Although I found this week to be a particularly hard one, my heart remains encouraged with the many ways I see God at work here. And, I am so thankful for the messages of love and support from dear friends and family back home…they are always so timely. I remember struggling through last Sunday and grasping for anything or anyone to place my dependence in and seek satisfaction from, yet, at the same time, I knew all attempts to do so would be futile. God continues teaching me that I must take him at his word, and what I really need is more of Jesus and drawing near to Him. Jesus is enough, He will satisfy the deepest longings of my soul, His power is perfected in my weakness, His yoke is easy, remaining under the pruning of the Vinedresser is best, and He will supply for my every need. These things are all true about Him, which many of us know in our head, but the challenge for me this week has been to believe it in my heart. I must truly take God at his word and trust that He will never disappoint when I call out to him, and trust that He is all that He says He is. Going through various advent readings this week, praying for Jesus to be magnified in my life (just as Mary did in Luke 1), and celebrating the Christmas season without many traditional things (i.e. a tree, shopping, Christmas carols in stores, decorations, lights), my heart can say that He really is the greatest gift this world has ever received. The most treasured gift. He is radiant Light amidst darkness.
On Monday, I was given the opportunity to share a Bible story while visiting the Gypsy village. With translating help from my friend “A”, I was able to share the story from Luke 8 about the lady who had been bleeding for twelve years. Sitting on the floor in this one-room house, with tea and na’an before us, and burning coals within the stove providing heating the room, my heart was overflowed with excitement. One lady in particular listened quite attentively, which lead to some interesting and encouraging discussion afterward. The idea of women being “unclean” and that they ought not touch or even approach any religious leader is well understood here, therefore, this woman in Luke 8 approaching Jesus while unclean is quite radical. It is even more radical that Jesus, in his compassion and love, heals this woman, who had come up from behind him, reached out, and touched only the fringe of his garment. It is even more startling that in the end, Jesus says to this lady, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” It was not all her good works or the fact that she prayed five times a day – in fact, she may not have even been praying at all, as she was “unclean” – but rather, it was her faith in Jesus that made her well. This idea of faith, not works, goes against what many believe to be true. As you can imagine, there was some fruitful discussion that followed. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will have the opportunity to continue on in Luke 8 and tell the story about Jarius’s daughter.
I have also started going to my language helper’s house, which is in a village just outside the city, on Saturdays. She is scheduled to start school (university) in January and has asked that I help teach her English, and she will continue helping me with the local language, as well. I really enjoy the time we spend together and frequently the conversation turns back to spiritual things (read more here). Yesterday was no exception. She is quickly becoming more than a “language helper” to me – she is a friend. She welcomes me with open arms into her home, treats me like family, and often asks about my family and friends back home…resulting in her then having to deal with me shedding a few tears.
As of right now, this coming Thursday, I will be spending the night in one of the Gypsy villages that we visit. I will be with the others from our team, comfy cozy on the floor with the women in one room, and the men in another. It will certainly be an interesting experience, which I do not think Harvest Youth camping has even adequately prepared me for, but I know it is a big deal to them that we spend a night there, so sleep over it is! Perhaps an 8pm bedtime will do me well, as most villages do not have power in the later evenings.
Pictures can by found at:
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128841565@N04/with/15891133262/