expiriences that changes us.

This past week I learned a hard lesson. When we as Christians grow the devil tries to bring us down again. He sees that we are week, and knows that we will be an easy target. That is what I realized these last few days. I was questioning. I know that that is not what God wants us to do he wants us to trust in him. I lost 2 people in these last two weeks. It is hard I won’t say it isn’t, and it is ok to cry and to let it out. But it is not healthy to grieve on it. We have to move on. What helps that is to think of all the good times with the people we lost. God is an almighty God and everything he does is to guide and strengthen us and not to harm and bring us down. What I learned is to see the good things in this situation and to praise him no matter what. It won’t always be easy but it will help to get through the hard times as well as the good times. The verse that stood out to me was “I know the plans I have for you,” God said (Jeremiah 29,11), just a thought: If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, maybe the road to Heaven is paved with making the best of it when all your good intentions seemed to get stomped on. So sometimes our plans get stomped on by other things for example now with the death of people that were close, it felt like I got stomped on but I know that God is there for me to lift me up again. And the other verse is “No eye has seen no ear has heard no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2, 9) Sometimes we ask ourselves why me why do I have to go through this but the verse says that God has greater plans for us. Plans that we as humans cant imagine. God takes us through hard times in order for us to grow closer to him and to learn how to lean on to him. A good way that helps to deal with a situation like this is to praise the lord. Not just think about the hard things but the good things that the he has done for you.

how unexpected God can take the people out of our lifes

Life is something so precios. Somethimes it can dissapear in a blink of an eye. This week especially it became so clear to me how fast life can end. I lost my Grandmother, well she is not blood related but she was always there for us (my sister and I). She had been struggeling with alzheimer desease. She died this week. Also my other Grandmother who has been such a blessing to me over these last years, her grandson, Jason died this last week. He is handicaped but he always had such a big heart. It was such a blessing to see him laugh. It is hard especially if it is two people who meant a lot to you. And such sudden and unexpected deaths in one week. I know that God only gives us as much to carry as what we can take. But it still is very hard.

Boys...Issues anything else?

Boys boys go away, and die.....!!! I wish I could say that the creepy ones would just vanish but, they don't. One example: there was a guy at camp and he was playing soccer, he said when he saw connie his legs just gave away under him. He feel to the ground. When he looked up there she was, Connie. He wanted to go to pastor Russel and ask if he could marry her but Tim sayed that we werent aloud to. Thanks Tim. The other thing is the guys that creep on us are ususaly in there 30's. This has happend to me to just not as dramatic. This might be as well a good lesson how to deal with the other culture and how to deal with these situations. I thanks the lord that he has given me an awsom group that I can talk to when we have problems like these.

Life is full of suppreises...SImple and wonderfull ones!!

Life comes with suppreises that is what we usually say. I can confirm that now. This last week has been full of supreises. My team specially the girls put a lot of effort into my birthday. They made me my favorite dish (chinese food) and some amazing deserts. It is alway different to celebrate something that is meaningful to you in a new country and away from the family. But I muss say I feel blessed to have such a wonderful team. They made my birthday an unforgetable event, which I am really thankfull for. God does amazing things..!!! I just want to say thanks to God for everything that has happend so far and I hope that I will continue to grow in his presence and become a faithful servant.

Life in the Townships

"This last week I went to the townships. Those are little villages that the Government sponsors. Most are little mud houses with hardly any room, for a family to live. I went down with Pastor Thandi. We went to sponsor the children new uniforms (the ones that cannot afford it). We listened to some of the childbearing's stories, and it was heartbreaking. Some lived with their cousins that were all under 14 and no income. It’s hard to imagine how they survive. Others, their Parents died and they were going from family to family and now they were living with their stepfather’s ex-girlfriend, and they didn’t know when they were going to be asked to leave. It is sad to see. They are so young and have so many struggles. The school fees are R70 that is around $10, and a lot of them can’t even afford that, not even R5 or 6R for a year which is under a dollar. It is so sad to see those broken hearts. I have realized that all we can do is pray for them. It doesn’t help to just cry for them, but we can help to teach them how to accept their situation and make their own gardens and all those little things that help to change the situation.

Prayer requests:
- For the Townships
- For the suffering children that have no home or parents
- For the church that they may be blessed that they can help the children
Prayer thanks:
- For the people that have a willing heart to give and sponsor those in need
- For the opportunity to sponsor uniforms to the children
- Thanks for those that give their time to make a difference in our society."

I trust in you

Lord I trust you with my situation. This has been difficult for me. Sometimes I just want to take my situation in my own hands. That does not work though. God plans are greater then ours. I ask a common question ever so often that is: "why me lord, why do I have to go through this"?. But God says that his please are to guide us and not to harm us. I believe that. I learned this last week to say "God take it from me there is nothing I can do about it, may your will be done". It helps. The situation I was struggling with turned out better then I could of hoped for. I thank him everyday for his power and kindness and for his patients with me. to go overseas does not always mean to teach other the word of God but to learn for yourself.