Last week was encouraging and seeping with grace. Although I had to say farewell to a good friend, who had been incredibly helpful as I transitioned into this country, and Christmas preparations began surfacing back home (thank you, social media!), the Lord, yet again, proved so kind, always good and exceedingly compassionate.   Toward the end of the week, I moved into my new place, just across the street from where I was previously living, and took some time Saturday morning to settle in. I am very thankful for this new place and I really enjoy the landlord (and his family!) who I share a “yard” with. Interestingly, another local has told me that my landlord’s family is the kindest in this neighborhood! Take last night, for example – I arrived home after the typical dinner hour, but they were so thoughtful and had put a portion of their dinner aside for me, then invited me into their home for a visit. I spent some time getting to know their daughter and daughter-in-law, as they both speak  English.

Rewinding now to last Monday, the 24th. As usual, the Gypsy team headed to the village, but once arriving, we separated into two groups of three.  It is often easier to address needs and engage in more in-depth conversations when the group is smaller. My team consisted of “A,” the main lady who has been faithfully visiting the village and providing medical expertise for over a year and a half and “C,” who had spent many months doing the same, but has recently returned to the country after spending  a couple of months at home with her family. “C” is fluent in the local language, as she has been living in this country for a few years now with her family. She was also a direct answer to prayer that morning, as we had been praying for someone who could be of greater assistance to “A” with the language. That morning, “C” arrived only moments before we were scheduled to head out to the village.

We did not have any concrete plans with whom we would be visiting, but we were hoping to share one of the bible stories we had previously prepared. Upon arriving, the three of us found ourselves in a rather unusual situation. We were invited into “G’s” home, who is the daugher-in-law of one of the village leaders, but that wasn’t the unusual part. The team visits her frequently, as her daughter is experiencing various medical complications. The unusual thing was all her sisters/sister-in-laws, along with their children, were away for the day at a funeral. This resulted in a peace and calmness within the house (note, a “house” is literally one room), as it can often get quite loud and wrought with distractions. Furthermore, two of G’s children, who were initially quite fussy, all of the sudden fell asleep on the cushions beside us. We could not have asked for a better situation for sharing a story – one lady, no distractions from family members, peace and quiet, and an additional team member with great language abilities. We were wracking our brains trying to decipher which story we would tell, but none of us could really pinpoint the one that would be the most applicable. But, not surprisingly, within minutes, “G” starts sharing  how she has seen God provide for her, specifically through “A” and the medical assistance she has provided for her daughter. As a quick aside, because this is a Muslim country, speaking about God and praying is a common occurance. This quickly became the perfect opportunity to tell the greatest story ever – the Gospel. It became abundantly clear that it was not the time for a simple parable, but rather a clear explanation of the Gospel. This was the first time, in almost 2 years, that the gospel was shared among the women (and, the men, too, I believe) in this village. Perhaps some may be thinking there surely could have been an opportunity before then to share the gospel, but, without having learned their language first, and having established relationships/trust, it would not have been wise in this particular context.

Within minutes of the gospel being shared, one of G’s sisters and her children burst through the door and greeted us with much enthusiasm. The opportunity to hear  G’s response quickly diminished, but as we know, His Word does not return void. It will accomplish all that He purposes. This past Monday, we did stop by in the hopes of visiting G again and following up on last week’s conversation, but she was visiting family in another village. Instead, a similar situation arose this past Monday (yesterday) with another lady.  “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector” story was shared with her, as well as one other man who may be a brother/brother-in-law. There was a fruitful discussion that took place after the story was shared.  God does not promise that we will ever see the fruit of our labor, but these past two Mondays clearly display His abundant grace and have really encouraged my heart. Witnessing these opportunities, and seeing the fruit of almost two years of unwavering commitment, is simply His grace in my life.

There is one other quick story I would love to share with you. Last Wednesday, after teaching one of the girls, my language helper, who was at the house, stopped me in the kitchen and asked about baptism. She had heard of people getting baptized, but did not understand the reason and purpose of baptism. Thankfully, she has a decent grasp on the English language, so by God’s grace, the gospel was shared, again. We talked about everything from what baptism symbolizes, to Jesus’ perfection and righteousness, to our sinful nature, to the beauty and perfection found only in Heaven, to why good works are insufficient, and finally, even about the need to share truth with others. I cannot adequately convey the joy that was in my heart having the opportunity to look this lady in the eyes, and through tears, share how much God loves her. So much so that He sent His son. And it was no coincidence that her little boy was standing right beside her, and we both agreed, it would have to be an unfathomable amount of love for her to give up her own son to die in someone else’s place. Not to mention, an enemies place.

God is clearly at work around this world and is sovereign over all.  His timing is perfect, and I am slowly learning that we ought not rush Him thinking our timing is best, but rather draw near, sit at His feet, look up, and wait.   We must not stop praying and asking from a God who is listening and answering.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1: 14,16)

On an unrelated note, if you are interested, I did update my Flickr account with a few new pictures. Feel free to browse. There should be more over the next couple of days, too.  I will also be heading to the soup kitchen with a small team of high school students tomorrow, after teaching, so please be in prayer for that.