Who knew the rain would be so fun =)

The theme of this blog is RAIN =)

The past couple weeks there have been some amazingly wonderful fun things that have happened and they seem to revolve around the rain.

FIRST….

So it is 11:00 Wednesday night, I am finishing up some homework for a poster presentation that we were doing for our group about the World Health Organization when I was interrupted by the LOUDEST thunder I have ever heard! I ran out of our chalet to see the sky LIGHT up! It was a thunder storm unlike any I have seen! As we are standing outside someone says, lets stay out here all night and watch this. Then someone says, lets lay on the lawn and watch this. Then someone (most likely a boy) say LETS GET THE SLIP AND SLIDE OUT! I thought they were kidding

….o no….so we got the slip and slide out and had the most epic thunder storm slip and slide EVER! It was so much fun! =)

THE NEXT RAINY EVENT….

Saturday was Durban day round two! However the capstone of this day was the semi-final SHARKS rugby game.

My ticket was DD 813…little did we know that DD was literally THE LAST ROW. I am not kidding you guys we were at the last row. =)

As the game started (well it started late because there was as swarm of bees on the field lol) we moved down to closer seats. RUGBY IS CRAZY, every second I thought someone was going to die. It makes American football look so lame and makes the players who wear pads like wimps.

The winner of this game moved on to the cup finals and the game was super intense and kinda close. With 30 minutes left in the second half it started raining…then it started POURING…but the game had to go on =) it was so much fun to be in the rain and watch them play in the rain and then walk back to the van in the rain =) The sharks ended up winning so that was super fun =) First ever rugby game was seriously so much fun =)

THE THUNDER STORMS CONTINUE

For clinical this week I was at Ethembeni again which is the home visiting to HIV/AIDS patients ministry. This week francie and I got to be together and that was such a blessing because this was our first time in Africa being in the same clinical group. =)

We got to go to the rural area called Haza and hang out with some of the same families that I got to work with last time I went there. Francie and I were trying to be cool and balance the maze on our heads lol. well we could barely do it with without using our hands =)

It was super hot in the morning, but the clouds were present. These were those dark ominious clouds that you know are bringing rain. So while we were in a house talking and praying with a patient the sky let loose. =) Thunder was rippling, huge rain drops were dropping. It was crazy/beautiful =) I am so thankful for the chance to work with such a wonderful ministry =)

Another extremely wonderful activity that happened in the rain was DRESS LIKE YOUR ROOMMATE game night! So much fun so many games and SO many laughs! =)

=) Thanks for reading =) love and miss you all =)

This past week I had the opportunity to work at CAPRISA which stands for Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa! www.caprisa.org I had the most wonderful nurse ever. She loved her job. It was extremely refreshing to be in a clinical setting here where the nurse truly cares about her patients. We saw a lot of sick people; the Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the cells within people’s bodies that maintain their immune system. When you have HIV, you are extremely susceptible to illness like Tuberculosis. The stat is that 70% of the people with HIV are co-infected with TB. It was super encouraging as well to be working with a nurse who was a Christian. When people are working and serving for the honor and glory of the LORD there is a huge difference. Pray that the Lord continues to bless and honor her ministry at CAPRISA.

On Thursday of last week, after seeing a few patients, my nurse turn to me and says, “Let’s make our goal today to have every patient laughing by the time they leave this room.” I was overjoyed because I think that laughter is such a healer. EVERY PERSON at CAPRISA is HIV+. They are so much pain, sickness, shame, and burden. So why not help that with a smile or a laugh. The jokes included anything from how me and Obama are friends, how I am American, and my favorite was when a little girl who was seriously sick with HIV and TB came in and I put on my TB mask (which seriously looks like duck face) and I waddled and quacked around the room and we were all laughing. My nursing professor says often towards many different situations that we have encountered “We laugh because if we don’t then we cry” and this statement rang true this week because it would be so easy to look at all the suffering, pain and sickness and be completely overwhelmed BUT what a testimony to be able to encourage and bring a joy to people who have been stripped of it. My nurse was such an encouragement to me and to each one of her patients! I am thankful that I was able to learn under this sister in Christ!

