He Is At Work
We would like to start by thanking our fathers for everything they have done for us. Second, congratulations to our first group of students who have graduated.
Our second team has come and gone and we are overwhelmed by the fruits of their labor from the week they spent with us on campus. The unity and encouragement amongst the team was a refreshment to the two of us. Our hearts are exploding with joy as we got to see friends from Texas show love and share the message with the students we love here on our campus. Two of our closest friends were on this team and it was such a gift to live life outside of the computer screen for a week and serve side by side in our environment. They left us feeling full.
Some really amazing things happened this past week that we’d love to share in greater detail, but for now we’d like to tell you some of the highlights. Chris and Brandon were able to spend a lot of time with the student whom Chris is closest with. They were able to give him a new good book that is a better translation than the one Chris had given him before. They also gave him some books written in his language for him to learn more about how to have a relationship with Father. This boy desires a relationship with Father but something is holding him back. They taught him the true meaning of brotherhood and invited him to become their real brother some day. He said that he has been sleeping with his good book next to his pillow and he has spent more time reading than he has ever before. Please continue to remember this student who is so very close to following the Son. Lindsay and the team poured into Becky’s closest friend here as well. They encouraged her, asked her some tough questions as a challenge for her to think about, and they simply showed her genuine love. They authentically connected with Becky’s friend in such a unique way. We ask for their friendships to continue as the team settles in at home and that Becky’s friend continues to think about the things the team impressed upon her.
We took the team to visit Mr. W and they were a huge source of encouragement to him. He shared his personal story with them and sang songs together. We also took the team to visit the orphanage/nursing home before heading over to the minority Y village to visit our sister’s lost family and have an authentic meal together. Our time at the orphanage was abundant in favor. Each time we make a visit, we never know what to expect. We are never sure how long we are allowed to stay and we are never guaranteed any interaction with the children. The team did an excellent job spending time in pryer before heading over and they were open to any possibility. When we arrived, we were immediately welcomed with warm greetings and acceptance. They greatly appreciated the load of adult diapers we brought as a donation to the elderly unit. They have requested 10 walkers for the children’s unit for next time. We are thankful for our partnerships back home that make this happen, and we are also thankful that the management of the orphanage/nursing home trusts us enough to be open to sharing their needs with us. When we say we experienced favor, we mean that we had Father by our side the whole day. We were able to stay there for at least an hour. This was the longest we’ve ever been allowed to stay. Most of the older children were outside and able to play with us all, and we were able to interact with some of the smaller children and an employee’s baby boy. The manager of the children’s unit was away for the day and the manager from the elderly unit whom we’ve developed a closer relationship with was full of joy as she watched everyone on the team show love to all of the people. We praise Him for His presence in this place and the moving and stirring He is causing! We will post more on our blog soon!
