limitless confidence

Yesterday we kicked off the EBS Women's Bible Study : Christian Character.  The highlight was just sitting (and sweating) around the table with all the female cooks, housecleaners, secretaries and students.   With women from 18-60, no education to a master's candidate, from all over Haiti, with all different giftings and passions, it was exciting to realize as we sang our opening hymn that we were sisters.

As I tried to share my Bible with Roselore, I quickly realized that she could not read, embarrassed that I may have embarrassed her.  Then there was Rosejezula busting out some Greek...one of our biggest challenges may just be staying together!  It was challenging to study God's Word together when several participants were unable to READ God's Word!  Pray for me as I work to find ways to "study" verses in an oral, repetitive fashion instead of saying, "What do we see in verse 18?"

We began the base of this 12 week study on Christian Character with Romans, discussing how we are "Freed to Serve God", though none of us were found righteous, no, not one.  We spoke about His justification, and about things that still seek to enslave us, though we are now justified and free.  The women had tons to contribute and the hour flew by all too fast, followed by a few minutes to pray for and with each other.

Please be praying for this study and for wisdom and creativity on my part as I seek to facilitate.  My "plan" is to lead this Christian Character study these 12 weeks, and then ask who would like to lead the next study after...there is no reason why I need to be at the reigns with women who have followed the Lord, many, their whole lives.

Meanwhile, I am heartbroken over the women who have loved Jesus for years and have hidden His Word in their hearts, but who must be dependent upon others to receive it due to illiteracy.  There just seems to be NO END to all of the ways one could minister here...I'd love to start teaching them to read!  But unless the Lord unexpectedly gives me the gift of "no sleep needed", I just cannot do one more thing!  (remind me of this!)

On another note, we have two friends and one visiting professor (who is also our friend, of course! :) coming tomorrow, then another VP and another friend on Sunday.  Our third VP who was set to teach on Monday cancelled at the last moment, so it's been a busy time trying to re-schedule and register all the students with other courses!

We had a great service in chapel today in which a VERY nervous Junior (1000th time preaching, but first time preaching in chapel to his peers) shared from 2 Peter 1 about what holiness looks like.  It was a great, practical and challenging message, and I was blessed to hear the Lord put on his heart to share some of the same issues that Matt and I have been praying for regarding the students...and ourselves!  Junior is just such an ernest, passionate and humble man that I love to hear the Word through his lens.

The Lord has done some pretty neat things this week to encourage our hearts, and I am so thankful.

My O. Chambers reading from the other day asked this:  Am I abandoning the great supernatural position of limitless confidence in Christ Jesus, which is really God's only call for a missionary?


As life and all it brings has passed this week, I keep finding myself asking "What would unlimited confidence in Christ look like in this situation?"

I have fallen short in most cases, but in the rare moments where I was utterly abandoned to trust in Him, the process to His faithfulness was much sweeter.

He is good.