The last couple weeks of December I had been praying and asking the Lord for a word to start 2016. God had given me powerful words the years prior and I sensed His prompting to ask again for this new year.
Well, He delivered in the most unlikely of ways.
I'm a "Heartie."
For those of you who may not know what that means, it defines us die-hard fans of the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart. I know, corny... but it's about the only show on television these days that is endearingly wholesome and pure.
There was a holiday special airing the last Saturday of the year, so naturally I made it known to my family that I had dibs on a T.V. that night. Like Downton Abby, When Calls the Heart airs in the spring for only a handful of episodes, so I was eager to catch up on the lives of these beloved characters.
Of course, the show was ringing in the New Year- somewhere in the decade of 1910- and was setting the stage for season 3 that aired later in February. As Elizabeth Thatcher reflected on the last year's events and looked forward into the one to come, she penned in her journal that this year would be one of hope and new beginnings, but above all... that this would be a "year for love."
I rolled my eyes at the Velveeta cheesiness of that final statement, inwardly gagging... That's when the Lord came in and whispered, "...There's your word."
Any single woman who is about to turn 30 would scream in jubilation at this word, but I knew better. Of course, "love" would be my word for 2016.
You see, moving back into my parents' home takes a sort of humility and acknowledgment that I still need them. For this strong-willed girl of whom the Lord led away into the wilderness to become a strong, independent, and capable woman in the midst of a machismo culture... this would take some getting used to. Needless to say, since my return the Lord had been gently convicting me of not honoring my parents as I ought nor allowing myself to be a conduit of His love in my life.
No, this word didn't surprise me one bit.
The very next day, my mom, sister, and I attended a local megachurch service for a change. I tell you, God's signature is written all over that decision. We sat down to learn that the normal pastor was out but a guest speaker would be sharing from 1 Corinthians 13 with a message titled... get this...
Ok, God... I hear you!
So at the end of the message, an open invitation was given to anyone interested in joining a 9-week study on what was just presented. I knew in that moment, God not only confirmed His word to me, but He was now equipping me with the tools I would need to love from His heart. I signed up and we began meeting in February.
In this study, we unpacked Paul's words to the Corinthians about what love is and isn't, exploring and examining various scriptures that all point to the very character of Jesus. Changing the negative demands to positive ones, the study lays out the illustration of a garden wall built upon the 14 demands Paul wrote in chapter 13, verses 4-7...
And so...
Love is Patient
Love is Kind
Love is Content
Love is Encouraging
Love is Humble
Love is Honoring
Love is Selfless
Love is Gentle
Love is Forgiving
Love is Truthful
Love is Protective
Love is Trusting
Love is Hopeful, and
Love is Persevering
In all honesty, the course was spiritually tough. Areas of our lives that were not yielded to God's love were brought to light. There's nothing quite so powerful nor transforming than being saturated in the word of God. The conviction of the Holy Spirit fell upon me as I began viewing my relationships through the lenses of Paul's words.
The final two weeks were spent discussing culture's view of sex, love, and identity in contrast to God's purposes for us... uhhh was this NOT what God led me to share in the DR?! I cannot even begin to express how the Lord began stirring and renewing inside me a passion for His name and for His truth to be revealed to such a blind and lovesick world.
Week 7 was particularly difficult for me as I was reminded of the girls in the Dominican Republic and the lies women are told regarding their worth in exchange for sex. The entire Love. Defined. curriculum was actually birthed out of a trip to Namibia, Africa where the author met two missionaries, Jos and Sylvia, who were sent to make disciples, train young leaders, and instill value. Their hearts were moved by the amount of orphans due to the AIDS pandemic and the Lord inspired them to do something about it.
You see, very similar to the DR, by the time girls are 12 years old, they are approached by older boys telling them how they are the most beautiful girl in their village. 3 little words are spoken... "I love you"... and so the game begins as sex and "love" are intertwined. Only, in Namibia, AIDS is an added issue. By the age of 15, this young girl has a child, by 17 she is infected with the virus, and typically by the age of 22 she dies a horrifically painful death, leaving her child an orphan to repeat the cycle.
