The verse that was constant in my mind was from Isaiah 40: 31 " but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Even before the trip, the song 'Be still and know that I am God' kept ringing in my ears. I was going to use it for Bat team devotion but decided later otherwise. It seemed that either these words are for myself, or for the encouragement for the M.
There were two divine and emotional moments I experienced during the trip. The first happened during the debrief, God gave me the verse to pray over M's family. This family had expressed their constant tiredness from daily activities, and uncertainty in health, so the Lord gave me the prayer to encourage them.
The second was during the International school visit when we gathered round with the founder to pray over the affairs of the school. I felt very emotional when I started praying for the students to be freed from spiritual attack. I prayed for peace and comfort in their hearts. As most of these kids have parents serving as M, they can be affected. We prayed for covering over their lives, that the Lord will extend his hand over the school, grant them favour and protection.
The Bat team had addition of a new couple and the return of another couple. But most of these families have young children, most below the ages of 10, starting from as young as 9mths old. He is the cutest and chubbiest baby, attracting attention everywhere he went. He is also very cheerful, hardly fusses around, and often smiley. It is such great encouragement to see these families stepping out in faith to serve in this foreign country, leaving their familiarity and comfort behind. As a mum, I am deeply moved by their courage and love for the Lord to follow him in this difficult journey of raising kids in an uncomfortable and less than ideal environment.
But we know that God does not ever short change his people. He always blesses more than we can ever give. That is the comfort I witnessed in their lives too. More than a couple of them actually said that they had gained weight and a father said he is at the heaviest weight he ever had. How the Lord blesses abundantly. And all their children didn't seem thin or unhealthy looking, in fact, most of their faces had the radiant glory of the Lord shining on them. God is faithful and he will give to those who need, joy and strength, for his work.
The M stories always moved me so much. Their encounters with God are so real. And God is never late. He intervenes at just the right time. One M shared of how he first arrived in the country. The day they arrived, the country experienced a cyclone that had not happened in 100 yrs. The whole city was cut out of power. They had a 5mth old baby, another 6 and 8 yr old children. God came to their rescue through kind souls. They felt the love of Jesus even in dire circumstances.
Another story shared by another family of how the wife had serious stomach pain, and it seemed that a surgery was inevitable, but after another doctor looked at her diagnosis, it was not that serious, and the pain lessened and left her. They experienced healing and God's touch as they live for Christ, daily trusting in Him to provide for their needs. Just before they came, the husband had a surgery to remove a cancerous lump, thyroid. 30% still remains and he had to return yearly for check up. They are living at the edge, with 3 kids under age of 12. They have such great faith to trust God. I am amazed.
The stories from the local pastors also uplifted me. Of how he was the first christian, and slowly, his parents and siblings also came to know the Lord. And another shared of how he was kicked out of his family because he believed in the Lord, and gradually over time, they have come to accept him. Persecution is real and the fight is on. We need to pray for the christians, the churches, and the youth, who can be lured away by temptations of the world. Following christ is a tough call, staying on the straight and narrow path will not be an easy one, but with the Lord living in us, we can be victorious overcomers, bringing his light to the world.