James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Entry from September 9/20/07
Today was the toughest day yet. Today we went to visit and pray with the sick children at the government hospital.
We first went to the babies room. Fortunately all their mothers were there caring for them, but many had been there for months. Many of them have pneumonia and both mothers and children were fatigued by the long hospital visit. I felt God pulling on my to pray with them and talk with them. This was really pushing me out of my shell. I tried not to at first, but couldn't ignore the responsibility. I prayed for four babies and their moms by myself. I'm glad I could do this small thing for them.
Then this hospital visit got exponentially harder as we went down to the very last room- the abandoned baby room. One baby was only seven days old and was found in a dumpster! Another had been there fore a month or so. (She was so chubby and cute! :) )
There were two boys in cribs who seemed somewhat mentally disabled. This one boy was so happy for attention. He kept giving me thumbs up, high-fives, and he always smiled. His smile was so beautiful, regardless of the fact that almost all his teeth were rotten. He also had very crooked pinkies. I kept giving him stickers and he kept on smiling.
There were also three other boys in the room. (I wish I could describe for you this place. It is certainly not the children's wing in a U.S. hospital. Picture a movie with a scene from a mid-centruy mental institute, from the bland, dreary atmosphere, blank walls, white metal bed posts, and scratchy gray blankets complete with holes.) The one in the middle bed was slightly shy but responded to the stickers. I gave him high-fives and tickled him. He laughed and it was fun. Mary translated for me and we found out from him that his stomach hurt. He said he lived with his dad, but his dad wasn't there. He thought his father would come tomorrow, but at the discussion of this the boy started to cry. Mary told him that Jesus would be with him. He started to cry more... MY HEART BROKE COMPLETELY NOW... I wanted to cry so bad with him. To pick him up from his scratchy-gray-institute-blankets and hold him... but God actually helped me hold it together. I was so thankful that I was was able to get him to smile again by being silly. I gave him and his neighbor sheets of stickers and we left. The hardest part was leaving. Leaving and knowing that they'd been left before, knowing that there really wasn't much we could do for them at the moment. I was an emotional wreck and as we got back to the hotel room, I laid on my bed and had a very emotional cry.
I wonder what God sees when He knows these children are hurting- they are His children and this world is not fair to them. I do know that He is intimately aware of everything on their hearts.
Psalm 56:8
8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
As painful as it was for me to see these children and so many others we met in Africa, I know it is painful for God. We often ask God to give us His heart, to break our hearts for what breaks His... this is what this hospital visit did for me. His love extends to much greater lengths than ours ever could. I don't want any child to ever go through life not feeling loved, that's my personal agenda. I have a very strong feeling that this is God's heart too...
Will you help me get to Africa so I can be His arms to all the orphaned children He puts in my path? Please, please consider partnering with me monthly so I can be there by August! bethanneyoung@gmail.com
Showing posts with label 21 Day Blog Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 21 Day Blog Challenge. Show all posts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
First Community Visit
The following is my journal entry from my first full day in Swaziland on my first trip:
September 16,2007
(After visiting a rural community where Cup was starting a Carepoint in partnership with a local church.) No words could ever explain what this community is like., what the people are like. There is so much red dirt and trash scattered among the sticks like bushes themselves. It is very dry- no grass, just dirt. There were shacks set up here and there. Some with mud covered walls, others were stick structures with large stones between them. Some roofs were thatched and some were corrugated metal held down with everything from rocks to old tires.
Many people and children were outside kinda of "hanging-out". We immediately started passing out smelly stickers to the children and I had to model smelling them.
The children were so precious and you just wanted to take each one home and clean them, feed them, love them, give them anything their hearts desired! Love... so much love...
I then proceeded to tell about the three women who showed us their homes. One was a young woman who had lost her parents to sickness. Another was a woman raising her four sons alone since her husband had left her to return to Mozambique. She allowed us to look into her house and I noted in my journal that it was smaller than my bathroom back home and had very little inside. I won't ever forget that feeling as we prayed for her and at the Amen, I saw the tears of thankfulness in her eyes. The power of God!! Another was the mother of seven children. Her husband had died years ago and now needed support from World Vision and other international relief organizations.
