Thoughts on Change

I realized that tomorrow was my original departure date from Africa for my visit home. It's strange to think that I would have been in africa still during these past fews months. I had originally planned to try and surprise my parents by coming home earlier then planned. However, that changed when Dad and I started planning a hunting trip together. We were discussing going deer hunting if I could survive the cold while sitting in a tree stand at sunrise. He was betting that I'd chicken out. He was probably right.

Not all of the changes in my life these past few months have been bad. (If you don't know, I lost my dad in a car accident at the end of August.) I feel like my family has never been closer. We've had a lot more get togethers with my aunts, uncles, and cousins besides just during the holidays. I didn't realize how much I've missed them over the years.

Some things haven't changed though. My heart for the nations hasn't. My vision for the rural villages in Zambia has, in fact, only grown stronger. I find that my passion for the work I'm doing with Overland Missions just erupts when I get to share it with others. It helps keep my focused on what God has called me to do.

Can we avoid change? Can we run from it? Never. However, God gives us the foundation to stand on when we face it- good or bad

If You Could See Me Now

If you could see me now you wouldn't shed a tear. 

Though you may not understand why I'm no longer there. 

Remember my spirit that is the real me because I'm still very

Much alive, I've just been set free, Oh, if you could only see! 

I have beheld our Father's face and I've touched my Savior's

Hand. All of Heaven's angels rejoiced as I entered the promised

Land. Beyond the gates of pearl I've walked on the golden streets. 

I've touched the walls of jasper and dipped my foot in the

Crystal sea. The beauty is beyond words and nothing could

Compare, I've even seen your mansion and someday 

I'll meet you there. Let Jesus be your guide because

His Word will show you the way! So please don't

Cry because we will meet again someday. 

-Author: Patsy Stambaugh Deskins

I found this poem today and it reminded me of dad. Even though I feel his loss so very much in my life, this poem was an amazing reminder of where Dad actually is at this very moment- in the very presence of the Lord. What a beautiful place to be!!

The Little Things

I used to think that the Lord didn’t care about the ‘little’ things in life. You know, those tiny details that sometimes escape our everyday notice. Or the things that we somehow get in our head that is for us to take care of. That they don’t really matter to the Creator of the universe. Maybe you’ve felt the same at some point in your life.

God revealed to me how much He really does care about those little things back in 2007. I was working on our base here in Zambia during hot season at a time when I was the only American on the base. It was probably the hardest 3 months of my life, but a time where I grew the most in the Lord.

I was working on our trucks, of which all broke down at the same time, leaving me as the only mechanic on base. Don’t laugh. ;-) It had been boiling hot for months, I had no clue how to fix the truck (big surprise) and was just absolutely grumpy. Flinging down the tools, I stalked from the warehouse to my tent. In the midst of my toddler-like temper tantrum, God spoke to me. He said “My daughter, what can I do today to make you smile?” His voice was so clear to me that I even looked around to see who was talking. Not seeing a single person, I almost decided that the heat was finally getting to me. However, stepping out in faith, I answered. “Lord, a huge rainstorm would make me smile. I want a break from this heat.” The Lord answered me and told me that it would rain. I was ecstatic! Immediately I thought that I needed to let our workers know in case we needed to move any equipment. However, I looked in the sky and only saw blue. I check the horizons and there wasn’t even a wisp of a cloud. Thinking that maybe it had been my own imagination, I walked into my tent to change out of my oil soaked clothes.

Not 5 minutes later, I emerged from my tent at the sound of a crack of thunder. There over our base was a large, dark cloud. The heavens opened and rain poured down on the base! I knew two things from that moment: Never doubt the voice of the Lord and that the Lord cares about even the small things in our lives. He enjoys making us smile.

One of my ministry leaders in Mahalulu experienced this same revelation the other week. Zambia has been in a drought and most of the streams that usually still have water have run dry. Crispen had planted carrot and onion seedlings, believing the Lord that his water source wouldn’t run dry. By the time the plants were large enough to transplant, the stream was completely dry. He told me that one would have to dig deep into the sand to get to any water. Deciding to shift his garden to a new water source, he concentrated on his onions, leaving the carrots behind until he could prepare the beds for them. A week or so later, the new garden was prepared and the onions were planted. When Crsipen went back for his carrots, he found his dried up stream filled with water. Not just a small amount, the stream was actually flowing with water! There hadn’t been a drop of rain that could have made this possible, only the Lord. Everyone has been looking for ways to survive this drought year and help solve the ‘water issue.’  We sometimes forget that God also has a plan because He cares that Crispen didn’t have water for his plants. It may seem like small to some but I saw the same smile on Crispen’s face as he shared this testimony that was on my own face when the rain poured down outside of my tent.