opportunity to sponsor a child who has been waiting for six months or longer. 
Visit Compassion's website by clicking here to explore this chance to share your heart and your help.

Sponsor a child today and receive a free Compassion scrapbook. This scrapbook will be a great way to organize all the letters and photos you receive from your sponsored child. Just make your first payment today with your credit or debit card to receive this free gift. This offer is only available to citizens of the United States.

But the greatest gift is what you will receive in return, the joy of knowing the impact you have made in the life of a hurting and waiting child.


 

Will you remember me?

This young girl was standing near the side of the road as we traveled by bus back from one of the Watoto Childcare villages to our guest house in Kampala, Uganda.

Eyes that have seen white people come
and go, leaving her behind.
Eyes that have seen riches
flash and flee.
Eyes that cry out
in silence "will you remember me?"
And I am forever changed.
Weeping for their loss, hunger, need.
And my spirit shouts "Yes!"
And I can not forget.

I'm hearing the words to a Sarah McLachlan song:

I’m so tired but I can’t sleep
Standin’ on the edge of something much too deep
It’s funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can’t be heard

But I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don’t let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

Submitted for the prompt remember.  Stop by 3 from here & there to see more.

Half the Church - Carolyn Custis James

I have recently completed reading the words of Carolyn Custis James in her new book Half The Church - Recovering God's Global Vision for Women.

I agreed to read and review this book for Zondervan with some trepidation, for indeed the debate about women and the church rages hot, as the author explains:

Since the late twentieth century two polarized groups - complementarian and egalitarians - have defined the evangelical landscape for women, particularly in the West.  The debate between the two groups creates a fault line that runs straight through the body of Christ.  Evangelical churches, denominations, and individuals have taken sides.  It is a cause of profound division among us.

Instead of taking one side or the other, James attempts to present a complete overview of the issue.  What most connected with my spirit was her cry for those so often forgotten in the debate, women from outside our Western world.

Bringing these women into this discussion changes everything.  In our culture, the church has tended to concentrate on a tiny segment of the female population - a narrow, prosperous, protected, well-educated female demographic located in the comfortable midsection of human society.  The prosperity we enjoy shapes both the questions we ask and the answers we embrace.  And we - both the women who are asking and the Christian leaders who are defining the answers - are clueless that this is happening.  We can ask questions like, "Do I plan to use my college degree or set it aside?" and "Should I be a stay-at-home mom, or work outside the home?"  But for the rest of the world, these questions are unimaginable luxuries.  For them, education is a lifeline that promises a better life for a woman and her children and will doubtless benefit her community.

Working outside the home is not an option where grinding povery exists and there are hungry mouths to feed.  Everybody works.  Our cloistered discussions about God's purposes for women and the resulting infighting that ensues among us leave women elsewhere in the world scratching thier heads.

No matter what side you may find yourself on today, you can find insight and truth in James exploration.  You may find that God moves your heart in ways aligned with the beating of His own, and that, indeed, makes the investment much more than worthwhile.

I received this book free from Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Tears for one - tears for millions

Picture from PentictonToday.com

Since the earthquake and resulting tsunami I’ve been spending time in prayer, seeking the Lord for answers to the emotions stirring within.

Surely I grieve for the lives shattered and lost in Japan; the ears of my heart are not deaf to their cries.

And yet I wonder why the outpouring of shock, tears and support is so evident around me in the middle of this crisis in a way different than when Haiti was struck, or when the tsunami devastated Indonesia. These already seem forgotten.

Japan is much like us, a first world nation. Is that why we are moved? If this could happen to them, it could happen to us.

In the middle of my pondering I recalled the following from Richard Stearns The Hole In Our Gospel:

I want you to imagine for a moment that you woke up this morning to the following headline: “One Hundred Jetliners Crash, Killing 26,500.” Think of the pandemonium this would create across the world as heads of state, parliaments, and congresses convened to grapple with the nature and causes of this tragedy.

Now imagine that the very next day, one hundred more planes crashed – and one hundred more the next, and the next, and the next. It is unimaginable that something this terrible could ever happen.

But it did – and it does.

It happened today, and it happened yesterday. It will happen again tomorrow. But there was no media coverage. No heads of state, parliaments, or congresses stopped what they were doing to address the crisis, and no investigations were launched. Yet more than 26,500 children died yesterday of preventable causes related to their poverty, and it will happen again today and tomorrow and the day after that. Almost 10 million children will be dead in the course of a year.  So why does the crash of a single plane dominate the front pages of newspapers across the world while the equivalent of one hundred planes filled with children crashing daily never reaches our ears?

Do we, can we allow the storm that rocked Japan to loom larger and take on more importance than any other losses?

I hear the voice of one
in the cries of millions.
My heart trembles
teeters, cracks
as it falls
all at once able
to leak fresh tears.
Sometimes
there are no answers.
My spirit weeps
with those who weep.
I hear the voice of millions
in the cries of one.

Check more Wednesday One Shots at One Stop Poetry