Here's the latest update; thanks for hanging in there with me!!
This summer was marked with an unusual amount of comings and goings-
some temporary and others permanent. Here's a little glimpse:
July 3-7 volunteer team is in town. This presents our first
opportunity to allow the women we taught to make paper jewelry to
showcase and sell their products to a visiting team. This means
about 20 women (and 3-4 infants) pile in my living room to show off
their hand made crafts. It's a bit chaotic, but all the women go home
with well-earned income and we learn that future jewelry
"mini-markets" should take place on the porch/veranda so that no one
gets claustrophobic!
July 8-9 I travel to near-by city with 4 co-workers to check out the
possibility of spending more time there in the future for language
immersion. It's a much smaller city, so fewer amenities, but has a
much higher concentration of our people group (PG), so great for
practicing listening and speaking. Good news- it's a great visit, and
my roommate Becca and I will indeed go for a 4 night stay in the next
month. If that goes well, we may go back for a longer stay later on.
July 11- New clinic starts in a new area of town, a big answer to pr@yer.
July 12-23 My supervisor and his family are in town- great to spend
time together.
A family who work with our PG in the states come visit to see all the
Father is doing in this area (and to learn some language). Two summer
volunteers depart for the states. A new co-laborer joins the work in
this city as does a 6-month volunteer.
July 24- Aug 1 One of my roommates finishes her term and returns to
the states. Sad face for me. ☹ My old roomie, with whom I studied
language for 9 months, comes to visit for a week- awesome! Three
other co-workers relocate to a city to the northeast. They are
missed, but also there's also an air of excitement to see how the
Father will open doors for new work in that area. A family of
co-workers, who were dear friends in the capital, move to my city;
more specifically they move just down the street!!
Aug 2-10 Two great Memphis gals visit for the week on their way to
live and work in Central Asia. It is a blessing to spend time with
friends from home!
Aug 11-15 I travel to the capital (with Becca) for a few days of
gelato, chicken, a movie theater, a hair cut, and many hot showers.
Aug 16-21 Volunteer team in town- opportunity #2 for women to showcase
and sell jewelry. The process runs a bit smoother and a co-worker
comments that the quality of the jewelry has increased!
Aug. 22-…..trusting the Father, who knows all things, for every twist,
turn, hello, good-bye and see-you-later that is yet to come!
I mentioned that we have started a new clinic; today was our fourth
work-day at that site. For the first three clinic-days we simply
provided great, caring health care, handing out prescriptions with
smiles, prayers and a few words of blessing. We have seen several
people be healed in ways that can only be attributed to the Father's
power b/c their illnesses are out of the reach of the medications in
our pharmacy's formulary. This week we saw a baby whose stomach had
been terribly distended by a dangerous water-born illness come back
visibly better. Normally my job is to write down the patient's
primary complaint and then send them inside to see a medical provider.
Today I went inside with mom partly because I was so excited about
how much better the baby looked and partly because I knew this would
be a perfect opportunity to share the full truth about the One who is
healing her son. My co-worker shared the good story and mom said yes!
Then as she was writing out a prescription for the baby, I shared the
story of the Good Shepherd, how He has us in his hand and no one can
snatch us away! Ask with me that there will be many more stories of
the Father opening the hearts of those he is healing to receive truth!
Right now we are also in the month of Ramadan, a special month of
prayer and fasting for our Mu friends. For Mu people this Friday
night is known as "The Night of Power," a night where it is said that
God is nearer, more accessible and more likely to answer their
prayers. Please ask with us that as many are earnestly praying, that
the Father will send them dreams and visions and point them to Himself
as the one who has drawn near to them and can show them the true Way!
For more information about this night and more ideas on how you can
intercede the rest of this month visit
http://www.30-days.net/islam/basics/night-of-power/
For me personally, one big thing the Father has been re-teaching over
and over is how it's all about Him and not about me. I keep reading
the passages that remind me how He chooses to bless us, but He is
doing that for HIS glory. For example:
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon
us, that your ways may be known on earth your salvation among all
nations." (Ps. 67:1-2)
Simple right? But somehow I seem to keep forgetting, and I have what
I call "little me" moments where I realize that I am in WAY over my
head and I feel like I just don't know how I got here or how on earth
I am suppose to make a difference. Did you catch how many times the
word "I" appeared in that last sentence? Waaaay too many! Here is
the Father's answer to my "little me" moments:
"Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competence comes from
God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- not of
the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit
gives life…… Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this
ministry, we do not lose heart!" (IICor. 3:5-6, 4:1)
He is faithful, He is able, He is at work and He gives LIFE so that we
can bring HIM praise!
Thank you soooo much for partnering with me in this journey- your
emails, letters, packages, prayers, gifts, and love are precious and
wonderfully encouraging.
I think of you all MUCH more often than I email and love knowing how I
can lift you up.
Much love,
leigh
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