What caught me the most is the challenge they have just to get basic necessities like fresh water... The people in the community have to get water from the river, which is quite a distance away (we drove there- they walk). But even worse than having to trek for your daily water, FIVE people have died from crocodile attacks. Now they have a make-shift fence around a portion of the river for some protection. Except, because of the drought they have to go around it- the water is too low inside the fenced in part. Can you imagine having to get your water- life source- from a croc infested river??
This community walk forever changed my view of the world... and this was only the beginning of my experiences...
(I'll try to scan and upload pics from my photo album...)
September 16,2007
(After visiting a rural community where Cup was starting a Carepoint in partnership with a local church.) No words could ever explain what this community is like., what the people are like. There is so much red dirt and trash scattered among the sticks like bushes themselves. It is very dry- no grass, just dirt. There were shacks set up here and there. Some with mud covered walls, others were stick structures with large stones between them. Some roofs were thatched and some were corrugated metal held down with everything from rocks to old tires.
Many people and children were outside kinda of "hanging-out". We immediately started passing out smelly stickers to the children and I had to model smelling them.
The children were so precious and you just wanted to take each one home and clean them, feed them, love them, give them anything their hearts desired! Love... so much love...
I then proceeded to tell about the three women who showed us their homes. One was a young woman who had lost her parents to sickness. Another was a woman raising her four sons alone since her husband had left her to return to Mozambique. She allowed us to look into her house and I noted in my journal that it was smaller than my bathroom back home and had very little inside. I won't ever forget that feeling as we prayed for her and at the Amen, I saw the tears of thankfulness in her eyes. The power of God!! Another was the mother of seven children. Her husband had died years ago and now needed support from World Vision and other international relief organizations.
What caught me the most is the challenge they have just to get basic necessities like fresh water... The people in the community have to get water from the river, which is quite a distance away (we drove there- they walk). But even worse than having to trek for your daily water, FIVE people have died from crocodile attacks. Now they have a make-shift fence around a portion of the river for some protection. Except, because of the drought they have to go around it- the water is too low inside the fenced in part. Can you imagine having to get your water- life source- from a croc infested river??
This community walk forever changed my view of the world... and this was only the beginning of my experiences...
(I'll try to scan and upload pics from my photo album...)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Loved and Prophetic Thoughts
Day 4 of the 21 Day Blog Challenge :)
The following are two paragraphs I wrote on the plane ride to Africa for the first time. I was so excited, nervous, and in awe of how far God had already taken me and I hadn't even touched African soil. Little did I know how much more He had in store for me on that trip and in the future, but interestingly enough when you read the second paragraph... maybe I did...
September 13, 2007
I'm getting emotional again as I write- I just can't believe how God has honored my decision. I trusted His promptings & urges and stayed the course with Him. See what has happened? I feel so loved, wanted, and needed, by the Creator of our Universe none the less!
I'm not sure if it means much, but I've had thoughts, again, of myself leading a "needy" ministry of education, like Christy Merrill just began doing for Children's Cup in Swaziland. Huh? This trip started as a small vision and tug too...
Things are coming full circle. In regards to the first paragraph, I'm in the same place- learning to be obedient to His promptings and stay the course! See my last post :)
In regards to the second... uhhh... Christy's position is the one I am fundraising to take on with Children's Cup. LOL God is funny. I love how He was warming me up to full-time mission work, even before I did my first short-term trip!
One thing that encourages me is imagining myself on the plane to Swaziland for the big move... I'm sure I'll be thinking some of the same things above- in complete awe of our amazing God. I wonder what prophetic thoughts He might share with me then...
