Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged. The final month of the race was a great one, probably my most favorite. We worked at an English school in Lugansk, Ukraine with some of my favorite missionary contacts. I will blog about these stories when I return home. We had limited internet while in Lugansk, so I was unable to post any blogs.
Currently, I am sitting in my hotel room in Paris, France. My Mom and brother, Jon, came to meet me in Milan, Italy last Friday. I finished the race on Wednesday of last week and traveled immediately to Milan by myself and spent a day there alone. It was much needed. I loved being able to sleep in and enjoy a wonderful breakfast at the hotel including as many cappuccinos as I wanted (even though I only had one). Milan was really fun and it was a joyful reunion with part of my family. I'm still waiting on a hug from my Daddy and to see my brother, David. I will return home on Saturday. I am really excited! I can't wait to wash all my clothes and have my own room. Paris is really beautiful. I've been able to buy some new clothes, which has been such a blessing.
Thank you, everyone, for supporting me through this year. This opportunity would not have been possible if it wasn't for you. I have reached my support goals through your prayers and generosity. I will post more blogs and pictures soon. (when my stuff was stolen in Africa, my camera cord was stolen as well, which means that I can't transfer any pictures onto a computer until I get home) I can't wait to see everyone! I will have the same cell number that I had before I left, so feel free to call me. See you soon!
We are currently ministering with YWAM in Targu Mures, Romania. It is a beautiful, old town. The earliest mention of this town is in a document dating back to 1300! It has been much different sharing the gospel here. In Africa, we met people all the time who had never heard the gospel. So, sharing with them about Jesus was totally new to them. In Romania, there are churches everywhere, although most of them are Orthodox. The Orthodox church teaches about Jesus but does not believe in Him as the only way to salvation. Prayer is always an important part of sharing the gospel, but the power of prayer has been evident as we pray for the eyes of these people to be opened. It is especially wonderful to be here during teh Easter season. Easter is a big deal here. It is celebrated the week after we celebrate Easter in America. So this Sunday we will celebrate American Easter, and next Sunday we will celebrate Romanian Easter.
These pictures were taken by my squad mate, Tara Bruce.
My favorite gypsy child. His laugh was adorably and look at his beautiful eyes -- they are captivating.
I really just want to take him home with me.
I almost cried as we prayed with the children to receive Jesus into their hearts and this little girl held her
hands out just like this for about 5 minutes, keeping her eyes closed and smiling the entire time.
It was precious!
Every Thursday our team gets to go out and minister to the gypsies in their villages.
We taught the children songs, performed a drama and shared a message. I loved being able to play guitar (there's one I can use at the base) and sing with the kids. That's my team mate, Tara Bruce in the photo.
After the message around 25 adults and children gave their lives to Jesus Christ.
The typical form of transportation for the gypsies is either by horse and buggy or tractor.
In this picture you get to see a typical Gypsy village along with both forms of transportation.
Every house in the village has their own well.
Most of the gypsy homes have a bathtub in their yard.
A beautiful gypsy grandmother. She is actually the grandmother of my favorite gypsy boy pictured above.
This woman kissed us on the cheek as she invited us into her home and we enjoyed singing
worship songs in English and Pastor Zomba and his friend sang some worship songs in
Hungarian and Romanian. The town that we are in is about 50% Hungarian and 50% Romanian.
This is Targu Mures, Romania --the town in which we are living
this month. It is beautiful and filled with many domed cathedrals, a
castle, the cultural palace, and an old theater. We have really
enjoyed working at the YWAM base here doing street evangelism and
working alongside the international house of prayer. I've enjoyed running through this downtown area. There are also many places to eat, shop, and enjoy a cup of coffee!
What did we do in Malawi? Dance. The Joy of the Malawian people is contagious and is manifested in their desire to move for the Lord. It was a beautiful time of worship and lots of fun.
