Just 12 days before leaving.....

"I once was fatherless, a stranger with no hope

Your kindness wakened me, wakened me from my sleep
Your love it beckons deeply, a call to come and die

By grace now I will come and take this life, take Your life

Sin has lost it's power, death has losts its sting

From the grave You've risen victoriously

Into marvelous light I'm running

Out of darkness, out of shame, by the cross

You are the truth, You are the life, You are the way"

-"Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. " -Isaiah 58:6-12

As I prepare to leave for Mozambique in 12 days I am completely filled with 15 different emotions. Now is the time to cling to Him and trust in Him for every good provision. This recent season has been dry and filled with spiritual warfare with my mind as the battle ground. I have often wondered if I'm loosing my footing, or possibly my entire sanity. Tonight I sat surrounded by a room full of women with unfamiliar faces there for the same reason and I my heart was warmed by the transformation He completes in all of us. I was reminded of the verse Ephesians 2:10 " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." When I started this journey a year ago I was given the verses from Isaiah above as my promised land......what He was calling me to....to give of myself to the hungry, thirsty, poor, homeless, the naked, the motherless....to be their LIGHT completely protected by Him....to restore ruins of many generations and secure the foundations of the generations to come for those in Africa who can see no hope or future, completely forgotten.

Leigh and I are leaving both feeling completely vulnerable and broken at this moment in our lives but VERY assured that this is the place He has called us. We are willing and open to share His love with the children we encounter and we are overjoyed to have this opportunity. We both need ALL the prayer minutes you can afford. I especially am going into this and need direction to come from this experience. Is Iris the minstry I should join?...is this where I am to be? Pray for clarification. Pray for our safety, our health, for all our travels, for Iris Minstries and all their missionaries we will be working alongside, for us to yield to the Spirit and share His amazing love with His people. I cannot wait to return and post pics as well as stories.....