An adventure in honor

I have been learning a lot about honor lately. I grew up knowing that I should honor my mother and father. To this day I hold to this as a single woman. When I decided to come to Africa, I sought guidance from both of my parents. I am lucky, because they recognize that I am an adult that they have raised well. They trust me; they know that they have instilled good values in me. They have taught me to love the Lord, and to walk by faith and not by sight. While they were not thrilled about me moving to a third world country halfway around the world, they knew that they had to hold me in an open hand and let me go. They prayed for me and with me, and they gave me their blessing.

In this new season of my life, I have been learning about honoring my boss and my co-workers. It is easy to honor my parents. They have raised me, loved me, and encouraged me. Honoring people that I do not know well is more difficult, but God calls us to honor those who he puts in authority. I am blessed with a wonderful director here who invests in me personally, professionally, and spiritually. She makes it easy to honor her. I know that I will not always be called to honor someone that makes it easy, but I know that I will always be called to be obedient. I am learning to honor the other missionaries that I live with, our local volunteers, our residents and a bevy of new friends here in Lesotho. I am being stretched and challenged, and it is GOOD. As I learn to honor the people that God has placed around me, I know that I will learn to honor Him better also. As my time here progresses, I am changing, learning, growing. I will be very different when I come home, and I would not have it any other way!

Please continue to pray for our residents. We are still waiting on funding for our two girls who want to go to college. Pray for favor as I hopefully get a chance to meet with the Vice Chancellor of the National University of Lesotho; I am going to ask for scholarships for our girls and for them to be given local tuition rates rather than international rates. Please pray for another of our residents who is struggling with her plans for the future and grappling with the question of raising her baby on her own or putting him up for adoption. Pray that she will feel loved, supported, and encouraged. Pray for me, that I will continue to grow in my role as a leader here, that I will get better and better at loving others, confronting issues, and seeking wisdom and discernment when decisions need to be made :o)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “HONOR your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.””

~Ephesians 6:1-3