Zion

Today I laid a dream on the altar and walked away. Laying it down, I have learned, is not the same as giving up, there is a difference. I'm not giving up, I'm obeying. The gentle whisper that I love to hear told me what I didn't want to hear. He told me to let go, to let go of what I was sure He wanted for my family, of what over the past few months I thought He was confirming. But I know this voice and it is Him who I do everything for and so today I packed up the last bit tangible hope that I have been holding on to and said, not my will but Yours be done. I gave my dream to the Dream Giver, I gave my desire to the only One who can satisfy, my heart to my True Love. It is not the first time I have placed something so precious into these nail scarred hands and I'm sure it will not be the last. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the mystery when I wish i was just overwhelmed by Him. But my understanding isn't necessary, my obedience is. So Lord I give you my precious Zion because that is what You asked me to do.

Psalm 126

1When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad.
4Restore our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
5Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
6He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Today is my birthday. I'm getting old:) I'm finding myself in a place I never thought I'd be at this age. Ending His Way and our entire focus of life for the past 12 years, searching for a church family, coming home from 3 weeks in Africa, it's been an emotional year for us.
And I'm finding myself knowing that church has nothing to do with a building, when we were walking at the CF walk last Sunday beside the friends that we have come to love as family, I told Shane it was the best church service I have been to in a long time. And I'm finding myself thinking about children a world away, wondering what I can do, little me, to help them go to school, to give them a chance to change their lives and in turn change their country for the glory of God.
And here it is my birthday and today I received gifts from those who I love that have blessed me beyond words. My parents gave me a pair of pajamas, and then they gave me clothes and slippers to send to Korah for my girls, Bakuset and Mesret. Jer and Jen are giving to the Mocha Club in my honor. Shane and the kids are cleaning my car, praise God!! Terry and Cynthia gave me a gift from Hawaii, the place I so love. And then tonight, I went to dessert with my girlfriends and have to share what an incredible present they gave me. I opened the bag to find a beautiful picture of a 19 year old girl and a baby boy. I stared at it knowing they were from Africa and wondering what it was. Well when I turned it over I read this:

"Malia, When you returned home from Ethiopia, you brought with you the heart of Korah and a love for her people- and you have shared it with all of us. And now, that love has settled in all of our hearts as well and so our gift to you on this birthday is the sponsorship of Hiwot Dasalaw, a 19 year old girl living in Korah with her son, who will now have the opportunity to be sent to a technical school that will change her life forever. This is our simple way of showing our love for you by giving it to another....in your honor. Thank you for loving all people the way that Christ calls us to. And thank you for sharing that love with your friends! We love you!!"





Unbelievable! I'm speechless, thanks everyone, I love you!

You can sponsor a young adult from Korah for a one time gift of $600. That's all it takes to change a life forever!! If you want more info just let me know.

Oh how I miss Korah...

I need Africa more than Africa needs me

So I just joined The Mocha Club....I know I'm at least 5 years late on this one but Africa changes you. I saw this video right before I left and thought about ordering a shirt (I order a shirt from everywhere) but the phrase was not true for me...yet. But now it is and my shirt came in the mail today and tonight I joined the club. It is only $7 a month and you can join my "team" at:

http://mochaclub.org/joinme/worshipdefined (Apparently you must cut and paste this)

I chose to support child mothers and women at risk so I would love for you to join me as we recognize that we are not just waiting for the rescue that is to come, but that we are the rescue here and now. That when Jesus prayed, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" Lk. 11:2 we realize that it is not His will that young girls be kidnapped, brutalized, raped, child mothers, or forced to prostitute themselves to feed their families. That Isaiah 58 calls us to. "to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor that are cast out; when you see the naked that you cover him..." I love this video because it is true that they have a joy that defies their circumstances, it does not make sense that they should love so deeply, give so freely, worship so lavishly and yet they do. But that does not mean that we should not fight their injustices, that we should not defend their cause. More than anything it should shame us that we don't live that way with all that we have. Yes, in Korah I saw God's glory everywhere despite the poverty but seeing His glory does not mean that it is ok to leave them in the oppression. "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy"Ezek. 16:49 I left for Africa disillusioned, disappointed, disgusted all words beginning with dis:)at America and certainly the modern church. "Americans spend 705 billion dollars on entertainment and recreation a year, it would take only 65 billion to eliminate the most extreme poverty on the planet for more than a billion people." Stearns. But oddly enough I came home hopeful, because we have it!! God had blessed our nation with the ability to change the world. And don't you think that we will draw all men unto Him by loving our neighbor as ourselves? by acting justly and loving mercy and walking humbly with our God? That many will see these people who hug lepers, feed the widow, send children to school and want to know this Jesus that inspires people to give time, money, a voice to those who have been so heavily burdened? Imagine what the world would do if they saw that kind of love acted out?

Why are we still here?

The night that the reality of the situation hit me and I knew that my 11 day mission trip was turning out to be a 3 week mission trip I was praying in my creaky bunk bed before falling asleep asking God, why are we still here? What do you still have for us? His whisper filled my heart, you have seen the depravity, the depths of the need, the brokenness. Now I want you to see My Glory. I saw myself kneeling at His throne, not completely sure what it meant but fell asleep satisfied with His answer. I began to look for it, His glory. Before I saw the injustice, the despair, the image of Christ searching for food at a dump but then I then began to see. It was in the laughter of children playing games, in the sound of pepsi and fanta bottles clanking in cheers, it was in the firmness of Bakuset’s grip on my arm and the gentleness of Mesret’s hand in mine. It was in the way Fitsum looked at Tracey and the way Toni looked at Mahalet. It was in the sound of Pastor Anthony’s voice praising God in a language I did not understand, in Sammy feeding a leper who had no hands, letting him lick enjera off his own fingers. It was in the worship, songs sung with joy and dancing. It was in the eyes of a mother knowing that HIV would take her life and wanting to give her daughter a life she couldn’t give. It was in the eyes of the chosen parents as they tried to understand this kind of love. It was in the laughter over Laurie’s stories, keeping our hearts from breaking. It was in the men of Korah as they love these children, in Busy’s sincerity, in Mike’s gratefulness, in Mastwell’s smile. It was in the homes of Korah, they lacked running water, doors, windows, light, space, decorations…but there was no lack of His glory. It was in the way they welcomed us in, having us sit with them. It was in the strength of their will and the wetness of tears on my cheeks. It was in the jewelry shoved on my fingers, wrists, and even in my ears, the gifts from those who have nothing. And most of all it was in the words of Aster, as she attempted to comfort me, laying her hand on her chest and said, Jesus love. I thought poverty consumed Korah but I was wrong, it is the glory of God.