Tuesday, September 8, 2009
New Beginning
To our faithful followers. We're sorry we've done such a poor job of keeping you informed of our work here in Mombasa. We've had our handful with a lot of visitors and transitions in the past few months, that we haven't even though about our blog. But we know that there are people here who are genuinely interested and care about us and our ministry. So we've decided to start a new blog - http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com. Please follow us there.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
'God's reckless grace is our greatest hope'
Two roads
One road is narrow and hard that leads to real life. Those who find it are few.
The other road is large and easy that leads to death and many walk on it
This sign is written on our living room wall, i've read it so many times. Sometimes i dont think anything of it and then other times it confuses me. But over the last few weeks this sign has become more real to me. More real as i watch two of our boys, one walking down the narrow road and one walking down the large road.
In the last blog i talked about stolen money and we had also had a camera taken. I talked about two of the boys.
Eventually one of them confessed to selling the camera, but didnt have anything to do with the money. He apoligised and is trying to settle down and concentrate more in school. We are still working with him but he is taking baby steps down the narrow road.
The other boy however ran and is still running down the large road. He ran back to the streets and didnt come back for a few weeks. He came back yesterday for the first time and when we sat him down to talk to him, we asked him what was going on he replied 'nothing' we sat there for a long time, telling him we loved him and giving him an opportunity to say something but still nothing. As he sat there i could see the pain in his eyes, the hurt he was going through. And as i saw him walk away the next morning my heart pained so much seeing him walk away down that large road with his head down in the rain. He wont talk, he wont listen......running.
As i watched him walk away i was so upset for him watching the way they had both handled it but it seriously made me think of my own life so much. How over the last few weeks ive been running down that large road. How ive been trying to do things on my own strength. When the teachers were asking 'why i couldnt get the boys to school, Carly and Val can, your just not strong enough' Instead of running to Jesus i tried to do it on my own and i failed. I got upset and tried to run. The same things happen when the girls are here and i wondered how i used to laugh at the things that were happening around instead in the few weeks im sad and upset and im falling back into things that i used to do, that make my heart so heavy.
And as i watched him walk away i heard a voice say
'Rachel, your going down the large road, your once again trying to do it on your own strength, you cant do it. Choose the right road, in the big things, in the little things, when you make mistakes. Turn to me.'
So right now im being lifted back up from falling my face from trying to do it on my own once again. Im so glad that i have such a patient Father who lifts me up time and time again.
Im praying that through this the boys will see, as they've watched me upset over the last weeks. As i talk it through with them i pray they will see once again that even though the narrow road is hard, how good it really is.
And im praying that altough Farah is running down the large road right now that he will hear his fathers voice telling him that he loves him and that really the narrow road means life.
Altough there is always something new going on, things are really settling. The boys are doing well in school and starting to try much more. I think it really helped having my Mum come over for a week visit. It was amazing to have her walk in the house and the fighting stop completely and then forgotten about by the time she left!!
Thanks so much for your prayers, they are seriously needed everyday. And altough sometimes i can see the work as a mountain God sees each one of these amazing precious boys as a miricle.
Rach x
One road is narrow and hard that leads to real life. Those who find it are few.
The other road is large and easy that leads to death and many walk on it
This sign is written on our living room wall, i've read it so many times. Sometimes i dont think anything of it and then other times it confuses me. But over the last few weeks this sign has become more real to me. More real as i watch two of our boys, one walking down the narrow road and one walking down the large road.
In the last blog i talked about stolen money and we had also had a camera taken. I talked about two of the boys.
Eventually one of them confessed to selling the camera, but didnt have anything to do with the money. He apoligised and is trying to settle down and concentrate more in school. We are still working with him but he is taking baby steps down the narrow road.
The other boy however ran and is still running down the large road. He ran back to the streets and didnt come back for a few weeks. He came back yesterday for the first time and when we sat him down to talk to him, we asked him what was going on he replied 'nothing' we sat there for a long time, telling him we loved him and giving him an opportunity to say something but still nothing. As he sat there i could see the pain in his eyes, the hurt he was going through. And as i saw him walk away the next morning my heart pained so much seeing him walk away down that large road with his head down in the rain. He wont talk, he wont listen......running.
As i watched him walk away i was so upset for him watching the way they had both handled it but it seriously made me think of my own life so much. How over the last few weeks ive been running down that large road. How ive been trying to do things on my own strength. When the teachers were asking 'why i couldnt get the boys to school, Carly and Val can, your just not strong enough' Instead of running to Jesus i tried to do it on my own and i failed. I got upset and tried to run. The same things happen when the girls are here and i wondered how i used to laugh at the things that were happening around instead in the few weeks im sad and upset and im falling back into things that i used to do, that make my heart so heavy.
And as i watched him walk away i heard a voice say
'Rachel, your going down the large road, your once again trying to do it on your own strength, you cant do it. Choose the right road, in the big things, in the little things, when you make mistakes. Turn to me.'
So right now im being lifted back up from falling my face from trying to do it on my own once again. Im so glad that i have such a patient Father who lifts me up time and time again.
Im praying that through this the boys will see, as they've watched me upset over the last weeks. As i talk it through with them i pray they will see once again that even though the narrow road is hard, how good it really is.
And im praying that altough Farah is running down the large road right now that he will hear his fathers voice telling him that he loves him and that really the narrow road means life.
Altough there is always something new going on, things are really settling. The boys are doing well in school and starting to try much more. I think it really helped having my Mum come over for a week visit. It was amazing to have her walk in the house and the fighting stop completely and then forgotten about by the time she left!!
Thanks so much for your prayers, they are seriously needed everyday. And altough sometimes i can see the work as a mountain God sees each one of these amazing precious boys as a miricle.
Rach x
Monday, May 25, 2009
The joy of the Lord is my Strength
Well on the week of my 24th birthday i feel like ive aged far beyond my years. The last blog i wrote i siad id cried so much but really that was little compared to the tears that have flowed for these boys over this week. Id love to paint a nice little missionary picture of how my first week has been amazing, that the boys are growing, that they're following the rules but everything is far from perfect....