The following are two paragraphs I wrote on the plane ride to Africa for the first time. I was so excited, nervous, and in awe of how far God had already taken me and I hadn't even touched African soil. Little did I know how much more He had in store for me on that trip and in the future, but interestingly enough when you read the second paragraph... maybe I did...
September 13, 2007
I'm getting emotional again as I write- I just can't believe how God has honored my decision. I trusted His promptings & urges and stayed the course with Him. See what has happened? I feel so loved, wanted, and needed, by the Creator of our Universe none the less!
I'm not sure if it means much, but I've had thoughts, again, of myself leading a "needy" ministry of education, like Christy Merrill just began doing for Children's Cup in Swaziland. Huh? This trip started as a small vision and tug too...
Things are coming full circle. In regards to the first paragraph, I'm in the same place- learning to be obedient to His promptings and stay the course! See my last post :)
In regards to the second... uhhh... Christy's position is the one I am fundraising to take on with Children's Cup. LOL God is funny. I love how He was warming me up to full-time mission work, even before I did my first short-term trip!
One thing that encourages me is imagining myself on the plane to Swaziland for the big move... I'm sure I'll be thinking some of the same things above- in complete awe of our amazing God. I wonder what prophetic thoughts He might share with me then...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
More Scripture Logic
As a continuation of yesterday's post...
Human Logic:
If something is hard, maybe you aren't meant to do it...
God Logic:
I've had a handful of well-meaning folks say this to me, especially in this long fundraising process, but it just isn't fully scripture based. If God tells you to do something, you have to have cling to that- with your fingernails if necessary! Recently that's how I've been describing this latest part of the journey- "hanging on by my fingernails." Something cool that God gave me to combat those those was an emotional connection to many of the Bible heroes and the "crazy" directions they were given by God that went against all "normal" logic.
I started contemplating and put myself in their shoes a bit and realized that they couldn't have felt much different than me right now... confident/yet confused, full of faith/but facing doubt, hopeful/yet afraid... yes, you really can feel them all at one time! So some heroes struggles to consider:
- Abraham walking up to sacrifice Issac... He knew this is what God told Him to do, but surely it couldn't have made sense to sacrifice His long-awaited blessing. He had to have been "chomping at the bit" for God to make a move... He did, but it wasn't until the last minute!!
- Ruth made a decision to be faithful to Naomi even though she had every opportunity to turn-tail and run back to her homeland- her comfort zone. She knew what she was to do and she stuck it out though at times I'm sure it was a long, lonely and awkward road. In the end, God totally blesses her faithfulness. She had to trust that the prompting to go was the right thing and hold on to that during those difficult times of trying to acclimate to being a widow, a new culture, new home, and working for scraps in the fields too!
- There is of course Noah... I wonder if he ever doubted the building of that arc, especially when all his neighbors were laughing at him...
- Or maybe David as he went to face Goliath. I wonder if he ever though he was crazy himself. Even though all the older and stronger soldiers were too fearful, I wonder if he didn't feel that rise of must-do-it strength because he knew it was time to "put up or shut up" in the faith lane.
There are more, for sure, but I'll stop there... Here is what the scriptures told me about this way back in 2007 when I first journaled on the Human Logic vs. God Logic...
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whoa]"> have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Human Logic:
If something is hard, maybe you aren't meant to do it...
God Logic:
I've had a handful of well-meaning folks say this to me, especially in this long fundraising process, but it just isn't fully scripture based. If God tells you to do something, you have to have cling to that- with your fingernails if necessary! Recently that's how I've been describing this latest part of the journey- "hanging on by my fingernails." Something cool that God gave me to combat those those was an emotional connection to many of the Bible heroes and the "crazy" directions they were given by God that went against all "normal" logic.
I started contemplating and put myself in their shoes a bit and realized that they couldn't have felt much different than me right now... confident/yet confused, full of faith/but facing doubt, hopeful/yet afraid... yes, you really can feel them all at one time! So some heroes struggles to consider:
- Abraham walking up to sacrifice Issac... He knew this is what God told Him to do, but surely it couldn't have made sense to sacrifice His long-awaited blessing. He had to have been "chomping at the bit" for God to make a move... He did, but it wasn't until the last minute!!
