Unchanging God

We have been living in our new house and new neighborhood for 6 weeks now. Life instantly became busier than we like, and we had a hard time coming up for air. It has taken us a while to get all moved in and in a good groove, but we’re getting there.

Moving to a new neighborhood we didn’t expect to feel the symptoms of another transition because we’re still in the same city. I began missing my friends, family, church family… which seems to be one of my main symptoms of transitioning.

As I have been working on preparing what I might like to share in my next post, I have felt like there is nothing to share. You know… it is so easy to forget the big picture!! It’s easy to forget why we’re here and just how strong our God is. Recently we listened to an encouraging sermon from our home church, there hasn’t been one time that we have walked away from a sermon from our home church without feeling encouraged…. I felt encouraged

A couple weekends ago TJ and I have also had some time to just talk about different things together, rethink some things, reconsider how we’re trusting God and how we’re not, what we’re believing him for and what we’ve decided to trust ourselves for. I cried a couple times within a few day span, and have been reminded of some important truths about who we are serving, and how that same God has been leading us for a long time now. TJ had to go over some past details for me about how God met us daily through difficult circumstances, how he answered our prayers, how we followed, and how He is that same God.

Sometimes the days feel mundane and meaningless, and it feels as though we will never learn this language well. Sometimes we are a little scared considering all the terrorist attacks surrounding us. Sometimes we forget why we’re here, we get tunnel vision. Sometimes we just need to be reminded about who God is, that we can be confident in him, that he led us here and that he is guiding our every step, and if death is all we’re scared of, Jesus Christ already took care of that. We are trusting God to protect our family.

I am so grateful he is unchanging and always faithful.

Every Thursday night we go to a Bible Study prayer group at our host family’s house and lately I have been encouraged by our time there. Unlike church we understand a lot more there, and they slow everything down for us, and explain more if we need. I am in awe at how much our church and other believers I’m getting to know PRAYS… and with that God is revealing a lack of prayer in my life. How can I move forward daily, and can I hear what he is saying to me if I’m not listening, if I’m not taking the time to talk with him.

My host mom, she works a lot and she is very busy and yet she wakes up very early every single day to pray and talk with God because that is most important in her life! For some reason God has asked TJ, me and our little girls to move our entire lives here, and he has burdened countless people to pray and around 100 families and churches to support us, I don’t know what every day holds, but I know that he didn’t do all that for nothing. What is my job now? Be faithful with what he has given me, and to continue seeking him and listening to him. (3/20/15) Last night I made a plan for the week for Ava’s school so we would be all ready. This morning was the first morning I got up early, exercised, read my bible talked with God and showered, ate breakfast, did school with Ava while Penny worked on her rhyming game, almost finishing before our maid and nanny arrived at 10. I don’t expect it to be perfect every day, but please pray for me as I work to make every day count, and be quality for my girls, for me and for our family.

Despite my fear, despite my loss, despite me missing people, God is trustworthy, and if I can move forward remembering Who God is and how he Loves me, then today is going to be worth it.

Psalm 19:7-9, 14

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and rights altogether”

“ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer”

When I lived in South Africa for 9 months, there were some things that were really hard, and I couldn’t wait to get “home”… but after I was “home” for a while there was some things that I REALLY missed from there, and I told myself that when I moved to another country I would recognize what I really Love about that place, things that I would miss if I moved away from that country. The first thing that I LOVE about a place that I am living is the people. First and foremost, I love the people here! My closest friend is my maid, I love her to death and would do anything for her! But, I am growing to love many people, I see these people as gifts to me, both women who work in my home, our host family, our church, my first AND second language helpers. I love that if I need something I can just run down to the boutique by our house and get it! I love eating fresh baguettes with butter or chocolate (nutella) I LOVE all the Senegalese Food, I have grown to appreciate the open markets, and buying fruits from the nearest fruit stand, and I like the homemade drinks. I love the Senegalese brand ‘Zena’ and all their products, I Love the fabrics here, and that I can have clothes made for us! I love the baskets, and I love the paintings. I love that people just come over without calling, and that relationships are top priority, stopping to talk to someone is not only good, it’s expected… whatever it was that you were doing can wait… because relationships are more important! I love feeling accomplished at the end of the day with the amount of french I have spoken. I love watching Ava dance with her friends during worship at church, and even though I don’t understand yet, I LOVE the worship at church, because God always manages to speak to my heart. I love that I have to figure out how to make things myself because it is not available here, and how accomplished I feel when it turns out well. I am thankful for really good missionary leadership here that seeks God and is doing a phenomenal job working with new missionaries, it would not be going so well for us if it wasn’t for them! I love our apartment and that God answered my prayers with 3 bedrooms. I love our quiet and not so dusty neighborhood.

Whether I’m really missing home or really loving it here… I trust God. God’s gift to me is that my heart beats with his beat for the lost. There are so many who do not know him here. TJ and I feel more than inadequate, and while that might be a good saying you start to feel it when you can only say enough of the language to get your point across. We are being humbled, and are being put in a place to trust God in a new and yet profound way.