I wrote this last thursday about some of the things that happened last week but since thursday so much more has happened
Well since my dear friends Carly and Val have left lots has gone on.......
With bank cards not working, lots of bills to be paid, boys refusing to go to school, one of them refusing to talk to me, alot money being stolen from me.....twice, boys lying about the stolen money, boys refusing to do the dishes, boys shouting at me and telling me i was doing things wrong, Trying to help a friend outside of the house who was arrested and then ran from the police. One of the boys faking sickness and going back to the streets until late that night. One of them throwing a book and chalk across the classroom and shouting at the teacher saying he'd never return to those teachers.
All of this happened and more while being pretty sick!! The morning after the girls left i got really sick, in the morning i tried to push through but by afternoon my fever was just too high so the rest of the day i had to sleep. I refused the docter all day but by 10 that night it was so high that they brought him anyway.
So much hard stuff has happened over the last week, Paster had to leave on the sunday to go to Nairobi so it was me and Mama Sandra looking after the boys which was a little hard with Sandra in school and with me trying to get better. My Mum wasnt so impressed with me last sunday when she rang to see how i was and i was on a moterbike going to pay a bill but God has seriously been so good, he has been my strength through it all!! Ive felt completly broken but just at the right time he sends someone or a read just the right verse. The way the boys helped me while i was sick especially the first day was so amazing, they prayed for me, they read bible verses for me, they kept getting cold towels for my head so my fever would go down, they brought me drinks and they tried to make me laugh. It felt like such a family
But then on thursday night a big fight broke out in the house, you normally hear it first with a big crash, my heart stops and everyone runs to see what it is. It was between two boys over the money that had been stolen. All the boys went into the room and i stayed out in the living room praying and singing while listening to shouts and crashing from them trying to fight.
The mess isnt over, one of the boys wont talk to me and he is threatning the other boy, he has even brought a gang of his friends to the school. All the street boys in town are now involved too, ringing me and telling me who it was. Stealing in Kenya is a really big deal and so trying to show them that no its not ok that they stole and yes there will be consiquences but fighting wont slove it and the amazing thing that Jesus did was that in all our brokeness he forgives and loves us.
Please pray for these boys that they will own up to what they have done and apologise and take the right road instead of going down the wrong one. Im really praying that they will be able to take responsibility for themselves instead of blaming others all the time.
While having phone calls threaning me and phone calls telling me that people were after one of the boys one of the hardest things this week was when i visited Maboxini and seeing Baby John there seriously was more than my heart could take, his face seriously so full of sadness, cold from the rain pouring down on him, wearing wet/dirty shorts because no pampers, playing in dirt surrounded by a bunch of high boys and then the heart wrenching cry of him wanting to leave with me when i was going. Because his Mom wanted to cling to her old life but he has no choice. I spent so much time with Baby John so my heart is completly aching over this precious boy.
To be perfectly honest i feel so weak, my pride feels hurt, my heart feels broken.
Its hard when your trying to do so much, when your trying to love so much, when you seriously give everything that is in you and they say things like "rachel you are bad" 'rachel its your fault that they are like this' 'rachel you love this one but you dont love the other' 'rachel, carly and val would have done it better, just wait till they come back'.....
But i have to keep listening to the small voice inside that keeps saying 'Rachel, its not you whose going to change these boys, Its not Carly or Val or Paster. Its only me who will change them. Keep loving them and showing them the right road. When theyre shouting at you.....keep showing them my love.....when they make you cry......keep showing them my love.'
My pride hurts when i look at this week and all the things that have gone on, when i go to the school and the boys have shouted at them and havent gone to school but i just need to keep on remembering that only Jesus, only the holy spirit in these boys lives is gonna change them. Thankfully Paster is now back and taking alot of weight off my shoulders. He has been so great.
Mario keeps reminding me and i keep saying it over and over again to myself.........for the joy of the Lord is my strength. When i am weak he is strong!
Lots of prayers needed, Rach x
I wrote this last thursday about some of the things that happened last week but since thursday so much more has happened
Well since my dear friends Carly and Val have left lots has gone on.......
With bank cards not working, lots of bills to be paid, boys refusing to go to school, one of them refusing to talk to me, alot money being stolen from me.....twice, boys lying about the stolen money, boys refusing to do the dishes, boys shouting at me and telling me i was doing things wrong, Trying to help a friend outside of the house who was arrested and then ran from the police. One of the boys faking sickness and going back to the streets until late that night. One of them throwing a book and chalk across the classroom and shouting at the teacher saying he'd never return to those teachers.
All of this happened and more while being pretty sick!! The morning after the girls left i got really sick, in the morning i tried to push through but by afternoon my fever was just too high so the rest of the day i had to sleep. I refused the docter all day but by 10 that night it was so high that they brought him anyway.
So much hard stuff has happened over the last week, Paster had to leave on the sunday to go to Nairobi so it was me and Mama Sandra looking after the boys which was a little hard with Sandra in school and with me trying to get better. My Mum wasnt so impressed with me last sunday when she rang to see how i was and i was on a moterbike going to pay a bill but God has seriously been so good, he has been my strength through it all!! Ive felt completly broken but just at the right time he sends someone or a read just the right verse. The way the boys helped me while i was sick especially the first day was so amazing, they prayed for me, they read bible verses for me, they kept getting cold towels for my head so my fever would go down, they brought me drinks and they tried to make me laugh. It felt like such a family
But then on thursday night a big fight broke out in the house, you normally hear it first with a big crash, my heart stops and everyone runs to see what it is. It was between two boys over the money that had been stolen. All the boys went into the room and i stayed out in the living room praying and singing while listening to shouts and crashing from them trying to fight.
The mess isnt over, one of the boys wont talk to me and he is threatning the other boy, he has even brought a gang of his friends to the school. All the street boys in town are now involved too, ringing me and telling me who it was. Stealing in Kenya is a really big deal and so trying to show them that no its not ok that they stole and yes there will be consiquences but fighting wont slove it and the amazing thing that Jesus did was that in all our brokeness he forgives and loves us.
