Wednesday, February 20, 2013

A Stern Simplicity...



I know, I know...I’m a terrible blogger. It’s been 3 months since my last post and so many things have happened. I rushed back to South Africa in November, almost certain that my Mother was going to die. Both her lungs had collapsed and she was facing other serious health issues at the time. God is great though, “He will not suffer the righteous to be moved” Psalm 55:22 and my Mum is at home and doing better, even though she retired from her job.

I arrived back at Kibidula on the 4th to January pick up where I left off. I didn’t think I would miss the people so much. The fact that I missed a simple plate of rice and beans even more was quite surprising! (no offense to my Kibidula friends). God has truly blessed the men of Kibidula with some great cooks!  Shortly after my return, we welcomed another young student missionary from the USA. Her name is Melissa Watson and she is helping out with the sheep farm project. Melissa studied Animal Husbandry at Andrews Adventist University, but she probably should have studied Animal “Wifery” since she is a girl...just kidding ;)  She is a really nice girl. It is nice now that we have 3 single young people here...we can visit together without being “culturally inappropriate” haha.

My shower has been broken since mid January. I had no hot water in my bathroom for nearly 3 weeks, so I was taking cold bucket showers in the mornings and evenings. Waking up to brain-freeze every morning is pretty exhilarating, but it gets really old, really fast. Doing plumbing in Tanzania is like mixing a million different puzzle pieces from a billion different puzzles...and then trying to build a nice little puzzle. Bill helped me to solve the hot water problem, so I was able to take warm bucket showers...much better J We managed to fix the shower today...so tonight I will be joyfully repeating my entire shower song repertoire several times!
 
A friend of mine recently shared something with me. She is a pastor and she took me on a brief tour through the life of Moses. There was a “stern simplicity” that marked his life after he had left Egypt for the first time. Moses, as heir to the throne of Egypt, had been trained in many schools of discipline. He was a learned man, honourable and strong...but he was full of pride and thought himself to be self sufficient. God could not use him in this condition. After killing the Egyptian taskmaster, Moses spent 40 years in the desert...tending to his father-in-law’s sheep. God used this “stern simplicity” to strip Moses of all pride and self sufficiency...until he became “meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” Numbers 12:3 It was during this time in the desert that the Spirit of God inspired Moses to write the book of Genesis, and it was only after this desert experience that God could use Moses to lead His people out of the bondage of Egypt.

Now, I am not at all like Moses was after those 40 years...but I know that my character is marked by many of the qualities...or rather the faults, that marred his character while abiding in Egypt. God has been using Kibidula to mold and shape my character and Kibidula has truly been my crucible. I have not been through a more emotionally and spiritually exhausting time in my life. I know that many of the results are yet to be seen in years to come, but I praise God for the things He has managed to smooth out thus far. I know, and the Word declares that there is no one that is good, no not one, save the Father...and that the heart of man is desperately wicked and that our ways are naturally inclined to sin....but the same Word also says that there is a price that has been paid for me, worth more than gold, a ransom for my soul...and that "He who has begun a good work in me will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6

It is with this state of mind that I will be leaving Kibidula in a few weeks, completing nearly one year of service as a student missionary. I have applied to go and study Medical Evangelism at the Wildwood College of Health Evangelism in Georgia, USA. I have been accepted and God is opening doors to make it financially possible. Just as God trained Moses, He has been training me.  He wants to continue to do so; that I may be more effective in leading others to Him, to shine brighter...and also...that I may come to know Him better. This is what God has impressed upon my heart...that I must go and study, but as it is written;  “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
If you are reading this, I ask that you pray with me. Pray that God’s will may be done in my life. I have no wisdom of my own and I do not want to leave Kibidula if it is not in the Father’s will that I do so. However, the little doubt that I have is slowly melting away as I see His hand move in the situation. I am praying that God will grant me the last $2000 that I need to pay for my Visa, kit, books, and plane ticket. In His unfailing love and mercy, God has arranged that my tuition fees will be taken care of... 
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us; And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:14-15
I thank God for this wonderful promise.

That’s it for now...

Love

ryno

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