Not with the "I'm glad it's over" feeling at all, but with the "I did it and I wasn't sure if I could" feeling. Africa has been challenging. I've travelled in a bus for more than 55 hours to get to Malawi. We travelled through 4 countries in one day: South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Along the way, all my stuff was stolen. I lost my entire pack along with my guitar, who I had named "Scarlet." In the moment I realized my stuff was gone on that dark night in Zimbabwe, oddly enough, I was filled with awe at my Creator.
I've spent a lot of time this year studying how God asks his people to praise him in order to release themselves from terrible situations. Take the Battle of Jericho, for example. God asks Joshua and his men to march around the city walls for six days, and on the seventh day God tells the people to raise a loud shout to heaven with musical instruments. He wants his people to praise him, and when his people praise him, the walls come tumbling down. There are many examples in the Bible where God's people are seen praising God in the midst of turmoil, and God brings them great joy through it. Take the entire book of Psalms, or Paul who says he is "always rejoicing." I am also led to the Catechisms I learned when I was young:
Question: What is the chief end of man? Answer: To worship Him and glorify Him forever.
And to the verse that reads: "CONSIDER IT JOY, brothers, when you face trials of various kinds..."
God wants our worship and if He is in your heart, there is no other response to the hardships that befall all of us. So, I had my opportunity at that moment to choose to praise God instead of being angry or sad about my missing things. What an honor - to be counted worthy of suffering for the cause of Christ! So, in the midst of that dark night in Zimbabwe, my heart was filled with a song of joy -
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Oh God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord unto me
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand has provided
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord unto me.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
BLESSINGS ALL MINE WITH TEN THOUSAND BESIDE!
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord unto me
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand has provided
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, Lord unto me.
I sat in the back of the bus singing this hymn for what seemed like an hour, as we continued our travel through Zimbabwe and on to Malawi. I was able to borrow what I needed from my team mates and buy a few things when we got to Lilongwe, Malawi. And, since we've arrived back in Johannesburg, I've been able to go on a mini-shopping spree to get a few clothes to last me these next couple of months before I get home. So, I leave you with this - God wants your praise. He wants our songs and our music. David wrote songs to God when he was joyful and when he was sorrowful, but no matter his situation, he praised the Lord. Paul continually praised the Lord as well. So let a loud shout raise to heaven and wake with the dawn praising your savior with the song of your heart. That's why we were created to worship and glorify Him together - To say: OUR GOD IS GREAT! THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM IN ALL THE EARTH! HE IS GOOD! HIS MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER!
P.S. We leave for Romania tomorrow, Friday at 12:30pm South Africa time, so be praying for safe travels.
While in Malawi, we had the opportunity to change many people's lives by traveling to many small villages and sharing the gospel. We often walked several miles to reach these villages that had not heard of Jesus. This is the story of how I witnessed the change of one boy's life... (Written by Jessica Miller)
When I first laid eyes on him, I knew there was something different about the young boy who stood before me. I just didn't know what. This is where his story begins.
This past month in Malawi, our ministry was to church plant. We were working with the head pastor of the central region of Harvester International Ministry named Pastor Harvey. We would go into an area of Malawi, partner with a local pastor, and then share the gospel. That local pastor would set up a church in that area after we left. One of the pastors we partnered with was named Pastor Charles. He lived in Ntcheu, which was a tiny town just a few hours outside the capital city. On one of the nights we did outreach on the main road in a parking lot of a shopping building. We had just finished sharing the gospel message and many gave their lives to the Lord. It was a beautiful thing to be a part of. After the sermon we asked if anybody had any needs they wanted prayer for. And that's when I met him.
He approached me very unsure of himself; I think he was very scared. Who wouldn't be walking up to a complete stranger and having to be completely vulnerable? He was tall for a person his age and he reached to just a few inches under me. He wore a pink and purple wind breaker which was very tattered, his pants were very dirty and his tennis shoes didn't even fit on his feet. He had to walk on the backs of them so he would at least have something to walk on the rocky road with. And then he smiled. He had a smile that lit up a room, and that's exactly when my heart was stolen.