Please pray for these boys that they will own up to what they have done and apologise and take the right road instead of going down the wrong one. Im really praying that they will be able to take responsibility for themselves instead of blaming others all the time.
While having phone calls threaning me and phone calls telling me that people were after one of the boys one of the hardest things this week was when i visited Maboxini and seeing Baby John there seriously was more than my heart could take, his face seriously so full of sadness, cold from the rain pouring down on him, wearing wet/dirty shorts because no pampers, playing in dirt surrounded by a bunch of high boys and then the heart wrenching cry of him wanting to leave with me when i was going. Because his Mom wanted to cling to her old life but he has no choice. I spent so much time with Baby John so my heart is completly aching over this precious boy.
To be perfectly honest i feel so weak, my pride feels hurt, my heart feels broken.
Its hard when your trying to do so much, when your trying to love so much, when you seriously give everything that is in you and they say things like "rachel you are bad" 'rachel its your fault that they are like this' 'rachel you love this one but you dont love the other' 'rachel, carly and val would have done it better, just wait till they come back'.....
But i have to keep listening to the small voice inside that keeps saying 'Rachel, its not you whose going to change these boys, Its not Carly or Val or Paster. Its only me who will change them. Keep loving them and showing them the right road. When theyre shouting at you.....keep showing them my love.....when they make you cry......keep showing them my love.'
My pride hurts when i look at this week and all the things that have gone on, when i go to the school and the boys have shouted at them and havent gone to school but i just need to keep on remembering that only Jesus, only the holy spirit in these boys lives is gonna change them. Thankfully Paster is now back and taking alot of weight off my shoulders. He has been so great.
Mario keeps reminding me and i keep saying it over and over again to myself.........for the joy of the Lord is my strength. When i am weak he is strong!
Lots of prayers needed, Rach x
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 8
Well.. first of all this has been the hardest month in a long time, I think it might be right up there with December. I have never experienced such agony over a group of people. I have never drank the cup of sorrow before, godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 cor 7.8-16). It has hurt and I have mostly hated it.. and I think I have been largely unfaithful with it. But I have repented for my unfaithfulness before God and before the boys. And today was the climax of this cup and season, I believe. We took Farah and Puez into a meeting. We asked Puez to leave for a time, and his response was to ask about his bike, not a thought of repentance or sorrow. Farah, started silent, then fiercely angry, then the truth came out…”you don’t love me”. It was about love, he will repent.
All of this pressure, rolling over, rebuking, crying, constant house meetings, silence, all for the climax of today. And Judas left and Peter fell at the foot of the cross [maybe not totally yet, but his heart is there]. It just makes me think of the beginning of the month when Val and I got the word that we were not supposed to permit evil in our house.. I never would have thought it would end like this, having to clean up the house by asking people to leave. That is the hardest thing I have done maybe ever. But when Puez left, it felt right. True love lets the rebellious son go to his sin. And true love is to take the kingdom by force and violently grab hold of the promises that are about to be lost. Whatever the outcome, I feel like God’s glory is here. There is finally clear air. What needed to happen, the build-up of the last few weeks finally hit the fan. And I feel like we endured. We didn’t give up.. we didn’t dodge the issue of sin but we took it straight on and have been faithfully sprinting to the finish line.. even if we made mistakes along the way. And I feel like because we pursued when it was hard, painful, agonizing, and depressing.. HE is pleased. I feel His pleasure. We fought the good fight and not very well… but we tried and now there is true clean air to be breathed in the house for everyone else. I feel like God wanted us to go through this so the other boys would have the freedom to change and the safe environment to do it in. And for Rachel.. really for Rachel.. so she will have the chance to do what GOd is asking her to do while we are gone.. the beautiful task He has laid out for her and the Miambos alone in this new season. As a family we needed to lay the path for the 2 months to have full success.. and we did it, we laid it with sweat and tears and more tears. But today, in my desperate tiredness I feel the peace I have been missing for weeks. We did the right thing, we completed the season of April. And now, it IS time to go home.. its finally right. There is a special purpose for this house while Val and I are gone, and they are finally ready.
This house will no longer be a house without rules and without consequence.. this house will become a house that hates sin and leaves it in the past for good. We will see real men come out of these boys. We will see miracles happen as they leave the street life, as they learn to forgive, as they learn to love, as they learn to accept perfect love, as they start to desire God and godliness, as they decide to abandon everything this world deems as good and run straight for the cross and real life that this world cant taste. We will drink the full cup of what God wants for each of us. And we will be in heaven together one day.. a family still.. the Rapha House.
Carly
Please pray for Val and I as we come home to the States for 2 months. Pray for Rachel as she takes on all of our responsibilites and stays here without us for the beautiful challenges and victories meant for her alone to be grasped. Pray for the family that they could grow in the Fear of the Lord so that they could begin to know Him.
Thanks
All of this pressure, rolling over, rebuking, crying, constant house meetings, silence, all for the climax of today. And Judas left and Peter fell at the foot of the cross [maybe not totally yet, but his heart is there]. It just makes me think of the beginning of the month when Val and I got the word that we were not supposed to permit evil in our house.. I never would have thought it would end like this, having to clean up the house by asking people to leave. That is the hardest thing I have done maybe ever. But when Puez left, it felt right. True love lets the rebellious son go to his sin. And true love is to take the kingdom by force and violently grab hold of the promises that are about to be lost. Whatever the outcome, I feel like God’s glory is here. There is finally clear air. What needed to happen, the build-up of the last few weeks finally hit the fan. And I feel like we endured. We didn’t give up.. we didn’t dodge the issue of sin but we took it straight on and have been faithfully sprinting to the finish line.. even if we made mistakes along the way. And I feel like because we pursued when it was hard, painful, agonizing, and depressing.. HE is pleased. I feel His pleasure. We fought the good fight and not very well… but we tried and now there is true clean air to be breathed in the house for everyone else. I feel like God wanted us to go through this so the other boys would have the freedom to change and the safe environment to do it in. And for Rachel.. really for Rachel.. so she will have the chance to do what GOd is asking her to do while we are gone.. the beautiful task He has laid out for her and the Miambos alone in this new season. As a family we needed to lay the path for the 2 months to have full success.. and we did it, we laid it with sweat and tears and more tears. But today, in my desperate tiredness I feel the peace I have been missing for weeks. We did the right thing, we completed the season of April. And now, it IS time to go home.. its finally right. There is a special purpose for this house while Val and I are gone, and they are finally ready.