Coming off of India and the few short term missions that I have been on, I am solidifying my ideas about short term missions and trips like the one I am on right now. I think that the purpose of short term missions to most countries should be TO ENCOURAGE THE CHURCH. There are amazing things happening in these countries that we go into with our great ideas and good intentions and many times we get lost in our agendas and don’t ask the Lord what his true desire is for us to be there.

While being here, I had in my mind that I was going to go into clinics and use my nursing skills. But there are many times when observation is the key aspect of the day because I don’t speak Zulu, I don’t know their systems, and I don’t have the same scope of practice as the nurses here therefore I have been forced to take a different approach at my time here. There have been many days in which the nurses I have interacted with are bitter, frustrated and in need of renewal. I have had to make my focus pouring into the nurses that I work with because they need it. Please pray that I can love on and encourage these lovely sisters who are serving their communities and are burnt out. =)

God is good.

He is moving!

=)

This past weekend we went on a safari! IT WAS SO GREAT! =)

More pictures are on facebook! =)

Francie and Emily and I made this video blog about it! =)

TALK TO YOU SOON!

=)

Our God Speaks.

This past summer in the Himalayas a theme that was a continual reminder and comfort was “GOD SPEAKS”. He speaks healing, he speaks truth, he speaks love, he speaks promises, and he speaks tenderly.

Last week I was “randomly” reading in John 20 talks about Jesus’ empty tomb. Mary goes to visit the tomb and finds nothing; she runs back to tell the rest of the guys that they got to come see that someone has taken their Jesus. In disbelief the disciples RUN to the tomb, when they saw the empty tomb, they believed her. The disciples left and had to be feeling so discouraged; however, Mary stays at the tomb. Perplexed, confused, and emotionally drained due to the events of the past week, Mary weeps. Then messengers from the Lord appeared and asked her “Woman why are you crying?” and she responds in utter sadness that someone had taken her Lord. Then behind her a man’s voice asks the same question “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

The man speaking these words was Jesus. He knew why she was weeping, he knew who she was looking for: HIM. Mary did not realize it was Jesus until he said it…

(I just imagine Jesus’ face with the smile/smirk of knowing what is about to happen, eyes that are beckoning Mary in the tender way that only a true friend can do, he had to be so excited and bracing himself for the embrace and love that is about to come.)

Then he said it….MARY….He said her name. IMMEDIATELY SHE KNEW IT WAS HER JESUS.

She turns towards him and cries out “Rabboni!” which means teacher in Aramaic. I can only imagine the other words that came out of her mouth when she saw her Savior and Friend who was DEAD, but was now standing before her. If that were me I would be running my mouth a mile a minute. I can only imagine the tears that were just being wept in pain, anguish and hopelessness are now transformed into tears of JOY, EXCITEMENT, and HOPE! Could this really be?

I love though that the turning point of the story is when Jesus speaks Mary’s name.

Our God speaks.

He speaks tenderly, lovingly and in such a way that elicits peace and excitement.

This same voice that calls us my name so tenderly and lovingly is the same voice that is talked about in this beautiful Psalm: the voice that is MIGHTY, POWERFUL AND MAJESTIC!

Psalm 29

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his ^[a] holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion ^[b] like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.

⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks ^[c]
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

¹⁰ The LORD sits ^[d] enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

We serve an amazing God. This God speaks.

This God deserves all the glory, honor and praise.

May you ask the Lord to speak to you. Daily as you put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) may the belt of truth be the words of truth that our God speaks to you.

May you ask the Lord to speak promises to you from his word.

May you find in the craziness of this life to listen to this God who speaks. May your ears and heart be tuned into the voice of our amazing heavenly Abba, Papa, Daddy, Father.

And the crazy things is that the Lord wants to speak through you and me. Just as we as believers are called to be his hands and feet in this world we are also called to be his mouth piece. There are people who are hurting, who like Mary are weeping in desperation and hopelessness.

May we be ones who speak truth and love to this world so that they can be drawn into a relationship with this mighty amazing God who speaks.

Lets Mix it up a bit =)

Happy October Everyone!

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Instead of having you read about what happened this week.....

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How about you WATCH what happened this week in Francie and I's life here is SOUTH AFRICA!

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THANKS!

LOVE YOU ALL!

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