Isaac's beautiful smile
I asked, "How can I pray for you". He uttered the words that nobody wants to hear, the words that are like a dagger to the heart. He said, "No mother. No father". He was all alone. His English wasn't great, so I grabbed a translator. The first translator I saw walking by was with Jess Edquist. So I grabbed them and asked for their help. At that moment I didn't know what a huge God moment it really was. I now know God wanted me and Jess to be involved in this boy's life. We began to get down to the bottom of his story. Why was this boy alone? Why had he not been taken care of? And what had happened in his life?
This is his outfit and how he looked
This boy I talk about name is Isaac Phiri and his story deserves to be known. Isaac had been orphaned for awhile but was being taken care of by his sister. Then his sister died and he was all alone. He had been alone for a year living in a bus station. The bus station was not suitable for anybody to live in and most certainly not a twelve year old boy. Flocks of men were always hanging around and there was a lot of traffic in and out. Who knows how much he actually did sleep, if at all. Isaac's only means for food was to beg. He ate whatever he could get his hands on. But he was very polite and very smart. He had managed to go to school from the bus station. He was in primary four, which is behind for his age.
Bus station. "Isaac's home" Just outside the bus station
When Jess and I heard his story we both started tearing up. WHY? How could this precious child of God be living all alone and have nobody that cared? Jess and I were willing to do whatever it took to get this boy off the streets. We were ready to provide a home, food, clothing, and most of all the love of Christ. After talking with him we made a plan to meet the next morning. We talked to Pastor Charles about options for Isaac's life. He wanted to be involved and was going to go with us in the morning. We were going to take actions to better Isaac's being and most importantly do what Christ would have done, help someone in need.
The next day we walked to the B.P. Station where we were going to meet Isaac. The meeting time was supposed to be at 9 o'clock, but we showed up a little late. Isaac was nowhere to be found. I started wondering if I put my own desires to help this kid above my trust in the Lord. Since we showed up late did we miss our chance to see him? Why wasn't he there? So many questions were running through my head, and if we missed our chance to help this boy I would never forgive myself. So we sent Pastor Charles and Pastor Harvey out to look for him and we girls (Jess, Tara, Jen Lev, and me) were going to stay just in case he came. Ten thirty came around and Isaac was still not there. The Pastor couldn't find him and nobody knew where he was, but God told us to be patient and wait.
I was sitting waiting for Isaac and out of the corner of my eye I saw his beautiful little smile. I ran to him. Finally he had arrived and I threw my arms around him and gave him a big hug. I was so full of joy. In that moment I must have felt like God feels when one of his children returns to him. He sat down and we bought him food and a drink. From this moment on he was safe, protected, and most importantly loved for probably the first time in a long time.
We wanted to provide somewhere for Isaac to go so we asked Pastor Charles if an orphanage would be an option. We wanted to get him off the streets A.S.A.P. He said we would have to make sure he had no relatives before we could just take him there, but it could be a possibility. If we took him and he had relatives we could get in big trouble or they could take him right out of the orphanage. Isaac had once lived in a village just a few minutes car ride down the road so Jess, Pastor Charles, Isaac and I got in the car and were going to get down to the bottom of things.
We parked the car on the top of a mountain and walked for about 20 minutes up and down a beaten dirt path. He knew exactly where his old house stood even after all this time. When we got there a family greeted us, but it was not Isaac's. Isaac sat down and shared more of his story. But the family did not know him. They said they have never heard of Isaac and that they had lived in that house for a long time. At this point Pastor Charles said that it didn't look good because his story wasn't matching up. But deep down inside Jess and I knew he was telling the truth. We knew God wouldn't have allowed us to give our hearts to this boy if he was just going to crush it.