This house will no longer be a house without rules and without consequence.. this house will become a house that hates sin and leaves it in the past for good. We will see real men come out of these boys. We will see miracles happen as they leave the street life, as they learn to forgive, as they learn to love, as they learn to accept perfect love, as they start to desire God and godliness, as they decide to abandon everything this world deems as good and run straight for the cross and real life that this world cant taste. We will drink the full cup of what God wants for each of us. And we will be in heaven together one day.. a family still.. the Rapha House.
Carly
Please pray for Val and I as we come home to the States for 2 months. Pray for Rachel as she takes on all of our responsibilites and stays here without us for the beautiful challenges and victories meant for her alone to be grasped. Pray for the family that they could grow in the Fear of the Lord so that they could begin to know Him.
Thanks
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
April 29
Well where do i even begin with what has happened in the last two months. I feel already i could have written a book. Ive laughed more and cried more than ever. Its defently been more than tough but seriously wouldnt want to be anywhere else doing anything else. I love these people so much.
Ive learnt so much about myself in the last few months, i see myself so much in these boys some old patterns of behaviour but also some patterns that im still trying to work on. Ive written a few emails to my family apologising for some ways i have acted in the past that i am just now realising that i did. I realise that altough our lives growing up couldnt be more different that really our desires are the same. And although we try to fufill it in different ways, it really can only truely be met by one thing- more jesus.
As humans we long to be loved. Sometimes we do stupid things so that we feel loved and sometimes we do stupid things because we dont feel loved. These boys and Nancy need so much love, and my weak love isnt gonna change them, yes i can help and yes i can show Jesus love but they need to recieve that love for themselves. All i can do is continue to pray and continue to show them that no matter what they are loved by there heavenly father, that they need there fathers love.
So everyday i continue to love them with Jesus love, seriously its his love through me or i dont think i would have had the strength. I make mistakes all the time, i feel like i have to apologise to them everyday!!
So i just wanted to share a little from my journal the other day of some of the things that have gone on the last few weeks:
What do you do when you wake up on monday morning and 4 out of the 5 boys refuse to go to school?
What do you do when someone comes to your door at 8 o clock at night to tell you one of your boys has been arrested?
What do you do when a boy stops talking to you for a few days and tells you he's gonna make you cry (he was nearly succesful!!) just because you didnt let him use you phone?
What do you do when someone rings you every few weeks to tell you thats hes in trouble and needs money to go to nairobi and this time its not a lie like it was the time before?
What do you do when you've sat by someones bedside for two days straight, gone 30 minutes out of your way to get special mango juice for him, stayed up until 3 checking on his drip and caring for him and he turns around and says that these muzugus havent fed me in a few days?
What do you do when 6 people are surronding you and asking you for things and telling you dont love them cause your not getting it for them?
What do you do when your body is so weak but the door continues to knock from 5 in the morning until 11 at night?
What do you do when a boy smashes a blub that was put in 5 minutes before just cause he didnt want the light on?
What do you do when someone calls you a bad person cause you didnt give them a pencil even though you gave them one just the day before?
What do you do when a 12 year old street boy dies and you cant find his parents?
What do you do when one of the boys comes home drunk and goes after one of the boys with a stool?
This is seriously only the smallest part of some of the things that have gone on. These are hurting people who really need jesus. The only thing i can do is to pray in every and any situation. And to keep loving them with the love that their Father wants to show them. Sometimes that can be hard when they get angry with you for the smallest thing even though you are doing so much for them. Sometimes it is easy to try and do it on my own strength to turn around and get angry or to try to defend myself and say that i havent done anything wrong. But i just need to keep praying and doing it with Gods help and Gods strength.
But then there is the good times, the times that make me laugh every single day. Seriously i laugh so much and have gone back to school days with everyone telling me to stop laughing during the meetings and yes sometimes during praying. They make me laugh, alot of the time when they are in their moods and say the funniest things. Or times when we do things as a family, like catching crabs on the beach golf style. Or going to school for one of the boys i am helping outside the house and seeing that he is number one in the class, everyone is talking about how changed he is.
Dancing in church, going to parent teacher meetings that they are talking about escape routes because they arent meant to have tuition during the holidays(thinking of the big mama rolling down the roof seriously made me laugh so much in the meeting!!!) Or laughing so much in bed and having one of them come and tell you to stop laughing cause they are really scared (my laugh is a cackel sometimes but that made me laugh even harder)
Days are hard but laughing with them is so good and sometimes at them!!! it reminds me that yes they are hurting and yes they are still caught up in doing things from the past. But there Father wants them and loves them and they are gonna change, its gonna be slow but these are gonna be amazing men.
Please keep me in your prayers. Carly and Val leave in 2 more weeks and I really need so much Jesus so that I can give it to them as my sister's wont be here to do it with me. I will be taking on the job alone that the 3 of us have been doing together, so please pray for me as this season comes up quickly.
Rachel
Ive learnt so much about myself in the last few months, i see myself so much in these boys some old patterns of behaviour but also some patterns that im still trying to work on. Ive written a few emails to my family apologising for some ways i have acted in the past that i am just now realising that i did. I realise that altough our lives growing up couldnt be more different that really our desires are the same. And although we try to fufill it in different ways, it really can only truely be met by one thing- more jesus.
