Sunday, August 7

Sweet Sabbath

 

“A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness...” ~Charles H. Spurgeon

 

 

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

 

Every time we come back to Marulaon Village, I'm confronted with my weakness. Physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental weakness. I long to be able to do “God's work well and triumphantly.” This weekend, God has been strengthening me in creative ways:

 

-Several months ago, God moved in the heart of a man in my parents' church to send medicine for the children in Marulaon Village. This weekend, I got to help several baby boys who got their immunizations and needed a little extra TLC.

 

 

-I love watching our kids build cross-cultural relationships here. When guests arrived on Saturday afternoon, Olivia and a few of her friends placed flower necklaces over the neck of each guest. Our chief made a point to say that we were part of the community and that it was appropriate for one of our girls to help with the flowers.

 

-We got asked to make another birthday cake this weekend. Providing a special treat that would be out-of-the-ballpark expensive in Honiara brings us much joy!

 

 

-People let us walk around with their babies here. I can remember dreading going to church back when Sarah and Benjamin were babies. All of the ladies wanted to take my baby away! It's an act of trust to watch somebody walk away with your child. I traipsed around the village yesterday with baby Alfonse on my hip while I looked for my friend, Sylvester. I commonly find each of our kids with a baby in tow (even Benjamin!).

 

-Before the alarm went off early this morning, the rain began to fall. Once again, God gave us a steady, soft rain that would sink into the ground but also help the level of water in the rain tanks creep back up. The big tank by the church emptied yesterday, and the two small tanks in front of our house were down to little trickles. Sitting on the porch this morning with my Bible, God refreshed my spirit with cool rain and His Word.