After we talked to the family awhile Isaac explained more of his story. His mother and father were immigrants from Mozambique. Around the time Isaac was born, a war broke out in Mozambique and many people fled to protect their lives. Isaac's parents were one of them. Mozambicans did, in fact, settle in the village that he said he lived. After the war was over, Isaac's parents went back to Mozambique and his father soon died. His mother didn't know what to do so she brought Isaac and his sister back to Malawi. Soon after returning, Isaac's mother died too. So he and his sister were left orphaned. After awhile she died as well. So he was all alone. The only way of taking care of himself was begging for food and living in that wretched bus stop. A connection was made from Isaac's story and the family. His sister was named Lillian, which was the name of the mother of the family. She died a few years back, so they said she might have known about him. Lillian is a very uncommon name in Malawi so Pastor Charles said it wasn't by coincidence they had the same name. The family said if they were related they give us full permission to take care of Isaac. Pastor Charles told us his family must all be dead. So we said goodbye and left the house.
We walked back to the car and on the way discussed what we should do with Isaac. I asked if there were any orphanages around and he said there was a good one. So we asked Isaac and he said he didn't want to go to an orphanage; he wanted to go to school. So Jess asked if there was a boarding school and Pastor Charles said he knew a good one right down the road. The thing is orphanages are free, but boarding schools cost money. We were going to go out on the limb and trust God. He told us he knew the headmaster of the school pretty well that we could go right there and see how much it cost and if they even have openings. In the car on the ride there I asked God, "How can I afford this or take this responsibility"? I have no money, no job, and I am 22 years old; how can I take care of this twelve year old boy? And God said to me, "I was hungry and you feed me, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, and I was naked and you clothed me". That was enough for me. I knew Isaac is what the Lord was calling me to and no matter what the cost I was in it for the long haul. I knew God would and will provide.
Isaac walking with the headmaster me and Jess meeting with the teacher
We went to the school and met with the headmaster and another head teacher. We told them Isaac's story and our situation. We asked how much school was for the whole year and they told us the price. It was definitely affordable, especially with our resources in America. But who was going to take care of Isaac's situation when we weren't there? After talking with Pastor Charles, he said he would take care of everything. He would sign for guardianship and be responsible for Isaac and all his needs back in Ntcheu, and we would have dual guardianship and provide financially for him in the States. On holidays when they are out of school, Isaac will stay with Pastor Charles and his family. We asked them when we would be able to get Isaac in the Academy and he told us they could take him in that day. We just had to go buy basic needs for him to start school, stuff most kids would have but due to his situation he had nothing. So we took him shopping, bought him all new clothes, bedding and everyday needs. Then he went to Pastor Charles house and he took a shower and put his new clothes on. When he came out my jaw dropped. He looked like a new man.
Our new little man Isaac getting new shoes
We then dropped him off at school. Jess and I felt like new mothers sending our boy to school for the first time. We took lots of pictures and hugged all over him. It was a hard day leaving Isaac. I know the whole day was such a God day, but it's hard leaving something you love so much. I gave Isaac my heart and I know the Lord did as well. Jess and I have committed to staying with Isaac for the long haul. Just because we are out of Malawi doesn't mean we don't care about him. So we are going to see him through until he is at least out of high school. Isaac is now part of our world race family. He has two new mothers and plenty of aunts (thanks Tara, Jen Lev, and all you other girls) and uncles.
The school meeting with the headmaster
Isaac with the mom's and aunts the outside of New Era School
Isaac's story is just starting. God is going to use him in big ways. He already has big plans for him, like meeting us. I pray Isaac grows up serving God with everything in him. If you have been touched hearing Isaac's story and you want to support him, contact me through my email at Jessgurl1986@hotmail.com or on the side of this blog hit contact me and send me a message. We need to raise $1,000 USD for school fees and other expenses. I know the Lord will provide, so if you want to help be a part of Isaac's story we would love that.
The women's retreat was wonderful while we were in Swaziland. This video gives a great picture of that weekend. The music in the background of the video is me playing guitar and singing a song I wrote while on the race.
Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!