As humans we long to be loved. Sometimes we do stupid things so that we feel loved and sometimes we do stupid things because we dont feel loved. These boys and Nancy need so much love, and my weak love isnt gonna change them, yes i can help and yes i can show Jesus love but they need to recieve that love for themselves. All i can do is continue to pray and continue to show them that no matter what they are loved by there heavenly father, that they need there fathers love.
So everyday i continue to love them with Jesus love, seriously its his love through me or i dont think i would have had the strength. I make mistakes all the time, i feel like i have to apologise to them everyday!!
So i just wanted to share a little from my journal the other day of some of the things that have gone on the last few weeks:
What do you do when you wake up on monday morning and 4 out of the 5 boys refuse to go to school?
What do you do when someone comes to your door at 8 o clock at night to tell you one of your boys has been arrested?
What do you do when a boy stops talking to you for a few days and tells you he's gonna make you cry (he was nearly succesful!!) just because you didnt let him use you phone?
What do you do when someone rings you every few weeks to tell you thats hes in trouble and needs money to go to nairobi and this time its not a lie like it was the time before?
What do you do when you've sat by someones bedside for two days straight, gone 30 minutes out of your way to get special mango juice for him, stayed up until 3 checking on his drip and caring for him and he turns around and says that these muzugus havent fed me in a few days?
What do you do when 6 people are surronding you and asking you for things and telling you dont love them cause your not getting it for them?
What do you do when your body is so weak but the door continues to knock from 5 in the morning until 11 at night?
What do you do when a boy smashes a blub that was put in 5 minutes before just cause he didnt want the light on?
What do you do when someone calls you a bad person cause you didnt give them a pencil even though you gave them one just the day before?
What do you do when a 12 year old street boy dies and you cant find his parents?
What do you do when one of the boys comes home drunk and goes after one of the boys with a stool?
This is seriously only the smallest part of some of the things that have gone on. These are hurting people who really need jesus. The only thing i can do is to pray in every and any situation. And to keep loving them with the love that their Father wants to show them. Sometimes that can be hard when they get angry with you for the smallest thing even though you are doing so much for them. Sometimes it is easy to try and do it on my own strength to turn around and get angry or to try to defend myself and say that i havent done anything wrong. But i just need to keep praying and doing it with Gods help and Gods strength.
But then there is the good times, the times that make me laugh every single day. Seriously i laugh so much and have gone back to school days with everyone telling me to stop laughing during the meetings and yes sometimes during praying. They make me laugh, alot of the time when they are in their moods and say the funniest things. Or times when we do things as a family, like catching crabs on the beach golf style. Or going to school for one of the boys i am helping outside the house and seeing that he is number one in the class, everyone is talking about how changed he is.
Dancing in church, going to parent teacher meetings that they are talking about escape routes because they arent meant to have tuition during the holidays(thinking of the big mama rolling down the roof seriously made me laugh so much in the meeting!!!) Or laughing so much in bed and having one of them come and tell you to stop laughing cause they are really scared (my laugh is a cackel sometimes but that made me laugh even harder)
Days are hard but laughing with them is so good and sometimes at them!!! it reminds me that yes they are hurting and yes they are still caught up in doing things from the past. But there Father wants them and loves them and they are gonna change, its gonna be slow but these are gonna be amazing men.
Please keep me in your prayers. Carly and Val leave in 2 more weeks and I really need so much Jesus so that I can give it to them as my sister's wont be here to do it with me. I will be taking on the job alone that the 3 of us have been doing together, so please pray for me as this season comes up quickly.
Rachel
Friday, April 17, 2009
April 17, 2009
Some Thoughts and Prayers..
Jesus, please give me the grace of Aslan. Don’t let me fall asleep. There is only one Truth that can keep me awake. I am ashamed for not studying it enough, I could cry. We are under the curse of the darkest evil. It is almost impossible to stay awake in this age.. every one is asleep.. the lie has infected every people, land, and it is printed on all signposts. You can see the craft of the evil one from centuries ago.. the whispers that are now an endless chorus of nations. Who can withstand its power? The wisest fall the fastest, the simplest stand a chance. Truly the wisdom of this present age is poison shared at the grand banquets and then the drunk slay the slightest glimmer of dawn.
How dark is this hour? Surely there has been none darker before, or none as fooled as now.
What a wretched attack has been planned against mankind. That we should sleep in our greatest hour. We were meant to be kings and queens but we have gotten so used to the dark that we believe the sun to be a lie.
Is there a whisper of old that can be heard? And who would hear it? Give me one moment of sanity a day that I could break the curse off of my bones. I am a fool not to study the Truth with every waking breath and I am a traitor to the King if I don’t.
The betrayal of the ages. In this last hour, will it be our finest or our greatest failure. Will we be a shame to the victors we have heard legends about, and a great pit of lies to those still asleep?
If I cant recite the Truth in this hour of calm how will I stand in the hour to come?
“Suffered Loss.” How unbearable. How evil and twisted are we that we cant see a hex that has swept over before but in other form. Just a little yeast makes the whole dough rise. You are what you eat. You will be as spiritual as you choose to be. We love it because it is a glimpse of real, and our very beings cry out for it.
“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and the stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. Were just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I'm going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, were leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.” – Puddleglum to the Queen of the Underland in The Silver Chair.
Jesus, please give me the grace of Aslan. Don’t let me fall asleep. There is only one Truth that can keep me awake. I am ashamed for not studying it enough, I could cry. We are under the curse of the darkest evil. It is almost impossible to stay awake in this age.. every one is asleep.. the lie has infected every people, land, and it is printed on all signposts. You can see the craft of the evil one from centuries ago.. the whispers that are now an endless chorus of nations. Who can withstand its power? The wisest fall the fastest, the simplest stand a chance. Truly the wisdom of this present age is poison shared at the grand banquets and then the drunk slay the slightest glimmer of dawn.
How dark is this hour? Surely there has been none darker before, or none as fooled as now.
What a wretched attack has been planned against mankind. That we should sleep in our greatest hour. We were meant to be kings and queens but we have gotten so used to the dark that we believe the sun to be a lie.
