Over the past few weeks, I have taken some time to reflect
on how thankful I am. I am thankful to be living the dream in Africa. I am thankful for my family back home who support me in my pursuing of my dreams, goals, and callings. I am
thankful for my residents and the ways in which they stretch me and teach me. I
am thankful for my team here on the ground; that they encourage me, challenge
me, and love me. I am thankful for the opportunity to start new things and
watch them grow. I am thankful for those who support me so that I can be here
and do this work. I am thankful for the God who sustains me, through times of
joy and times of suffering. I am so incredibly thankful.
Some other updates that I am very thankful for:
-We got the funding to send our girls to college! Last week
we registered them for classes, and they began school this week. They are incredibly
excited and grateful, and I count it as a huge blessing that we got to be a
part of helping them achieve their dreams.
-We will be starting equine therapy with some of our
residents. I began studying this back in the States and I am excited to utilize
this innovative technique to help our girls process the trauma they experienced
in a safe and non-threatening way.
-We were awarded a grant from Oral Roberts University that
will allow me to create an art therapy space on our two shelter properties; this
will allow me more privacy when counseling and it opens up an opportunity for
me to develop our outpatient counseling program!
-Our income generating projects are taking off, and each one
of our residents is on their way to having a sustainable source of income! They
have started ‘the giraffe project’ making stuffed giraffes out of traditional
African fabric, and we have lots of great ideas for future projects that will
help them earn a living for themselves and for their children.
My time here in Lesotho has flown by, and I am grateful that
I have the opportunity to come back for another 6-12 months in 2013. For those
of you who do not yet know, I will be back in the States from December 10th
until January 10th- I look forward to spending time with my family
and friends and getting some much needed rest! As of right now, I am not sure
where God will have me in the next year or so… I am just trying to be obedient
and go where I am needed. Please pray for me- that I would have discernment
about where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to do. I will need to
raise support for my second stint here, so please pray that God opens the right
doors and that my needs will be met. Most of all, pray that I will be still and
not allow myself to be anxious about the future. Pray that I will stay the course and remain in
this season of thankfulness, and continue to experience all that God has for me
right here, right now. I am very thankful for your prayers, they have been felt
over here on the other side of the world :o)
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as
Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the
faith as you were taught, and overflowing with THANKFULNESS.
See to it that no one takes you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic
principles of this world rather than on Christ."
~Colossians 2:6-8
