strong and courageous

Our team from Illinois is here and lovely, and they are working with Junior this week in Fev!

It was a blessing to head there for worship yesterday and to hear Junior preach.

This new location is so much better for them than where they were, and I swear this tree looks like it's been waiting for someone to build a church under it.  Everyone was ecstatic to see Junior, and while the church is dealing with lots of little issues that show how vital continued discipleship is, especially in a church made up of entirely new or not-yet Christians, I was blessed to see Walnique and Jorgia there, doing just that.  Not just on Sunny Sundays, but continually, along with Rujerry, Phida, Aldy...Praise the Lord. 

Next weekend marks one year since a few brand new converts and several of our staff and students started meeting together regularly, and it's a joy to see God at work.

Emily made it back Sunday afternoon, bringing with her our new intern, Rachel, who has already been well welcomed by some very happy girls.

Unfortunately, reality set in a bit quickly on her internship...I picked up food poisoning somewhere (it's just not that hard :) and have been incredibly sick today.  It's thrust Rachel right into the swing of things helping with the girls, the oldest two preparing this week for their final testing in school, and, it gave me lots of time to pray for this dear family.

I don't even know how Randi and I became friends, to this day, but...I am so thankful for her in my life, and to have had our babies together, and for the constant transparent encouragement and friend she is.

And her oldest little man has been struggling with seizures for a long time, and Wednesday is his long-awaited, long-dreaded, long-hoped for brain surgery.

Randi's testimony to me through this has been one of true and courageous FAITH. The way she shares that faith with her children and her friends and with me is powerful, and I know she's not feeling particularly brave these days, but she it.  Because of Christ, trusting Him, not with an outcome, but just with her boy and with her heart.  

As we prayed for him at bedtime again tonight, and another little baby and his courageous single mama we pray for continually, I was so honored to be able to talk to my girls about what it is to be faithful, what it is to be courageous, and to pray that they grow into women of great faith, like Meg and Randi.  

It would bless me greatly if you would pray for them with me, for their dear son, Tristan. 

In these broken, less than perfect places, God is there, at work, full of grace, and easy found as earnestly sought.  

Praising the Lord for this truth for Fev, praising the Lord for this truth for Tristan's family, praising the Lord for this truth for me.