Is there a whisper of old that can be heard? And who would hear it? Give me one moment of sanity a day that I could break the curse off of my bones. I am a fool not to study the Truth with every waking breath and I am a traitor to the King if I don’t.
The betrayal of the ages. In this last hour, will it be our finest or our greatest failure. Will we be a shame to the victors we have heard legends about, and a great pit of lies to those still asleep?
If I cant recite the Truth in this hour of calm how will I stand in the hour to come?
“Suffered Loss.” How unbearable. How evil and twisted are we that we cant see a hex that has swept over before but in other form. Just a little yeast makes the whole dough rise. You are what you eat. You will be as spiritual as you choose to be. We love it because it is a glimpse of real, and our very beings cry out for it.
“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and the stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. Were just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I'm going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, were leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.” – Puddleglum to the Queen of the Underland in The Silver Chair.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
April 14
April 14, 2009
Jambo friends and family!
Today is a significant day for Carly and I – in exactly one month we will be getting on a plane to come home for a two-month visit to the U.S of A! For both of us, this marks about one year that we have been in Africa and the longest time ever we have been away from the States. As you can imagine, our hearts are full of emotions of many kinds as we think of saying good-bye to our Mombasa family for a few months and hello to a home that has felt so far away for so long. Most, we often dream aloud to one another of getting a good night’s rest & many moments free of the endless knocking on our door or discussions needed to solve every problem or fight for a house of eighteen people. We often feel like the apostle Paul when we think that even our bodies our craving rest (2 Cor. 7.5), but as we fly homeward we know the fightings without and fears within will remain: how will the boys’ be doing in school when we are away? Will they learn to submit to their teachers in honor of Christ? (Eph. 5.21) Will they remember the words we have been speaking to them, often through tears and prayers, about loving one another and so fulfilling all of the law (Ro. 13.9)? Will they remember that when they love their enemies rather than fight them and pray for those that hurt them, they can become the answer to Jesus’ most heartfelt desire, something He prayed so hard for that He sweat drops of blood? (Jn. 15.12) Will they remember that it cost Jesus His very life for them to be free from the power of sin when they are tempted to wander down old roads that would lead them to dishonor His name? In all their conduct, will they remember to walk worthy of that calling they’ve received and become more and more like men of God every day?
As these questions are heavy on our hearts, I think we are starting to understand Paul a bit more when he speaks of the anxiety on his heart for the churches (2 Cor. 11.28) and of course, the heart of the Father who desires that none may perish, but all come to repentance (a change of heart and lifestyle) himself. This last week, the boys had a holiday from school as they were in between their first and second terms of the school year. This means that our typical schedule was interrupted and we spent much more time together as a family. Our normal times of prayer and preparing for preaching/teaching (in the last month, Carly & I have accepted the opportunity to teach a Christian Religion education class at the boy’s school twice a week and every Sunday at our little home church) were replaced by attending our friend’s burial together in town, visiting some friends in prison, enjoying late breakfasts and morning beach runs together as a family. Spending such unlimited time with the boys reminded us of our pre-school days with them in December. I personally was interested to see if while during this time off of school, they would drift back to fighting and heavy addictions as they had before, and while we were encouraged to see some growth, it is more than obvious these precious boys that Jesus loves still have so far to go!
In the last week, every time something ugly has popped up in one of the boys that I did not like, God keeps replaying this scene in my mind from the movie Gladiator. Right before the ‘bad son’ who is not chosen to replace his father on the throne murders his father, tears roll down his eyes as he asks the father one last time why he is not favored as others. The father, who has already explained his disgust at his sons’ lack of character and righteousness, suddenly bursts out in tears as well and says ‘Your failure as a man reflects my failure as a father’. In the same way, how can these boys learn righteousness if they have no one in their lives to model it for them? How can they become men and women of God if they have no one to show them the way? And how can they be anything more than ‘harassed and helpless’ by the power of sin – addiction, anger, and hatred – as long as they are ‘sheep without a shepherd?’ (Mk. 6.34)
When Jesus looked at a demoniac wrecking havoc and interrupting his sermon, he saw not an enemy or an annoyance, but a person oppressed and held captive by the devil. When Jesus saw the crowds constantly ‘knocking on his door’, following him from place to place even when He just wanted one minute alone or looking to Him for healing, for food, and simply what they could get out of him (Jn. 6.26), He saw sheep that were lost without a shepherd. When He saw people stuck in sin like the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery (Jn. 4,8), He saw sons and daughters of God who were royalty but didn’t know it. And when He saw His very own people, whom He had lived His whole life seeking to love and help, hate him without cause (Jn. 15.25) & join together to crucify Him, He forgave them because He saw people who ‘knew not what they were doing.’ (Lk. 23.34)
I’ve often wondered, how tired did He feel when after three years of constantly demonstrating and preaching love to them, His disciples still wanted to pick fights, arguing who was the greatest, or call fire down from heaven and kill people?! Or how did He feel when knowing one of His ‘own’ was actually stealing from Him and still covering it up? Knowing that His ‘leader’ would deny Him, all would eventually ditch Him in His moment of need, and one would betray Him and sell His very life for a mere 30 pieces of silver, how did He feel? (Jn. 6.71)
None of these things caused Jesus to falter, however, and I believe it’s because He knew a secret: Isaiah 55:11 - God promises ‘my WORD will not return empty,’ it will NOT fail to bear fruit. As we talked about Jesus’ resurrection and ascension this Sunday, we spent a lot of time studying His last moments with His disciples and prayers for them. Jesus told the disciples in Jn. 15:3 that they were ‘clean’ because of the ‘word’ which He had given them. When He is praying in Jn. 17 it has become so clear to me that He could leave His disciples behind in perfect peace knowing He had given them God’s Word when He was with them, He guarded them and prayed that they would be sanctified with truth – the Word of God.
