Close to the Beginning

Post from Josh: Today is July 31^st and we are coming to the end of our school. As of this afternoon, we only have 4 days left in regular class and we graduate in 9 days. I am eager to watch what God is going to do in our lives when we return home. He has given us a heavenly starting point and we know He will guide our life as we remain yielded and submitted to Him. We feel confident that we will return home to the beginning of a new life in Him and a complete life change as a result of our time here in Mozambique. We expect big things to take place!

One of the main themes of our school is this question: “What does love look like?” This question, along with the teaching that we have received, has challenged me to take a look at how I live my everyday life. It has made me take a very long look at how I respond to my wife and kids, friends here on the base, people outside in the villages and cities, and even those who really get on my nerves. I know now that “love looks like something”. Love is not about doing good things!!!!! Let me write that another way – Authentic Christians don’t just do nice things because it feels good or because their church said to. True followers of Christ do what He did – they really love people. They really see who people are. They take care of the widowed and orphaned. They take care of the poor. Followers of Christ don’t depend on their church to do it for them. They look to emulate Jesus. Even lost people do nice things, once in a while. Love looks like Jesus!! The greatest example of how I need to live my life is in the New Testament and I have finally received a new revelation of what it looks like to love people.

Here on the huge continent of Africa, in a country which used to be the poorest in the entire world, it seems so easy to love people. They are so open to us westerners and most love us to talk with them and just give our time to them. Recently, a major leader here was walking through the village on a Monday and came across an older woman who was clearly blind as her eyes were mostly white and she was not focused on anything. This leader sat down and began a conversation with her. This leader asked her name and was told that she didn’t have a name. No one really spoke to this woman because she was blind and, consequently, she didn’t have a name. Can you imagine not having a name? Do you know anyone or heard of someone without a name? As the leader asked if she had a name before in her life she was told that if she did she couldn’t remember it and that she certainly didn’t have a name now. The leader gave her a new name in her heart language (native language). Translated, the name means “you are” or “you exist”. The power in a name can be life changing. The leader then asked to pray for her and her sight was restored to her. She regained her sight, received a new name, and met the One who is the One that completely transformed her life in a few minutes time. How did this all happen? Well, I believe it’s because this leader knows what love is, knows her true identity in Jesus Christ, and knows that our God is greater than any other! Hallelujah!! The great thing is that these types of stories are common here. We know that we were not sent here to “help the orphans” or “work with those less fortunate”. We were sent here to Mozambique to experience what love looks like as followers of Jesus. We were sent here to have a complete heart change!

We return to the continent of North America in less than two weeks and I fully expect to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and transform the western church in Jesus name. Although I can’t share all of what God placed on our hearts for the future, I know that God has called us to the dark corners of the Treasure Valley, to take the Gospel of Jesus to those who don’t know Him, who have rejected Him, or who need to return to Him. We have accepted our mission and hope all of you will join us!! 

We are on the brink of something radical in Idaho and I know that we will see a great harvest sooner than later!!