- Ruth made a decision to be faithful to Naomi even though she had every opportunity to turn-tail and run back to her homeland- her comfort zone. She knew what she was to do and she stuck it out though at times I'm sure it was a long, lonely and awkward road. In the end, God totally blesses her faithfulness. She had to trust that the prompting to go was the right thing and hold on to that during those difficult times of trying to acclimate to being a widow, a new culture, new home, and working for scraps in the fields too!
- There is of course Noah... I wonder if he ever doubted the building of that arc, especially when all his neighbors were laughing at him...
- Or maybe David as he went to face Goliath. I wonder if he ever though he was crazy himself. Even though all the older and stronger soldiers were too fearful, I wonder if he didn't feel that rise of must-do-it strength because he knew it was time to "put up or shut up" in the faith lane.
There are more, for sure, but I'll stop there... Here is what the scriptures told me about this way back in 2007 when I first journaled on the Human Logic vs. God Logic...
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whoa]"> have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Fresh Start: 21 Day Blog Challenge
Catching you up:
My heart and mind are so on Africa right now. God's been stirring me up to make a bigger push toward this calling. I've been struggling with time management though in pursuing these stirrings. You see, even though I've been teaching for 10 years, this is probably my hardest year yet. This is my first year in the primary first grade. Let me tell you that first grade is drastically different from the third and fourth grade classes I've taught for the last decade. Teaching already is a time monopolizer, but with so many changes and a huge learning curve, it has been even more demanding. With that noted, little time is left to relax or pursue other passions like Africa. Currently I am praying that God would open up avenues of time and increase my time management so that I can devote much more of my time to my Africa dream pursuit. I'm also asking Him what I should be learning from this balancing struggle that He has given me...
Don't be confused though, my Africa preparation isn't on hold- I just wish I could devote MORE time to it, God is still pushing me, growing me, stretching me, changing me, and financially providing! WOO HOO- keep praying for all of that to continue, please!
One great things that God has placed before me recently is to step down from some church responsibilities to create space in my time to take a 15-week college level course on Missions created by the U.S. Center for World Missions and being held at a different church called Christian Family Chapel. This course, called Perspectives, is reshaping how I see missions and God's heart for missions. Above all else, God desires that His glory and name would be spread to ALL the nations and that is what missions is all about- making God famous, taking my little candle of God's glory that I carry with me and spreading it to one more and one more and one more...
This class has an intense amount of in-depth articles by theologians and each week we have a different speaker somehow involved with missions! One of the coolest things about this opportunity is to be around other missionaries and missions-minded individuals! It just fires me up to talk to them and just be around them EVERY week!! It is also cool to witness at Christian Family Chapel, how I feel, God intended the church to fully support their missionaries- financially, spiritually, and publicly.
Currently:
I've recently decided to revisit some of my old journals, particularly the ones from my trips to Swaziland. My hope is to reconnect with my love for Swaziland, but also to see the journey from a different perspective- looking back! How often do you do that? Stop and look back at where God has taken you? I love doing it, it changes your perspective. You begin to feel stronger, you build confidence in Him by seeing- "Ohhhhh, (high-pitched light bulb "oh") God you really were there and you really do have a big picture at work here..." and it excites you for the future!!! What is God going to do now, what's next????
The fresh start:
I am challenging myself to blog for 21 days straight and share with anyone who wants to hear tidbits from those journals and about my current experiences as a fundraising-soon-to-be-full-time-missionary. I guess I picked 21 days because that is a nice round "church number"- you know, with the 21 day fast... but this is actually like a fast because I promise you- between work and a college-level class- I will have to make sacrifices to connect with God and you through this blog every day. I might fall short, but I'm promising to do my best.
So, I hope you will join me and follow me as I look back, examine now, and dream for the future!
Africa or bust!! <3
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