At each of the Bible studies we always close with prayer
requests. It is a window for me to see what has transpired in the lives of our
PL people over the week. On a rare occasion, the requests seem normal like any
other Bible study that I have attended over the years in my own culture. More often than not though I am deeply
troubled by what I hear.
The first request in Nhamaibwe was from a woman listing her needs
because her husband had just passed away. The second was from a young lady who
had been robbed after she went to the ATM. When the four robbers saw she had
more money in the bank from her receipt, they forced her to take the rest of
the money she had out of the bank. I was
incredulous to learn that this had happened on a Saturday morning in Dondo. She
refused to go to the police because she believed they were too corrupt to help.
The rest of the requests were a diverse reality from those suffering with the AIDS
virus.
Our lesson that day had been from Daniel and how he
struggled against evil that had been just as incredulous…jealous men who
convinced a king to throw him to the lions before a fair trial could commence. These kinds of things don’t happen in my little
bubble in small town Wyoming. But the humble attitude these women display in
bringing their requests to the One who is not corrupt and who will make things right
one day reaches to the depth of my soul.
Missionaries are the ones who have all the answers….or so I
have been told. We American missionaries come from a culture boasting of quick
answers and quick remedies. When I go to the hospital and pray for the ever-so-sick
children and babies and then watch as we lose another one, it snaps at my faith
like a vicious dog in pursuit. If the Bible says our faith can move mountains…why
do I try to climb over Mount Bewilderment?
At these times, I am acutely aware for my need to be humble
and trust God’s decisions and care. Just like Job, who sat quiet because he finally
understood that he could not understand such an amazing and
capacious God. I
do know that just as incredulous was the feeding of an innocent man to lions even
more so was how God met the need through the angel who closed the lions’
mouths. I will trust that God will close
the lions’ mouths on behalf of these people.
This is one of the babies we prayed for this week. Her mama dressed her all up but it can't hide that she is very sick and has been for a while. Please pray for this little one.
I am always glad when I see father's taking care of their children. I love it when we can serve soup to these little ones, especially when they love our soup!
Inácio and David are teaching the Bible study in Macharote. Inácio rides his bike and meets with a man who can't attend because he is unable to walk. I am so glad that these young men work hard at their job as an activista.
This woman's husband is a pastor but they are in PL. He is very sick right now and needs our prayers.
I can't resist taking photos of the kids at the studies. I am sure some of them wonder why the white woman with camera keeps flashing lights at them.
The needs and poverty of these people will never cease to grip my heart - but their faith in spite of their poverty richly strengthens my own.
This is a mushroom! It is growing outside of where we live in house 14. I am sure it is poisonous so perhaps it is time to hack it down.
A sweet picture of a child at the preschool. Next week I am going to spend some time at the creche or daycare with some homemade play dough that my daughter-in-law taught me to make. Be looking for pictures of cute kids next week smothered in play dough! The play dough looks like colored masa so hope they don't eat it!