It has become obvious to Rachel, Carly, Pastor Salito, Sandra, and I that as much as we try to ‘empty out the darkness’ by discussing fights or making rules, the only way to drive out the darkness is to shine the light. What will heal and change these future men of God is the same thing that heals and changes people all over the world – the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. All five of us have had an increased passion to be preaching and teaching to the boys in every situation we can! The Word says that people perish for lack of knowledge. (Prov. 29.18) People all around this world are perishing in sin…in addiction…in depression…our very co-workers and people we talk to every day are perishing on the very road to hell and they don’t know it. What’s worse is that this suffering is for no good reason – Jesus has paved the way for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (one of joy, peace, and righteousness- Ro. 14.17) not only after our bodies die, but right now. People living in darkness should see a great light (Mt. 4.16) and we are to be the ones to shine it.
Please pray that in this last month, the five of us would step it up and keep preaching the word – in season and out, when it’s convenient and when it’s not. Pray that when we get on that plane in one month we could say like Paul: ‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials…I did not shrink back from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house….testifying of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 20.18-22). Pray that we would truly consider our own lives as nothing precious to ourselves in only that we may give His beautiful word to people that are dying without out. (10.24)
Jesus not only preached the Word to His disciples, but He also modeled it for them. God has asked us to do the same: I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness’ (Is. 42.6) and if we don’t model it who will? When we get tired, annoyed, or tempted to give into selfishness, pride, anger, self-pity, or any sin, will we choose to ‘sanctify ourselves’ for their sakes, as Jesus did (Jn. 17.19), knowing that this world is dying for lack of seeing a demonstration of God’s kingdom and righteousness manifested in human beings?
I believe that it’s time for me to stop looking at sinners and seeing annoyances; like that father in Gladiator – he saw a certain responsibility in his son’s failures. When the church sees the lost, I believe we should see our own responsibility (Ez. 34), and when I see unrighteousness in the boys, I want to be challenged even more to live a life that they can imitate, and to preach a salvation that is consistent with that life. Paul said that though the Corinthians had teachers, they had not many fathers – ones that were willing to take them in and show them the way to life and life to the full. (1 Cor. 4.15)
While being a spiritual ‘father’ or ‘mother’ to the lost may seem like such a daunting task sometimes (because we’re not Jesus!!) may we be encouraged to remember that the One who calls us says He will equip us with everything needed for His work.
I was encouraged most this week by the story of Aslan anointing the first king of Narnia in the first Chronicle of Narnia, The Magicians Nephew. He didn’t choose the smartest person in London, the most distinguished or popular, but a simple cabby with a pure heart. This is the story of Aslan anointing him:
[The Cabby’s Response to Aslan’s Invitation to Kingship] Begging your pardon, sir, and thanking you very much I’m sure, but I ain’t no sort of chap for a job like that. I never ‘ad much eddycation, you see.
Well, said Aslan, can you be faithful in what you do know; can you use a spade and bring food out of the earth?
Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the beasts of the world you come from?
Will you bring up children to do the same, to rule and govern Narnia in the ways of love, righteousness, and mercy?
Will you not have favorites either among your own children or the others or let any mistreat or dishonor another?
And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?
Well, sir, said the Cabby very slowly, a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ‘un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try – that is, I ‘ope I’d try – to do my bit, my best.
Then, said Aslan, you will have done all that a King should do…
Though we may not always feel successful in our efforts to demonstrate and preach His righteousness and Kingdom, let us continue to be faithful. And when we need help let us pray like Solomon – O Lord, grant me wisdom to govern & help this your GREAT people… (2 Chron. 1:10)
Val
Jambo friends and family!
Today is a significant day for Carly and I – in exactly one month we will be getting on a plane to come home for a two-month visit to the U.S of A! For both of us, this marks about one year that we have been in Africa and the longest time ever we have been away from the States. As you can imagine, our hearts are full of emotions of many kinds as we think of saying good-bye to our Mombasa family for a few months and hello to a home that has felt so far away for so long. Most, we often dream aloud to one another of getting a good night’s rest & many moments free of the endless knocking on our door or discussions needed to solve every problem or fight for a house of eighteen people. We often feel like the apostle Paul when we think that even our bodies our craving rest (2 Cor. 7.5), but as we fly homeward we know the fightings without and fears within will remain: how will the boys’ be doing in school when we are away? Will they learn to submit to their teachers in honor of Christ? (Eph. 5.21) Will they remember the words we have been speaking to them, often through tears and prayers, about loving one another and so fulfilling all of the law (Ro. 13.9)? Will they remember that when they love their enemies rather than fight them and pray for those that hurt them, they can become the answer to Jesus’ most heartfelt desire, something He prayed so hard for that He sweat drops of blood? (Jn. 15.12) Will they remember that it cost Jesus His very life for them to be free from the power of sin when they are tempted to wander down old roads that would lead them to dishonor His name? In all their conduct, will they remember to walk worthy of that calling they’ve received and become more and more like men of God every day?
As these questions are heavy on our hearts, I think we are starting to understand Paul a bit more when he speaks of the anxiety on his heart for the churches (2 Cor. 11.28) and of course, the heart of the Father who desires that none may perish, but all come to repentance (a change of heart and lifestyle) himself. This last week, the boys had a holiday from school as they were in between their first and second terms of the school year. This means that our typical schedule was interrupted and we spent much more time together as a family. Our normal times of prayer and preparing for preaching/teaching (in the last month, Carly & I have accepted the opportunity to teach a Christian Religion education class at the boy’s school twice a week and every Sunday at our little home church) were replaced by attending our friend’s burial together in town, visiting some friends in prison, enjoying late breakfasts and morning beach runs together as a family. Spending such unlimited time with the boys reminded us of our pre-school days with them in December. I personally was interested to see if while during this time off of school, they would drift back to fighting and heavy addictions as they had before, and while we were encouraged to see some growth, it is more than obvious these precious boys that Jesus loves still have so far to go!