Jos and Sylvia knew this was an issue of revealing God's love towards His children. The Lord led them to teach children to become cycle breakers in their villages by speaking truth of who they are in Christ and sharing what the bible says regarding love, marriage, and sex.
Today, Jos and Sylvia have a thriving ministry that has expanded to several countries in Africa as they provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of countless children and their families.
Absolutely. Incredible.
Just reading about their story sent goosebumps up and down my body, especially since I have witnessed similar perversion of God's design for love and marriage in the DR and Tanzania. I remember thinking, "gosh, this is crazy... of all things to be reading!"
During one of the study nights, Tim Kutcher, the ministry director for the study, and his wife Michelle, came to sit in and observe our small group. Before we left, Michelle invited me to join them on one of the Love.Defined. retreats in Colorado for a long weekend to discuss the material further. I prayed about it and had this feeling that I was supposed to go, yet I went back and forth on the idea. I had completed the study already, was I being rational in flying out to Colorado?
I finally decided to just obey the subtle nudging of the Spirit and book a spot on the retreat in June, only to discover that that particular retreat had been canceled. So, with only 3 weeks until the May retreat, I found reasonable airline tickets and figured, "well, why not?"
Now, it gets REALLY interesting...
A week or so before leaving, I was invited to share at an orientation for those interested how Love.Defined. had impacted me. Tim Wright, the author of the study, was there and shared his excitement that I would be attending the May retreat, because guess who would also be there...?
Jos and Sylvia.
Ok, God... what are You up to?!
I was in shock. Of course, God would orchestrate something like this! The June retreat would be canceled and I would be going the same week as the two Namibian missionaries I read about!
The retreat was absolutely amazing. Beyond meeting Jos and Sylvia and hearing their stories, I met 6 other amazing people of whom God is using in incredible ways. We enjoyed 3 days of morning and evening sessions around the 14 demands in 1 Corinthians 13, our identity and value in Christ, and God's view of sex and love. The extra time was spent touring the mountains of Colorado and enjoying the snow!
But perhaps the most inspiring part of my trip was the time I spent with Sylvia. What a vibrant and beautiful woman yielded completely to the Lord! I was immensely blessed by stories of how God is moving in the lives of so many through their ministry. But not only that, Sylvia graciously spent time sharing many of the lessons she uses in breaking down the foundational truths found in Genesis 1, 2, and 3 that all point to our significance, purpose, and God's design for marriage.
The Lord has given them such wisdom and depth of insight in the development of their specific ministry, Genesis Design. Since my trip to Tanzania, I have been grappling with the issues of tribal polygamy, women as property, and the continued practice of female circumcision. God began answering prayers and ministering to me through Sylvia as she shared her experiences among various tribes and what the Lord has revealed to her.
Seriously, only God could orchestrate a meeting like this! And it all came about through the soft whisper of a single word...
The Lord has been softening my heart this year. Re-entry has been a bit more trying than I'd like to admit. In longing to feel settled and a sense of belonging, I allowed discontentment to enter my heart, wedging a gap between myself and those closest to me. But the reality is, I may never feel as though I belong on this earth and that's the way it should be...
It has been made very clear to me that the Lord is up to something... if not only to show me that He sees Satan's perversion of His perfect will in this world and has already sent out laborers into the harvest, though they still be few. The work Jos and Sylvia are doing is transforming lives one by one through the revelation of Jesus Christ and I believe God has only just begun.
He's just giving me one piece at a time... I joke about it now, but if the Lord had told me even 5 years ago that I would move to a foreign country, live on my own, become a temporary guardian for a Haitian baby, adopt 2 dogs, teach empower girls classes in Spanish, pay bills, buy and take care of a car, and eventually step out in my own ministry... I would have either laughed like Sarah or run away like Jonah.
God doesn't share all the details on purpose. For we live by faith, not by sight, and that makes leaning on my Beloved that much easier.
Oh yea... and I'm heading back to Tanzania for 2 weeks the end of May with Pastor Doug and a small team. We'll be returning to the Masai village in Kiruani, as well as a new location where we'll teach bible school and share the love of Jesus. We'll also be checking on the progress of the school there and assist in any way the Lord would lead us.
Please keep my team and me in your prayers- that the Lord would have His way in all our hearts and protect us from all harm. I can't wait to see these beautiful faces again!
