Warrior Princess

Prayer Warrior

Prayer has never been one of my “spiritual gifts”. While we are all called to prayer as believers it isn’t one of my natural giftings. This past month God has made it clear; I need to become vigilante in my prayer life. That I need to be intentional and I need to be modeling for others what it means to petition God and to come with expectation that He has much to tell me if I will take the time to listen!

I am a Warrior Princess, as Beth Moore would say based on our Esther Study. It’s high time I take that role seriously as it relates to prayer.

Knowing our team is coming from around the US and we will not connect as whole team until we arrive at the airport on the 11th I was concerned. God was whispering in my ear to reach out and take the initiative to seek out prayer requests from the team.

Reading the requests of the team validated the fact much prayer is needed. Many on the team are under huge spiritual attack and warfare is occurring in their homes, their churches and among their immediate family.

Satan loves to distract and use lies to cause division. My heartbreaks but I know the prayer of the righteous avail much. So I am praying and I am using face book to send them updates as I pray so that they would be reminded someone has their back. I have sent the requests to the team so they too are praying.

God has much to teach me about prayer. Pray for me that I would continue to be diligent, intentional and nothing would get in my way that would keep me from carving out time to pray.

Rwanda

As I boarded the plan today for Kentucky, I finally had the chance to start reading the book I am required to read for Rwanda – The Bishop of Rwanda by John Rucyahana. The last team spent time with Bishop Rucayhana and we hope to have the same honor.

I am only about a quarter of the way through as he recounts the history of Rwanda from its’ colonial rulers as well as where the divisions began and why between the Hutu’s and the Tutsi’s. It is mind boggling what man will do to keep power and how the human mind can be conditioned to do things counter to what makes sense.

In the introduction he answered the question “Where was God?” His response: Man has free will, and God will, not override it. Sometimes evil has its day because men have so turned themselves over to it. But even then, God does not abandon them. God waits to perform a miracle.

He goes on to say: God has always used the broken, and He is using this broken nation to manifest His grace and power. He is taking the brokenness caused evil and using it for a greater purpose – a greater purpose – a greater reconciliation in a nation that the world had not only given up on, but had given over to the devil, and its own evil.

Gungor’s Song “Beautiful Things” is a reminder that God has a bigger purpose for our lives than we may ever know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uumI-PdeZzY&feature=related

Remembrance Beads

Remembering

When I started school 2 years ago, I was studying the life of Paul with my college women. One of the weeks focused on what it was like to grow up in a Hebrew home, specifically that of an orthodox Jew to better understand Paul (who at that time was Saul).

The Shema was the portion of the Torah (known to us as Deuteronomy 6:4-9) “Hear,O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

The Mesusah was the container for the Shema. Many believe the doorpost was the location for the Shema to be put literally and figuratively as it was hard to miss . It would cause the Jewish people to be reminded of God and all He had done for His people every time they went in and out of their home at a minimum.

Knowing school was going to be more challenging than I could imagine, I decided I would need my own version of a Mesusah to remind me of God’s faithfulness and provision throughout school. I decided to create a bracelet that would have a bead for each class. Every bead would remind me of God’s faithfulness as the bracelet became fuller and fuller!

My first bead was the Bible to celebrate being accepted into school. My first class bead was the pink ribbon as the woman we were caring for passed away my last week of school. I wanted to honor her and be reminded of the supernatural strength God gave me to manage her care, school and work.

Thursday night after I hit the upload button on my last paper for school, I added the last two beads. Overwhelming to look at the bracelet as all the stories and events that occurred the last two years come rushing back. So easy to forget all the tears, struggles and doubt that God overcame on my behalf. My Mesusah bracelet is a testimony of God’s provision.



Rwanda
3 weeks from now I will be halfway through my mission trip to Rwanda. I am just shy of my fundraising goal. I am in need of $230 to hit my goal of $3800. If you are interested in supporting my trip, you can click on the link on the left side of my blog.

We just found out the airlines can’t fly us on November 10th to Rwanda as issues with the flight so we are delayed until November 11th. The silver lining is for those of us who are not on campus we now have a day to bond before we fly. God’s way is best and it appears He is preparing us to deal with what lies ahead by giving us a day to bond as a team.

We have been asked to read the book The Bishop of Rwanda, by John Rucyahana http://books.google.com/books/about/The_bishop_of_Rwanda.html?id=h9ABo3Uzd7kC as we will be working with him on our trip so excited to understand how he has begun to bring reconciliation to his country.

Hurdles

95 weeks and 4 days of school have passed. Beyond my comprehension that in two days I will have earned my Masters Degree. God has done much heavy lifting in my life these past two years. 13 hurdles representing classes and surgery. Every hurdle has been cleared not by me, but by God. 12 cleared with the last one to go this Friday. Grateful, humbled and speechless.

Amazed that God had already chosen the best graduation present - a trip to the continent of Africa. The one place on earth I have longed to visit. Going to Africa and getting to use the skills that I have worked so hard to learn and employ these last two years is what God's economy looks like.

The two beads pictured above represent the final hurdles of school. The bird represents class 12 and the butterfly cameo my masters degree. Beyond comprehension by end of day Friday they will both be on my "shema" bracelet (more details on this next post).

Daily I grow encouraged knowing that my God can do far more than I could ever hope or dream is able to bring reconciliation to the country of Rwanda. A month from now I will be in Rwanda sharing love, wisdom, encouragement and hope. Wondering why I a so blessed to take this journey. Thankful He will be with me clearing one hurdle at a time.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

35 Days Until Rwanda

Checking things off the list, achieving goals, seeing countdowns go to Zero make me happy. I am less than two weeks away from having a M.A. in Pastoral counseling. Speechless!

Even harder to comprehend is 35 days from now I will be in transit to Rwanda! Would you believe the Avis shuttle driver I met the other week was from Uganda? What was a man from Uganda doing in Kentucky is what I wanted to know but we didn't have that much time. In my spare time (LOL) I have been trying to get a handle on the countries neighboring Rwanda. When he said Uganda I knew he was a neighbor. He taught me a word in swahili Nafurahi kukuona - "nice to meet you." I was struck by his kindness and desire to help me. I don't believe they speak swahili, I have a word! He also gave me a movie to watch before I went. When school is over on October 15th I will be renting Sometime in April. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBAB1d8Gfg8




Yellow Fever Shot

I remembered getting a card for to record shots when I went to Peru 4 years ago. I pulled our the card to see what shots I had and would you believe I had my yellow fever shot? It is good for 10 years so I am good! I haven't been in town long enough to call my doctor to see what other shots he wants me to have. Personal goal this week - call the doctor. Reading this makes you my accountability to get that consultation regarding shots. Feel free to ask me when you see me if I called the doctor.