Come

Welcome back to the vast expanse that is my imagination. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pop culture references for you this week, so if that is what you’re looking for you may need to leave this page and get your celebrity fix elsewhere. Or is the bible pop culture? Maybe at some point in the past the words of Jesus were shouted out over and over in a fashion similar to the hit single, “I whip my hair back and forth.” Whoops.

Anyways, to begin I just wanted to throw out some encouragement that we had as a school this week. Last week I mentioned that the base was possibly in jeopardy, but only a few short days after our mini crisis, God revealed a plan to the leadership here that should take care of any problems that we might have had. It was absolutely incredible how quickly our prayers were answered. I can’t really comment on it any more than I already have, simply because leadership doesn’t want any unnecessary waves disrupting the peace between iris and the government. But thank you again for your prayers.

So, this last week God has really laid something on my heart that sort of came out of nowhere, and I’m really surprised at my reactions to it. I’m not sure I’ve mentioned this to w whole lot of people, but overall staffing this school has been a little difficult for me. I absolutely love being here in Pemba, but trying to look out for 260 people in this community isn’t an easy task, nor is working with everyone on my leadership team. I love ‘em all to death, but when we all have such different leadership styles the conflicts arise more and more. People are just a lot of work. I’ve gained a new respect for how God can put up with us day after day. Anyways, before this week I had it pretty set in my mind that I had little or no desire to staff another Harvest school in the future. I know that the experience will inevitably be fantastic overall, but I just have a heart to live with the people I’m trying to reach, not work myself to the brink of burnout all the time. I didn’t even consider praying about whether or not I should stay until one of the core leadership asked me what my intentions were for the next school. I told him that I wasn’t planning to stay, but I figured I owed it to myself, the Lord, and anyone else to actually sit down and pray about it.

I asked God, “Alright, Do you want me to stay here and staff the next school, or continue on with my original plan of moving to Redding with my awesome roommates? Did I mention how awesome they are? And how much I want to watch Netflix with them? I really need to hear an absolutely clear call from you in order to keep me in Mozambique. I’m making my final decision in one week. Ready go.”

It wasn’t a day before my demeanor about staying started to change. It was like out of nowhere I became excited at the idea of possibly staying here until December. I wanted to help more, to grow more. Of course I tried to fight it. I mean, leaving my roommates for yet another three months would be a huge sacrifice for me. And how could I say no to an In n Out burger within five minute driving distance of my future apartment? But then I’d get more of a desire to stay in Pemba. It was weird. It wasn’t like God came in a booming voice, “STAY HERE OR ELSE...” He didn’t have to command me to act against my will, expecting absolute obedience. He simply changed my will, changed my desires. My heart went from wanting nothing to do with another mission school to having this deep expectation for what incredible things He would do if I stayed for another three months. It’s like starting off thinking that you won’t enjoy Glee, and refusing to watch for three seasons before you finally cave, only to discover that you can’t get enough of the train wreck/musical social drama.

But I wanted to be really sure that this is what I was being called to. So I asked again, “God, why would you want me here, or why would you want me in Redding?” I felt like he asked me back, “where is the need?” Here in Mozambique, there is need for me to pour into students, to sit with people and kids, to organize sound and worship. In Redding, I don’t feel like I can meet many needs. Of course I want to be with my roommates and my friends there, but the only thing I would be ‘doing’ is meeting my own needs. Working so I could pay off my school and enjoy life’s little luxuries like a double double with cheese.

He spoke to me again in class the next day. I was reading through Matthew when my heart and my attention suddenly became intensely focused. Then I read the section where Jesus walks out to the disciples on the lake. They start freaking out thinking that he is a ghost and Jesus stops them and says, “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.” And when Peter asks him to call him out onto the lake Jesus tells him, “Come.” I just couldn’t get past these three verses. I must have read them a dozen times before I pulled myself out of the words on the page, and still all I could hear was Jesus speaking to me. “Come. Come. Come.”

So, that’s my next step, to simply stay. I’ll be leading my outreach to Tete, returning to Pemba in late August, spending a week with a friend in Maputo, spending three or four weeks in South Africa, and then heading back to Pemba for the October – December Harvest school. I am already beyond excited for the extra stuff that God will have for me in the next school. I’m excited for the next group of students to come, hungry for what God has for them. Of course I’m also bummed that it will be another three months before I will get to see all of you, my family and friends. But I’m sure that you know, as well as I do, that calls of God are worth the wait, worth the sacrifice we pay to be a part of His plans. If y’all could please continue praying for me the next few months for an increased hunger for what He has to offer me. Pray that I will trust Him for his faithfulness and provision, and make no attempt to meet my own needs. I want to be completely dependent on God every moment I spend here. Pray that He gives me increased rest and strength to keep serving people here and pouring myself out for the Harvest Missions students. I want to be so lost in Him that everything I need to give others simply overflows with ease.

I miss you all and love you so much. I appreciate all the moments I’ve been able to spend with each one of you. Can’t wait to see everyone at Christmas! Ciao!