Joy in the Journey

Over 200 missionary women from Sub-Saharan Africa came together recently for a ladies conference in South Africa.   The theme of the conference was "Joy in the Journey."  Each one of us came to this meeting understanding to some degree what each one faces on a daily basis.  We have all experienced similar ups and downs in our missionary careers and because of that we can encourage one another along in the journey.  Do we always feel joy?  No, not always.  We learned that we need to choose to have joy each day.  Sometimes we even have to fight for it.  May we all fight for joy as we go through life.

 

 Worshiping in English and with other like minded believers was one of the highlights of my week.

 Each cluster presented gifts to the speakers who came to lead us during the week.  Here are some of the women from Mozambique presenting the gift.

 

 

 

One night we rode in a safari truck to a restaurant for dinner.  I got to ride with my good friend Nancy who used to serve in Zambia and is now in SA.  It was so good reconnecting with friends throughout the week.

I also made some new friends during the week.  One of these ladies is named Cammie and she came to the meeting to help with the babies and nannies.  She did a tremendous job which really helped the mothers with little ones be able to enjoy the conference. 

Hot and Dry

 

This time of year it is so hot and dry in Zambia.  As I sat in church today squished on a bench with 10 ladies which was meant for probably only 6 I couldn't help but think about how uncomfortable and hot I was.  Packed in this church with a little over 400 people I felt like we were baking in an oven!  Then as we drove home, as I looked all around us everything was so dry. Zambia is a beautiful country most of the time but during this time of the year everything is brown and dry until the rains come in November.  This made me think about times in my life when I may have been spiritually dry.  It's not like we plan on being spiritually dry it just happens over time as we let certain things go to the wayside and maybe not confessing our sin.  The good news is that when we realize we are dry we don't have to stay in that state.  We can ask God to help us.  Here is something I found written by Rick Warren.  Think about what he has to say on being spiritually dry.  Then if you think you are in this state do something about it.

From Rick Warren:
"We all hit walls at times in our relationship with God. They’re simply a part of the package. Even David, whom the Lord calls “a man after God’s own heart” had times when God seemed very distant. David once prayed to God, “God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?” (Psalm 10:1 MSG)

We simply can’t judge our quiet times by emotions. Why? Emotions lie. Feelings come and go. Some days it’ll feel like heaven just opened up for you, and you have a great time with God. Then there are other days your quiet time will seem ordinary and bland. Don't expect to have great and glorious experiences every single morning. The issue is consistency.

Yet, if you are having a long period of dryness in your quiet time, you might look at one of these possible causes:

• Unconfessed Sin: God isn’t going to show you anything new until you do what he has already shown you.
• Physically Unprepared: If you’re tired or stressed, it can be hard to have a fresh quiet time.
• Trying Too Much: Pick chunks of Scripture that are too large, and you’ll rush your time with God. You never want to put yourself in a situation where you hurry God.
• Routine: If you do the same thing every time, your quiet time will turn legalistic. Experiment with some fresh ideas. Mix up your quiet time.
• Not Sharing Your Insights: If you’re not putting into practice what God is teaching you, your spiritual life is bound to grow stale.

Spiritual dryness may be common, but it doesn’t have to be incurable. Ask God where your dryness comes from, and let him help you turn things around."


Restore to me the joy of my salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.  Psalm 51:12

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/drought,-spiritual#sthash.Mbnd66BF.dpuf

Psalms 51:12

Verse Concepts

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/drought,-spiritual#sthash.Mbnd66BF.dpuf

Psalms 51:12

Verse Concepts

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/drought,-spiritual#sthash.Mbnd66BF.dpuf

Psalms 51:12

Verse Concepts

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spiri
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/drought,-spiritual#sthash.Mbnd66BF.dpuf

O God, you are my God, I shall seek you earnestly; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Psalm 63:1 

Psalms 51:12

Verse Concepts

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spiri
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/drought,-spiritual#sthash.Mbnd66BF.dpuf

Soon to be a pilot

 Justin is studying Aviation at Liberty University.  He is trying to finish up getting his pilots license.  One of the last things he had to do was fly from Lynchburg, Va to another place some distance away by himself.  So this past week he flew to Burlington, NC where Suzie's parents live.  His gram was able to meet him at the airport and go to lunch with him and then he flew back to Lynchburg.  I can hardly believe that he flew all by himself so far away.  We are so very proud of him.  Here are some pictures from that day.

 

 

 

Complaining

I read this today and thought I would share on here.  May Christ guard my tongue so that I won't complain!

-Jesus Calling Devotion For October 9-
You have been on a long, uphill journey, and your energy is almost spent. Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand. I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me. There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain. You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following. I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you. You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.
Complaining to others is another matter altogether. It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage. Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out. As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart.

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
—Jeremiah 31:25

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
—Philippians 2:14–15