From Dinner Bells to Wedding Bells

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July 19, 2013 by lafarmer23

HELLO HELLO HELLO!!!!

I hope you all are doing so wonderful!!! Sorry for the gap in updates, due to restrictions in time and internet, I am not able to update quite as often as I would like.  The past month has been quite a wild ride…its been a mix of struggles, incredible high points as well as amazing surprises. I’ll do my best to put it into words for you!!

In my last update I had mentioned feeling tired and a bit burned out.  That still continued as I was continually busy, but it did get better.  About a month ago I caught the flu and was sick for a few days.  Although being sick was not in the least bit fun, it was nice to have a couple days to just lay in bed.  It was after this time though I realized that physical rest was not my biggest need, I realized I had become so dry due to lack of time in the Word of God.  Many people preach intimacy first, and all ministry should be out of the overflow of intimacy with the Lord.  I always thought I got it and was one of the first ones to shout “AMEN” in messages like this, however I didn’t realize how easy it was to stray from this.  In Pemba things can quickly get busy and there is SO MUCH going on all the time that it can be very easy to put ministry above personal intimate time with the Lord. Although this is not the intention, it is way to easy to do, not just in Pemba, but in ministry in general.  I quickly learned that unless I am DAILY ABIDING in Jesus, I will wither, just as it talks about in John 15. The Word is the “Bread of Life” and unless we consume FRESH bread DAILY we can not stay alive and thriving.  You can only live off of stale bread for so long until you completely burn out.  This is for people in all arenas, not just in “ministry”.  This has been my biggest lesson recently.  INTIMACY IS KEY!!!!!! There is NO substitute for the Word of God, not worship music, not sermons, not services, not praying for the sick…those things are great and feed us life, but they are just the side dishes.

In addition to learning about intimacy, this past month has been a month of surprises and dreams coming true…. literal dreams.  When I initially left in April for Africa, my plan was to go to Tanzania the end of June to meet up with a team from Freedom Church.  During this time I would be able to renew my visa as it would be expiring beginning of July.  About a week before Tanzania I had a detailed vivid dream that I went for a visa run and didn’t get my visa so I was sent home. In the dream I was trying to get to one place, but was taken on a DETOUR to an event, which when I woke up I realized that event was my friend Tiffany’s wedding. I then received an email 2 days later from Tiffany that she also had had a dream the SAME night that I came home…..and to top it off the next week I heard that another friend of mine had a dream I came home!!! I was then convinced.  Also, several days after my dream the door to Tanzania closed and I was no longer going.  To make a long story short, I knew the Lord was leading me to go home and in less than a weeks time I made the final decision and was on a plane to CO to surprise Tiffany and my family. All the details came together very quickly.  I have the MOST INCREDIBLE group of daughters that anyone could ask for. Many of the women in my house donated funds to help me get home.  I then transferred an existing ticket I already had from Pemba to Johannesburg and was put on standby to leave Sunday July 7th.  My visa expired the 7th and the flight was already full, but by Gods amazing grace I got on the flight. I landed in Joberg without a ticket, but God provided and I arrived home 2 1/2 days later. I gave most of my family a great surprise and the biggest surprise to Tiffany. She had no idea I would be home for her wedding and I have to say I think I speak for both of us that it was one of the BEST surprises God could have given us.  The really neat thing was that we both had laid it down for the kingdom (me being at her wedding) and the Lord gave it back. He is so good and so faithful.

So here I am now, home in the states resting, rejuvenating, and filling up on the Lord.  I am enjoying family and friends, running water, hot showers, my HEAVENLY bed, no mosquitoes, cheap ice cream and much more. MY plan is to return to Pemba within the next 1-2 weeks provided that is also the Lord’s timing.

Thank you so much for reading this, and for all of your prayers and support.  I could not do what I do without all of you. If you would like to join me in prayer, here are some things you can pray for:

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1- For full rest and refilling

2- Direction and Clarity for next steps

3- A heart that is completely focused on the Lord

4- Finances

Please Join me in praying for strategies for all of these things to be paid off as well as upcoming costs.

If you would like to partner with what God is doing in and through me in Mozambique through a one time gift or through monthly support, you can click on the link below. Through your financial gift and your prayers you are helping to touch lives and build the Kingdom of God in Mozambique and throughout the world.

https://freedomchurchonline.wufoo.com/forms/missions-donation/

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of your prayers and support.

Much Love

Lori