And it's only May... who's telling what all God has in store this year.
Well, He delivered in the most unlikely of ways.
I'm a "Heartie."
For those of you who may not know what that means, it defines us die-hard fans of the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart. I know, corny... but it's about the only show on television these days that is endearingly wholesome and pure.
Elizabeth and Mountie Jack... swoon!
There was a holiday special airing the last Saturday of the year, so naturally I made it known to my family that I had dibs on a T.V. that night. Like Downton Abby, When Calls the Heart airs in the spring for only a handful of episodes, so I was eager to catch up on the lives of these beloved characters.
Of course, the show was ringing in the New Year- somewhere in the decade of 1910- and was setting the stage for season 3 that aired later in February. As Elizabeth Thatcher reflected on the last year's events and looked forward into the one to come, she penned in her journal that this year would be one of hope and new beginnings, but above all... that this would be a "year for love."
I rolled my eyes at the Velveeta cheesiness of that final statement, inwardly gagging... That's when the Lord came in and whispered, "...There's your word."
Love.
Any single woman who is about to turn 30 would scream in jubilation at this word, but I knew better. Of course, "love" would be my word for 2016.
You see, moving back into my parents' home takes a sort of humility and acknowledgment that I still need them. For this strong-willed girl of whom the Lord led away into the wilderness to become a strong, independent, and capable woman in the midst of a machismo culture... this would take some getting used to. Needless to say, since my return the Lord had been gently convicting me of not honoring my parents as I ought nor allowing myself to be a conduit of His love in my life.
No, this word didn't surprise me one bit.
Ok, God... I hear you!
So at the end of the message, an open invitation was given to anyone interested in joining a 9-week study on what was just presented. I knew in that moment, God not only confirmed His word to me, but He was now equipping me with the tools I would need to love from His heart. I signed up and we began meeting in February.
In this study, we unpacked Paul's words to the Corinthians about what love is and isn't, exploring and examining various scriptures that all point to the very character of Jesus. Changing the negative demands to positive ones, the study lays out the illustration of a garden wall built upon the 14 demands Paul wrote in chapter 13, verses 4-7...
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in doing evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
And so...
Love is Patient
Love is Kind
Love is Content
Love is Encouraging
Love is Humble
Love is Honoring
Love is Selfless
Love is Gentle
Love is Forgiving
Love is Truthful
Love is Protective
Love is Trusting
Love is Hopeful, and
Love is Persevering
In all honesty, the course was spiritually tough. Areas of our lives that were not yielded to God's love were brought to light. There's nothing quite so powerful nor transforming than being saturated in the word of God. The conviction of the Holy Spirit fell upon me as I began viewing my relationships through the lenses of Paul's words.
The final two weeks were spent discussing culture's view of sex, love, and identity in contrast to God's purposes for us... uhhh was this NOT what God led me to share in the DR?! I cannot even begin to express how the Lord began stirring and renewing inside me a passion for His name and for His truth to be revealed to such a blind and lovesick world.
Week 7 was particularly difficult for me as I was reminded of the girls in the Dominican Republic and the lies women are told regarding their worth in exchange for sex. The entire Love. Defined. curriculum was actually birthed out of a trip to Namibia, Africa where the author met two missionaries, Jos and Sylvia, who were sent to make disciples, train young leaders, and instill value. Their hearts were moved by the amount of orphans due to the AIDS pandemic and the Lord inspired them to do something about it.
You see, very similar to the DR, by the time girls are 12 years old, they are approached by older boys telling them how they are the most beautiful girl in their village. 3 little words are spoken... "I love you"... and so the game begins as sex and "love" are intertwined. Only, in Namibia, AIDS is an added issue. By the age of 15, this young girl has a child, by 17 she is infected with the virus, and typically by the age of 22 she dies a horrifically painful death, leaving her child an orphan to repeat the cycle.
Jos and Sylvia knew this was an issue of revealing God's love towards His children. The Lord led them to teach children to become cycle breakers in their villages by speaking truth of who they are in Christ and sharing what the bible says regarding love, marriage, and sex.
Today, Jos and Sylvia have a thriving ministry that has expanded to several countries in Africa as they provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of countless children and their families.
