Glimpses

Here are a few glimpses of the last week here in Zambia! The photo below is of Kara visiting with a few ladies under a tree, reading their Tonga Bible. This tree was just outside one of the churches. These women had walked from 10km away for revival services. The older woman had suffered from left leg swelling and right ear hearing loss. The pastor had prayed for her and she was healed. This church is at the top of a small mountain and the views around were beautiful!!

The photo below is inside another church (Sichibunde). This building was built in 1995. It too is at the top of a mountain, and the 360 degree's of vista were my absolute favorite that day!! STUNNING is such an understatement!!:):) I think it's now the second place in the world I've sat where I could have watched the sun rise and set from the same spot!! (the other at the southern most tip of India - Kanjakumari) Just sitting on those benches for a few minutes and thinking of all the men, women and children who have sat their before me, hearing about how much God loves them - and seeing Him working miracles in their lives - really touched me. It is humbling to see their trust and faith in light of the depth of struggles they face each day, just to survive!!

The past few weeks I have been blessed to see God at work around me - not only in my life, but in the lives of the other team members! We have faced various challenges, and seen God smooth the way for us - providing for all our needs!! Just the other night, one of the girls came into my room to share what God had done just that day that had shown her in a new and BIGGER way His faithfulness! Knowing the challenges she'd faced that week - to see the joy and encouragement on her face was such a blessing!! God is good!!!

The photo below was taken at Zimba hospital with one of the nurses who work in the Pediatric and OB ward. Meagan and Heather were working with her that day! Their highlight was seeing a delivery just after lunch, but their hearts were saddened too, to see the illnesses that the children were suffering from! It is truly heartbreaking to see what dying of AIDS really looks like, but when it is young children - it is especially difficult to come to grips with!

Job 1:20-22 (TNIV)
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."

This passage has been an encouragement as we wrestle with the sorrow we see. We need to follow Job's example when he was faced with unimaginable heartache - take time to express our sorrow, but then follow it closely with worship to God, knowing that in all of life's "unexplainable moments" - HE is still in control and worthy of our trust!