14 days
So I am leaving Niger 2 weeks from today. I am already feeling the stress and rush out the American lifestyle and I have not even made it back yet. This week I have had to deal with my bank account being short of some money and trying to figure out why and how, after secure emails, phone calls, and it still isn't worked out and nobody can tell me what happened to the check. Pray it is worked out soon because missing money stresses me out BIG TIME. Then I found out today that my P.O. Box that I've had for 12 years is needing me to come in and update some information, and only the box holder can update this information and bring in 2 forms of identification and if I don't come in then my P.O. Box is going to be closed......urghhh....then I’m trying to get my taxes ready because I won't have time to work on them once I get home and I have to file them 2 days after I land and trying to deal with all of this right now isn't really working for me so can we just hit the American pause button so I can focus on my last few days in Africa....I mean really.....Next time I come back to Africa everything in my name will be closed out and then I don't have to deal with US stuff. The last time I tried to call and fix something with the bank, and explained I was in Africa, the woman didn't believe me and then ended up calling Mike to verify that I was really in Africa. Ok anyways that is my American venting for the day...
I have been very tired and drained today and need prayer! It is not just the "American" stuff that has drained me but all the feelings/emotions/tears for these people in Niger who I am getting ready to say goodbye to and I might not see again. When I arrived in Niger in the third week of June, I was so excited to be here and in my calling that I didn't really have any problems with leaving my loved ones because I knew I was doing what God had told me to do with my life. He has given me almost 29 great years, all he asked was for me to serve him for 9 months in Niger away from my husband, and family and that didn’t seem like a hard option at all. My time in Niger has been an amazing and blessed traveled road. I do wonder at times, why I had to have Malaria for August, September, October, and November. It was a very humbling experience to be a nurse and not be able to heal myself with these malaria drugs. At times looking back I wonder how I even made it through and didn't give up and then I remind myself by looking in my Bible and my journal and seeing the way God ministered to me in my times of sickness. Jesus really is our strength in our times of weakness! In December when the Lord provided the healing for the Malaria (that annoying, evil and vile disease) and I started kid’s clubs things really started to go the way I had originally envisioned my time in Africa. So for the past 3 months, I have been so happy and blessed to be able to work with the Cains and work with the Zerma people. I love the kids clubs! So I'm kind of sad that now that I've found the thing that my heart loves to do and have gotten attached to some of these kids and now I have to leave that ministry and those sweet kids behind just to do what....go back to the US and do what....I don't know....God has been telling me what to do for the past 3 years and he hasn't told me anything to do for when I leave Niger. God has spoiled me and now I guess I just want an answer as to where, how and what I'm going to be doing...will I ever come back to this country, will I ever see these people again, will these children one day serve Jesus who we have been sharing about for so long....I don't know but I've got to trust Jesus that the answers are HIS will and not my own and therefore it will be ok either way. Another thing that I have been thinking about is how much I am going to miss my friends here in Niger. I have some great sold out Christian friends here in Niger and I have loved being a part of the missionary teams because of the unity, support, and friendship that I never really had in the US. I'm going to miss being surrounded by sold out Christians who have given up everything to follow Jesus........I'm not saying there aren't sold out Christian in the US because I know alot of them that are 100% sold out for Jesus but it is very rare in the US to have a whole work place that is sold out for Jesus Christ and is working for him 24/7. I admire and love these missionaries here. They gave up their families, their homes, their American dreams and things, and stay in a 99% Muslim country with Al-Qaeda stealing people from the capital because they LOVE the LORD. I can honestly say that before I was called to Niger that I didn't realize the sacrifices and trials that missionaries throughout the world are going through and how they truly live up to what Matthew 22:37 says "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Missionaries need all the love, support, and prayers that you can give them! One last thought I have been pondering is if it is God's will I would like to bring a group of people back to Niger for a mission trip for 10-14 days sometime this year or next year. If you are interested, let me know :)
Ok enough rambling. I ask that you pray for the Zerma team and for me and the Bolls are we are living Niger in the next 2 weeks. Pray for Kimberly to find someone to help her with the kids clubs, pray for Sahel Academy and the positions that are vacant will be filled in God's time, and pray for me because I need the prayer during these last 2 weeks.
I have been very tired and drained today and need prayer! It is not just the "American" stuff that has drained me but all the feelings/emotions/tears for these people in Niger who I am getting ready to say goodbye to and I might not see again. When I arrived in Niger in the third week of June, I was so excited to be here and in my calling that I didn't really have any problems with leaving my loved ones because I knew I was doing what God had told me to do with my life. He has given me almost 29 great years, all he asked was for me to serve him for 9 months in Niger away from my husband, and family and that didn’t seem like a hard option at all. My time in Niger has been an amazing and blessed traveled road. I do wonder at times, why I had to have Malaria for August, September, October, and November. It was a very humbling experience to be a nurse and not be able to heal myself with these malaria drugs. At times looking back I wonder how I even made it through and didn't give up and then I remind myself by looking in my Bible and my journal and seeing the way God ministered to me in my times of sickness. Jesus really is our strength in our times of weakness! In December when the Lord provided the healing for the Malaria (that annoying, evil and vile disease) and I started kid’s clubs things really started to go the way I had originally envisioned my time in Africa. So for the past 3 months, I have been so happy and blessed to be able to work with the Cains and work with the Zerma people. I love the kids clubs! So I'm kind of sad that now that I've found the thing that my heart loves to do and have gotten attached to some of these kids and now I have to leave that ministry and those sweet kids behind just to do what....go back to the US and do what....I don't know....God has been telling me what to do for the past 3 years and he hasn't told me anything to do for when I leave Niger. God has spoiled me and now I guess I just want an answer as to where, how and what I'm going to be doing...will I ever come back to this country, will I ever see these people again, will these children one day serve Jesus who we have been sharing about for so long....I don't know but I've got to trust Jesus that the answers are HIS will and not my own and therefore it will be ok either way. Another thing that I have been thinking about is how much I am going to miss my friends here in Niger. I have some great sold out Christian friends here in Niger and I have loved being a part of the missionary teams because of the unity, support, and friendship that I never really had in the US. I'm going to miss being surrounded by sold out Christians who have given up everything to follow Jesus........I'm not saying there aren't sold out Christian in the US because I know alot of them that are 100% sold out for Jesus but it is very rare in the US to have a whole work place that is sold out for Jesus Christ and is working for him 24/7. I admire and love these missionaries here. They gave up their families, their homes, their American dreams and things, and stay in a 99% Muslim country with Al-Qaeda stealing people from the capital because they LOVE the LORD. I can honestly say that before I was called to Niger that I didn't realize the sacrifices and trials that missionaries throughout the world are going through and how they truly live up to what Matthew 22:37 says "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Missionaries need all the love, support, and prayers that you can give them! One last thought I have been pondering is if it is God's will I would like to bring a group of people back to Niger for a mission trip for 10-14 days sometime this year or next year. If you are interested, let me know :)
Ok enough rambling. I ask that you pray for the Zerma team and for me and the Bolls are we are living Niger in the next 2 weeks. Pray for Kimberly to find someone to help her with the kids clubs, pray for Sahel Academy and the positions that are vacant will be filled in God's time, and pray for me because I need the prayer during these last 2 weeks.
Comments
Post a Comment