Monday, March 7, 2016

Restoring Brokenness

I just completed my 2nd read of a book called, "A Cry From the Streets."  It's about a missionary couple who began loving on street kids in Brazil many years ago.  The stories of the abuse, rejection and abandonment these children went through while living on the streets is incomprehensible and disheartening.  If you want your heart to be shaken and brought to life for the broken in this world, I would recommend reading this book.  If it
doesn't change your heart and cause an awakening in you to do something
about the broken and lost in this world, then maybe you need to check your pulse 
to see if you're still alive!  Although we currently are not working with "street children" to the degree that this couple is, it is the cry of mine and Josh's hearts to reach the lost, broken and rejected with the power and love of Jesus so that hearts will be transformed - not because of us but
because God becomes real to them!

The journey this couple has gone through really resonates deep in my heart.


"Every day we became more convinced we had made the right decision, because God 
was giving us, in spite of our many uncertainties, a deep peace." - A
Cry From the Streets.

There are many uncertainties that our family is going through right now.  We've been without a vehicle for 1 ½ months now. Our visas for South Africa and the kids'
passports expire at the end of this year.  IN FAITH we are feeling led to plan a trip back to America to renew our visas and passport
around mid-May - that's 2 months away!  We have NO IDEA how these needs are
going to be met, but the one thing we do know is that we serve a God who is faithful and trustworthy!  Our inability is His ability.  We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, great health and a wonderful family.  We are blessed!


"It seemed that God was teaching us to trust Him for larger $ amounts.  Hadn't He provided for us over and over again?  It seemed to be getting easier: the more we
needed, the more we dared to trust Him for.  In the future He would lead us to trust Him for things we couldn't even dream of."
- A Cry From the Streets


"Do what is possible, what lies within your limits; then God will do what's outside your
limits - the impossible." - A Cry From the Streets

The voice of the enemy whispers, "Just give up now.  There's no way you can stay in Africa.  No one cares about what you're doing.  You're not making a difference. It's 
selfish of you to believe for or ask God for this much money."  I'm thankful that the truth reigns in my heart and I can simply
silence these whispers by positioning my heart towards the Lord and asking Him what He's saying because His voice is the one I want to hear above all others. Even
though our hearts long to go love on people in Sonskyn Valley more often, that is why we are here, we have been physically hindered because of the absence of a vehicle. However, we know that God continues to move in that place, and he has been getting our family's hearts in the
position needed to continue this journey of faith and love we are on.


"You will be tested (in commitment and heart, how much do you trust God's
word to you when times don't go as expected?)." - A Cry From the Streets

Without a doubt, we know that our level of commitment and trust is being tested.  Our
heart wants to pour into Sonskyn Valley, but more importantly, we want our hearts pouring into God above all else.  If He were to close the doors on being in South Africa, would we still passionately love and serve
Him if it looks different?  Yes!  If He were to send us back to America sooner than we
expected for reasons we don't understand, would we still trust that He knows what He's doing?  Yes!  Trust should be relational not situational.  We make our plans, but He guides our steps.  We won't leave South Africa without a fight though, and we do believe that God still has a plan in us being here that isn't fulfilled yet!  I recently read part of a quote that said:


"Personally, I would rather stumble chasing a dream, than sit fearfully in
the seat of complacency."

We could give up now because things in the natural aren't going as expected, but we are
learning to live this quote out in our lives and trust that things are happening even though we cannot see with our eyes:


"See in peace, think in faith...learn to be vulnerable to God." - Graham
Cooke

On November 1st of last year, I had a vision of Josh and I speaking with a group of kids.
We were asking them questions to find how many lived with none, one or two parents
(mother/father) in the home.  I saw the group getting smaller and smaller.  The Lord told me not to be discouraged or
alarmed - that He wants to hone in on those He specifically wants us to reach right now. I saw Josh ministering to a boy.  He was very skinny, malnourished, and seemed kind of like a loner/outsider.  I saw myself doing the same thing with a girl - just getting to know her.  The Lord had spoken
to me about not being so quick to bring children or people to the farm for
"entertainment or social purposes" and that we needed to keep our eyes, hearts and
and availability open to the ones He had chosen for us to love on at this time - that
there was specific purpose to this.  He also gave me a picture of us continuing to reach children in Sonskyn, but then entire
families became involved.  The Lord spoke to me that as we bring children to the farm
families will also come.  Families will be restored!  The Lord reminded me of a prophetic word we had been given in Pemba, Mozambique.


"You have a heart for the broken and God is going to use your blended-family situation 
to reach many children who have brokenness in their family, relationships, etc."
(July 3, 2012)

God showed me that the children in Sonskyn will be used as an open door into
restoring families.  The Lord has given me this verse for Sonskyn found in Malach 4:6, "His preaching (referring to Elijah) will turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the hearts of children to their parents."

The Lord then gave me 2 words as direction for our family this season: RESTORING BROKENNESS

Many children from the brown community in South Africa are absent of fathers, and in
some instances, parents altogether.  Drugs and alcohol run ramped in the townships,
even amongst the children.  Kids drop out of school early and never finish.  Many children are headed towards the same cycle of poverty that their parents are raising them up in.  They deserve hope!  They need
physical and spiritual fathers/mothers to love them, accept them, teach them, disciple them, be intentional and engaged with them...the list goes on.  To give you an example, we know of a father who is willing to give up his child like it's no big deal.  This is not acceptable.

How do you reach a fatherless community and restore brokenness?  One person
at a time!

On December 14, 2015, I wrote the following journal entry:


During worship my heart was torn between living here on the farm and being in Sonskyn.  My desire is to be in Sonskyn to live.  God, do you want us on this farm?  If so, why?  We
don't need "stuff" to bless people or shine
your light.  I'm willing to give it all up - sell it all again or give it away.  What is YOUR
purpose for this farm other than to feed people with??  How can we change the 
community of Sonskyn if we're not in it much?  What immediately came to my mind 
was, "Start with ONE."
Sooooo, we start with ONE!  We didn't come here with a specific agenda because it would keep us from being fully used by the Lord.  We came here to love - that is our agenda - no matter what love looks like. We'd like to have a home for abandoned children, and in time we believe we will, but until then we trust the Lord to guide our steps and use us however He wishes.  In the last month or so He's highlighted Psalm 127, "Unless the Lord builds a house, the
work of the builder is useless."  We are not here to build a ministry.  We want God to be the architect of what we do.  We are here to further the gospel by being the hands and feet of Jesus!


"Count the cost; give up your freedom to do whatever you want and decide instead to
live your life in obedience to God and allow God to use you." - A Cry From the Streets 

The Lord has connected us with a pastor in Sonskyn that has the same heart and vision
as we do - to bring transformation to Sonskyn.  To see captives set free.  To see people healed.  To see relationships restored.  To see people turn to THE Father. We will share at a later time what the Lord has planned with this connection, but we are very excited to partner with the local spiritual leaders here to bring the Kingdom of God to Sonskyn and nearby townships.

I will leave you with this post I recently saw on Facebook from a pastor and
friend of ours:


Luke 18:8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"  How many of you know it doesn't take faith to believe that things are getting
worse?  What does require faith?  Hope.  Restoration of families.  Sons and daughters
turning their hearts back to Fathers.  Freedom of captives.  Healing.  We have an
assignment!" - #creatingculture #meant4more -  Adam Cooke

What kind of culture are you creating?!  You have an assignment.  What are you doing to fulfill it?!

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