In the last week, every time something ugly has popped up in one of the boys that I did not like, God keeps replaying this scene in my mind from the movie Gladiator. Right before the ‘bad son’ who is not chosen to replace his father on the throne murders his father, tears roll down his eyes as he asks the father one last time why he is not favored as others. The father, who has already explained his disgust at his sons’ lack of character and righteousness, suddenly bursts out in tears as well and says ‘Your failure as a man reflects my failure as a father’. In the same way, how can these boys learn righteousness if they have no one in their lives to model it for them? How can they become men and women of God if they have no one to show them the way? And how can they be anything more than ‘harassed and helpless’ by the power of sin – addiction, anger, and hatred – as long as they are ‘sheep without a shepherd?’ (Mk. 6.34)
When Jesus looked at a demoniac wrecking havoc and interrupting his sermon, he saw not an enemy or an annoyance, but a person oppressed and held captive by the devil. When Jesus saw the crowds constantly ‘knocking on his door’, following him from place to place even when He just wanted one minute alone or looking to Him for healing, for food, and simply what they could get out of him (Jn. 6.26), He saw sheep that were lost without a shepherd. When He saw people stuck in sin like the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery (Jn. 4,8), He saw sons and daughters of God who were royalty but didn’t know it. And when He saw His very own people, whom He had lived His whole life seeking to love and help, hate him without cause (Jn. 15.25) & join together to crucify Him, He forgave them because He saw people who ‘knew not what they were doing.’ (Lk. 23.34)
I’ve often wondered, how tired did He feel when after three years of constantly demonstrating and preaching love to them, His disciples still wanted to pick fights, arguing who was the greatest, or call fire down from heaven and kill people?! Or how did He feel when knowing one of His ‘own’ was actually stealing from Him and still covering it up? Knowing that His ‘leader’ would deny Him, all would eventually ditch Him in His moment of need, and one would betray Him and sell His very life for a mere 30 pieces of silver, how did He feel? (Jn. 6.71)
None of these things caused Jesus to falter, however, and I believe it’s because He knew a secret: Isaiah 55:11 - God promises ‘my WORD will not return empty,’ it will NOT fail to bear fruit. As we talked about Jesus’ resurrection and ascension this Sunday, we spent a lot of time studying His last moments with His disciples and prayers for them. Jesus told the disciples in Jn. 15:3 that they were ‘clean’ because of the ‘word’ which He had given them. When He is praying in Jn. 17 it has become so clear to me that He could leave His disciples behind in perfect peace knowing He had given them God’s Word when He was with them, He guarded them and prayed that they would be sanctified with truth – the Word of God.
It has become obvious to Rachel, Carly, Pastor Salito, Sandra, and I that as much as we try to ‘empty out the darkness’ by discussing fights or making rules, the only way to drive out the darkness is to shine the light. What will heal and change these future men of God is the same thing that heals and changes people all over the world – the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. All five of us have had an increased passion to be preaching and teaching to the boys in every situation we can! The Word says that people perish for lack of knowledge. (Prov. 29.18) People all around this world are perishing in sin…in addiction…in depression…our very co-workers and people we talk to every day are perishing on the very road to hell and they don’t know it. What’s worse is that this suffering is for no good reason – Jesus has paved the way for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (one of joy, peace, and righteousness- Ro. 14.17) not only after our bodies die, but right now. People living in darkness should see a great light (Mt. 4.16) and we are to be the ones to shine it.
Please pray that in this last month, the five of us would step it up and keep preaching the word – in season and out, when it’s convenient and when it’s not. Pray that when we get on that plane in one month we could say like Paul: ‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials…I did not shrink back from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house….testifying of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 20.18-22). Pray that we would truly consider our own lives as nothing precious to ourselves in only that we may give His beautiful word to people that are dying without out. (10.24)
Jesus not only preached the Word to His disciples, but He also modeled it for them. God has asked us to do the same: I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness’ (Is. 42.6) and if we don’t model it who will? When we get tired, annoyed, or tempted to give into selfishness, pride, anger, self-pity, or any sin, will we choose to ‘sanctify ourselves’ for their sakes, as Jesus did (Jn. 17.19), knowing that this world is dying for lack of seeing a demonstration of God’s kingdom and righteousness manifested in human beings?
I believe that it’s time for me to stop looking at sinners and seeing annoyances; like that father in Gladiator – he saw a certain responsibility in his son’s failures. When the church sees the lost, I believe we should see our own responsibility (Ez. 34), and when I see unrighteousness in the boys, I want to be challenged even more to live a life that they can imitate, and to preach a salvation that is consistent with that life. Paul said that though the Corinthians had teachers, they had not many fathers – ones that were willing to take them in and show them the way to life and life to the full. (1 Cor. 4.15)
While being a spiritual ‘father’ or ‘mother’ to the lost may seem like such a daunting task sometimes (because we’re not Jesus!!) may we be encouraged to remember that the One who calls us says He will equip us with everything needed for His work.
I was encouraged most this week by the story of Aslan anointing the first king of Narnia in the first Chronicle of Narnia, The Magicians Nephew. He didn’t choose the smartest person in London, the most distinguished or popular, but a simple cabby with a pure heart. This is the story of Aslan anointing him:
[The Cabby’s Response to Aslan’s Invitation to Kingship] Begging your pardon, sir, and thanking you very much I’m sure, but I ain’t no sort of chap for a job like that. I never ‘ad much eddycation, you see.
Well, said Aslan, can you be faithful in what you do know; can you use a spade and bring food out of the earth?
Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the beasts of the world you come from?
Will you bring up children to do the same, to rule and govern Narnia in the ways of love, righteousness, and mercy?
Will you not have favorites either among your own children or the others or let any mistreat or dishonor another?
And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?
Well, sir, said the Cabby very slowly, a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ‘un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try – that is, I ‘ope I’d try – to do my bit, my best.
Then, said Aslan, you will have done all that a King should do…
Though we may not always feel successful in our efforts to demonstrate and preach His righteousness and Kingdom, let us continue to be faithful. And when we need help let us pray like Solomon – O Lord, grant me wisdom to govern & help this your GREAT people… (2 Chron. 1:10)
Val
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