God At Work

Life gets busy and we get going and sometimes we forget to look around and see what God is at work doing.  So here is my effort for me to do that personally and also for you to hear a little of what God is at work doing here.

A New Family Arrives – 4 weeks ago we welcomed a new family to our field.  There is a lot of preparations that go into receiving a new family and getting them going on the road of culture and language learning.  However it is also such a joy to see the workers multiplying and to think of what God is going to do over the next 5 or 10 years through those he has brought here on our team.  We rejoice in their arrival and have already enjoyed working with them.

Strength in Struggles – We have talked before about some of the new believers in our church and some of the struggles they face.  Their struggles continue with all the adversities they face, but I have been encouraged hearing one story here and another story there of how God is reminding them that he is able.

Kids Camp – Preparations are underway for another kids camp this summer.  Both boys are now old enough to go and are looking forward to it.  It will be a stretch for Tyler as he is a very picky eater and it will be nothing but 5 days of Senegalese food, however I am praising God that they are comfortable enough here with our church to even want to go.  I am preparing for the 5 days as well as I will be helping out. It is always a stretch for me, but I must say that this year I am looking forward the the chance to continue to build relationships with these precious children God has placed in our life.

Relationships – We are so thankful for the relationships God has given us here.  They continue to grow, deepen and strengthen as time goes on.  Joel had a Birthday at the end of last month.  We took advantage of the opportunity to invite over friends from our church here for a great night of fun and laughter.

Preparations for 2 New People Groups – Preparations are being made for 2 different teams heading out into 2 different villages.  The journey ahead of them is long, but God’s word is going out and we are excited to be a part of supporting them in whatever way we can.

Hebrews – Next week we are ending a study on Hebrews with the women of the church.  It has been amazing to see them engaging more and more as time goes on.  I know that they are being blessed by the time together studying God’s Word just as I am.  We have a good number regularly coming and I am encouraged by how God is working.

A Wedding – In two weeks a young couple from our church is getting married.  It is going to be a great celebration as these 2 unite in marriage.  I will definitely post pictures as the boys are in the procession with the bride.  I love weddings here at our church as it is fun to see everyone come together to do their part.  Everyone has a role in seeing the preparations all come together and it is quite a marvel to watch.

Caring for the Details – This summer is going to be very busy and within that busyness we also have 2 moves taking place that we are in charge of in terms of logistics.  Moves are hard as it requires finding a host family, then finding a house near to that host family, moving furniture, setting up water and electricity, making repairs and so much more.  Joel and I were uncertain how it was all going to happen and how we would work it out.  Then God clearly directs us to an apartment we already have with a host family in the same apartment complex.  It is the easiest move we have ever done.  It was a gentle reminder from God that he is directing all and that he is cares about the details.  As it all unfolded I couldn’t help but just praise God for gentle way he works.

Wolof – We are turning a corner and starting to understand things.   We still struggle greatly to speak, but even having a little bit of understanding and ability to follow a conversation is huge. We are seeing the benefit which gives us the strength to press on.  This summer we are focusing on this with the boys as we feel like it will really help them to be involved in life and ministry here.  Contrary to popular belief it takes work to help kids learn language.  You can be praying for us as we tackle this mountain together as a family this summer.

Ministry Expanding – Joel’s mom and I were approached and asked if we wanted to meet with some of the young girls at our church once a month.  The girls were so excited that even though we told them we won’t start until June, they showed up in May.  We are excited to have the opportunity to invest in these girls lives and are praying that God would give us wisdom as to how to use this time best.

Wow!  God is at work doing great things!  It is easy to forget or lose sight in the shuffle.  Thank you for listening with me to all that God is doing, I hope you take the time to do the same thing for your own life.