I can't believe it's already the halfway point in this trip. I have learned so much and yet I think God probably has more lessons coming... He is so faithful, so good. I am glad that He is my perfect Father!
Yesterday I got to experience an Albanian wedding as well as all the preparations behind a wedding the days previous. Wow. What a great reminder of how we are to prepare for Christ's coming as part of His bride.
I got to see the place where the kid's camp is going to be held next week. It's super nice. I am getting pumped to have the other American group come and have this camp...minus the fact that it means that the trip will be almost over and thus my experience of amazing food, new friends, awesome chocolate, walking around the city, (and did I say the good food? ;) ) will be over. I am planning, however, to learn how to cook this great food...Alketa keeps promising me that she will teach me...now the only problem is packing all my new friends into my suitcase...I think this is not as do-able as learning to cook their food...
Anywho, the visit to the camp. While there we got to hear a little from the owner, George, about his story, and it made a big impression on me. He is an engineer by trade, but God called him to be a pastor. He said that when he felt this call that he asked God that He make the work as fruitful or more so than if he had just been a businessman. God was/is faithful to George as He used him to plant about 13 churches, and out of their last church, start a missions organization that has camps in 2 places in Albania, one in Uganda, and one that is starting up in India. I LOVE hearing about how God uses ordinary people in their ordinary occupation to do amazing things that only can be done by God. It makes me feel alive to hear how God uses people who are humble and open to His working. I want that same faith.
I talked with Ana about this and she mentioned how this reminds her of Moses. God insisted that Moses surrender his rod to the Lord, and then had him pick it up and use it, by God's power, to guide the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was able to use his experience caring for sheep to shepherd the people. Similarly, I can see how George's business background is being used by God in how he is planning to have the camps be self-sustaining...something that, when lacking, makes mission work more difficult (i.e., the need to raise support can make missions even more difficult).
I also talked with Alketa about this, and she reminded me that in order for Christians to have successful ministry abroad, they must start at home. I am reminded of the mission field that is within my own home and at school. Christ calls us to be faithful in the responsibilities first given to us before we can be given more.
God is continuing to teach me to rely only on Him and see Him as enough. I am seeking for this to be more than just something I know, but something to be lived. He is continually reminding me to delight in, trust in, and commit to follow hard after Him as I wait on Him. Such basic things, yet so necessary.
I've had the opportunity to get to know even more girls here, and I am encouraged by their testimonies. It's so cool to see how God uses people in our lives to share the gospel, to help us to grow, and to encourage us to continue in the walk. It's a great pattern to see how one person shares the gospel with another who the accepts Christ, and then that person eventually shares the gospel with two or three others, who eventually share with others still...it's a great to see how the fruit of the first person is grown exponentially...and it is obvious that all this only happened by God's hand. How good and faithful He is to us!
Psalm 63:1-2, 8- O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
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