Absolutely. Incredible.
Just reading about their story sent goosebumps up and down my body, especially since I have witnessed similar perversion of God's design for love and marriage in the DR and Tanzania. I remember thinking, "gosh, this is crazy... of all things to be reading!"
During one of the study nights, Tim Kutcher, the ministry director for the study, and his wife Michelle, came to sit in and observe our small group. Before we left, Michelle invited me to join them on one of the Love.Defined. retreats in Colorado for a long weekend to discuss the material further. I prayed about it and had this feeling that I was supposed to go, yet I went back and forth on the idea. I had completed the study already, was I being rational in flying out to Colorado?
I finally decided to just obey the subtle nudging of the Spirit and book a spot on the retreat in June, only to discover that that particular retreat had been canceled. So, with only 3 weeks until the May retreat, I found reasonable airline tickets and figured, "well, why not?"
Now, it gets REALLY interesting...
A week or so before leaving, I was invited to share at an orientation for those interested how Love.Defined. had impacted me. Tim Wright, the author of the study, was there and shared his excitement that I would be attending the May retreat, because guess who would also be there...?
Jos and Sylvia.
Ok, God... what are You up to?!
I was in shock. Of course, God would orchestrate something like this! The June retreat would be canceled and I would be going the same week as the two Namibian missionaries I read about!
The retreat was absolutely amazing. Beyond meeting Jos and Sylvia and hearing their stories, I met 6 other amazing people of whom God is using in incredible ways. We enjoyed 3 days of morning and evening sessions around the 14 demands in 1 Corinthians 13, our identity and value in Christ, and God's view of sex and love. The extra time was spent touring the mountains of Colorado and enjoying the snow!
The 14 demands that build the garden wall and the lies about love that surround us
The gang around dinner!
Michelle and I at one of many beautiful mountain views
Uh, hello, the view from our house!
Oh, and I finally found a moose!
But perhaps the most inspiring part of my trip was the time I spent with Sylvia. What a vibrant and beautiful woman yielded completely to the Lord! I was immensely blessed by stories of how God is moving in the lives of so many through their ministry. But not only that, Sylvia graciously spent time sharing many of the lessons she uses in breaking down the foundational truths found in Genesis 1, 2, and 3 that all point to our significance, purpose, and God's design for marriage.
The Lord has given them such wisdom and depth of insight in the development of their specific ministry, Genesis Design. Since my trip to Tanzania, I have been grappling with the issues of tribal polygamy, women as property, and the continued practice of female circumcision. God began answering prayers and ministering to me through Sylvia as she shared her experiences among various tribes and what the Lord has revealed to her.
Jos and Sylvia at the retreat
Love.
The Lord has been softening my heart this year. Re-entry has been a bit more trying than I'd like to admit. In longing to feel settled and a sense of belonging, I allowed discontentment to enter my heart, wedging a gap between myself and those closest to me. But the reality is, I may never feel as though I belong on this earth and that's the way it should be...
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the One who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
It has been made very clear to me that the Lord is up to something... if not only to show me that He sees Satan's perversion of His perfect will in this world and has already sent out laborers into the harvest, though they still be few. The work Jos and Sylvia are doing is transforming lives one by one through the revelation of Jesus Christ and I believe God has only just begun.
He's just giving me one piece at a time... I joke about it now, but if the Lord had told me even 5 years ago that I would move to a foreign country, live on my own, become a temporary guardian for a Haitian baby, adopt 2 dogs, teach empower girls classes in Spanish, pay bills, buy and take care of a car, and eventually step out in my own ministry... I would have either laughed like Sarah or run away like Jonah.
God doesn't share all the details on purpose. For we live by faith, not by sight, and that makes leaning on my Beloved that much easier.
Oh yea... and I'm heading back to Tanzania for 2 weeks the end of May with Pastor Doug and a small team. We'll be returning to the Masai village in Kiruani, as well as a new location where we'll teach bible school and share the love of Jesus. We'll also be checking on the progress of the school there and assist in any way the Lord would lead us.
Please keep my team and me in your prayers- that the Lord would have His way in all our hearts and protect us from all harm. I can't wait to see these beautiful faces again!
And it's only May... who's telling what all God has in store this year.
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