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http://www.laurainmissions.com

Blessings,
Laura

My friend, Todd Mitchell

I think one of the hardest sacrifices as a missionary is being so far apart from friends and family, especially during hard times. It's times like these that remind you just how far from home you truly are.

On Tuesday, a friend of mine passed away. Todd has always been on my list of the cool people I've met. It's not just because he's one of the best drummers I've ever met, but also because of his character. I haven't seen Todd and his family since I left for the missions field, but would sometimes randomly get an email from him checking to make sure I'm still doing okay. You see I first met Todd, his wife Paula, and their boys when I was in college. I had just started playing clarinet on the worship team, and Todd was one of the drummers. It was awesome getting to know him and the team, especially since it was my first time ever being a part of a church , much less on the worship team. Todd and Jason used to tease me a lot about hiding behind my music stand. When our new worship pastor, Mike, came to our church, my role as instrumental turned to vocal. I battled with confidence to sing and there was Todd, encouraging me every step of the way. I still hear his encouraging words everytime I lead worship with our teams here in Africa. They continue to encourage me daily.

Then came the day I told him and Paula that I was going to move to africa and be a full time ministry. I was nervous telling my friends because I was getting mixed reactions from different people in my life. Todd and Paula were so excited about the change God was making in my life. Their friendship means so much to me. Even though Todd is no longer on earth with us, he is where we all long to be... in the physical presence of our Lord. I have to agree with my friends that I bet Jesus is getting some sweet drum set lessons. ;-)

Some Food for Thought...

So my co-leader, Stephen, and I were having a discussion awhile back. Here in Africa, you'll find many beliefs. Many of the people in the rural villages turn to witch doctors for any ind of ailment. When you ask them about what they believe, they will say that they are Christians, but instead of turning first to God for healing, they turn to the witch doctor. It's easy for us to tell them not to turn to their traditional beliefs, but let's look at it from a different perspective. How is it any different then when we first turn to medicines instead of God? How many times do we get headaches and automatically take some pain reliever for it? I can't count the number of times I have. More of us do it then we'd like to admit. It's not very different then those who turn to witch doctors. Yes, the traditional medical practices can actually be more harmful then the ailment, but let's continue to focus on our faith. God is more then capable of healing us, my friends! He's a better healer then any type of medicine or doctor. So this challenge is for you and for me, next time you're feeling any pain or illness, turn first to God. Jesus promises in John 14 that anything we ask in His name, He will do it. When have you ever known God to break a promise? I haven't.