“For I can do EVERYTHING through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
Most of you know, I’m a city girl. I don’t camp. This has been the ultimate camping trip for me!! God has given me incredible strength! It’s HOT! There are bugs, big spiders, animals that don’t stop making noises, numerous bats, and funky diseases. Really God?? Me? Africa?? A wise woman once told me “God does not call the equipped, He equips the call.” So true! God has totally equipped me and given me strength to do everything.
I helped deliver a baby! Okay, well, I held the flashlight and washed the baby, but still. Sheena and I helped Jean-Paul (the doctor) and Kathryn (the nurse) delivered a baby on Monday night. The mama started having very random contractions and then all the sudden her water broke and a few pushes later a cute baby boy come into this world! This was her 10th child, so we gave him the Christian name “Zebulun” after Jacobs 10th child.
I had a very “proud wife” moment today. I had the opportunity to listen to the pastors teaching today. I started off listing to my hubby, Todd, teach. Wow!! How excited and proud I was of my husband! I was amazed that he could teach so passionately from the Bible while a man kept spitting out the window. (Dinka men spit regularly throughout the day). After listening to Todd I switched classrooms and listened to pastor Matt. I laughed out loud as he acted like a possessed man and snorted like a pig. Matt, Todd, and Steve have done an incredible job training the pastors.
Three years ago I lead Rancho del Rey KidsGames. We were in our new facility with NO air conditioning in 105 degree weather. Little did I know God was preparing me to bring KidsGames to Sudan. This has been an amazing week with the kids. We have ministered to over 700 kids in 6 different villages! We put on skits, share the “wordless book”, and we have even sang a song, which we learned in Dinka, and we played games. The World Water Bucket Competition has been a huge hit. Not all the teams ended up with water in the end bucket but they sure had fun trying! I loved watching all the parents on the sidelines laughing at their children as they competed in the relays. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to meet all these wonderful kids!
Just when I thought I had experienced it all… I went shopping with Suzy & Sabet today at the local market. BANG! Ummm…was that a gun shot?? Sabet quickly went to see what happened. We stood still. Sabet came back and told us there was a crazy man with a gun and it was not safe for us to be there. Normally in that situation I think I would have totally freaked out but I stayed calm. It helps when you’re with a highly respected couple in the community.
This trip has been a 24/7 walk by faith trip for me! I am so thankful that God called me here. The funny thing is that all the people here think that we came here to help them; what really happened was that they helped me. God has stretched me! I now have a closer relationship with Him because of the things I have experienced and because of the things I have seen here.
Most of you know, I’m a city girl. I don’t camp. This has been the ultimate camping trip for me!! God has given me incredible strength! It’s HOT! There are bugs, big spiders, animals that don’t stop making noises, numerous bats, and funky diseases. Really God?? Me? Africa?? A wise woman once told me “God does not call the equipped, He equips the call.” So true! God has totally equipped me and given me strength to do everything.
I helped deliver a baby! Okay, well, I held the flashlight and washed the baby, but still. Sheena and I helped Jean-Paul (the doctor) and Kathryn (the nurse) delivered a baby on Monday night. The mama started having very random contractions and then all the sudden her water broke and a few pushes later a cute baby boy come into this world! This was her 10th child, so we gave him the Christian name “Zebulun” after Jacobs 10th child.
I had a very “proud wife” moment today. I had the opportunity to listen to the pastors teaching today. I started off listing to my hubby, Todd, teach. Wow!! How excited and proud I was of my husband! I was amazed that he could teach so passionately from the Bible while a man kept spitting out the window. (Dinka men spit regularly throughout the day). After listening to Todd I switched classrooms and listened to pastor Matt. I laughed out loud as he acted like a possessed man and snorted like a pig. Matt, Todd, and Steve have done an incredible job training the pastors.
Three years ago I lead Rancho del Rey KidsGames. We were in our new facility with NO air conditioning in 105 degree weather. Little did I know God was preparing me to bring KidsGames to Sudan. This has been an amazing week with the kids. We have ministered to over 700 kids in 6 different villages! We put on skits, share the “wordless book”, and we have even sang a song, which we learned in Dinka, and we played games. The World Water Bucket Competition has been a huge hit. Not all the teams ended up with water in the end bucket but they sure had fun trying! I loved watching all the parents on the sidelines laughing at their children as they competed in the relays. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to meet all these wonderful kids!
Just when I thought I had experienced it all… I went shopping with Suzy & Sabet today at the local market. BANG! Ummm…was that a gun shot?? Sabet quickly went to see what happened. We stood still. Sabet came back and told us there was a crazy man with a gun and it was not safe for us to be there. Normally in that situation I think I would have totally freaked out but I stayed calm. It helps when you’re with a highly respected couple in the community.
This trip has been a 24/7 walk by faith trip for me! I am so thankful that God called me here. The funny thing is that all the people here think that we came here to help them; what really happened was that they helped me. God has stretched me! I now have a closer relationship with Him because of the things I have experienced and because of the things I have seen here.