'09..the adventure continues

GOD I NEED WISDOM!!!

If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all with out finding fault.  and it will be given to him. 

James 1:5

I have been stuck on this verse for a little over a week.  

We know that God gives wisdom for the obvious things....finances, decisions, job issues, parenting trials.   

But what about when we need to wade through a mine field in our hearts?  What about when circumstances crop up that feel like a sucker punch to the gut and then you are left to figure out your emotions and thoughts.  How about those moments when another person’s humanity cuts you deep and you don’t know how to recover from it?  What then? 

It is in those moments where we desperately need the light of God’s word to illuminate our own hearts and attitudes.  We need God’s wisdom to give us direction so we won’t be caught by our own sinfulness. 

The world tell us “listen to your heart, it will never do you wrong”  

PUKE! 

Hog wash!!

Our hearts will always do us wrong....Doesn’t it say in the bible somewhere that the heart of man is bent on evil?  Please, if I had listened to my heart for these past few days I would have done some pretty horrible things.  

It is in those moments of confusion and pain and uncertainty when we HAVE to turn to the only source that will never do us wrong.  That will ALWAYS have the right answers for our issues, even if they aren’t the answers that we want.  They are always the answers that we NEED!  

Photo Journals

These are some photos that I have been taking recently.  I REALLY love being able to tell a story with photos.  Most of the ones you will see have been taken at the church we attend here in Zambia,      South City Church.   Enjoy! 

A group shot of the kids ministry. As you can see it is a pretty international group. 

Believe it or not this is Evaristo smiling

Matali...I think she has the most beautiful profile. 

Candid shots are my absolute favorite

I call this one "BUDDIES"

Snack Time

This was taken at the prayer time before the service

Sweet face!

He was trying so hard to ignore me standing there with the camera!

This is Justin and his daughter Chubo.  The woman above with the beautiful profile is his wife. 

Manie Lombard, our pastor

awwwww

She loves her daddy!

Worship time

I call this one "Zambian Delegation"

support letters are hard to write

There is a quandary that is constantly raging in our brains as missionaries.....the dreaded SUPPORT LETTER!  DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!  

These are questions that have plagued the minds of full time ministers through out time.   I can almost feel the AMENS and the WEEELLLSSS coming across the internet super highway from those of you who have been in our shoes. 

1. How do we let people know our needs with out making anyone feel guilty or manipulated?  

2. How do we inspire people with what God is doing with out playing the emotion card?

3. If we put our needs out there does is mean we aren’t trusting God to meet our need?

4. But then how on earth will you know what is going on unless we tell you?  How will you know how to pray for us?  

BBBLLLLEEEEEEHHHHH!!!!

A friend encouraged me (a missionary friend btw) to simply lay in out there as plainly and clinically as I can.  You guys have been on this journey with me long enough to know my heart.  

So, hold onto your hates!!!  Here we go.......

1. We NEED a car!  This would be used for our family and possibly double as a ministry van to use in the feeding programs.   It needs to be sturdy because the roads in Zambia are ROUGH! 

2. In order for us to live in a way where we don’t fee like we are treading water all the time we need $4,000.  What does that cover you ask? 

                  

A decent house with 24/7 electricity and running water (and prayerfully hot water)....also it needs to                                             have a good security fence (totally essential)

Fuel for the car.  Right now a gallon of gas costs roughly 7 USD, OUCH!

We need to eat!  My grocery bill averages around 180 to 200 USD a month.  Most food in Zambia is imported which drives the prices up.   A gallon of milk costs 6 USD.  I don't even remember what it is in the States. 

There are regular medical costs, car insurance, repairs on the car.  (the roads here are SUCK!) 

 We need to take breaks as a family. 

All we are asking from you guys is that you pray. 

Pray about how God would have you be involved with Streetwise Ministries.  (do you like that name?  we think its catchy) 

We believe COMPLETELY and with out reserve that God will provide our needs, but that he uses people to do that.  

PRAY!!  And we will do the same for you all!  We carry you guys in our hearts constantly!  (its TRUE!!!!!)  

We truly and sincerely love you guys!  If anyone wants to come and visit we would LOVE to have you!  

If God is laying it on your heart to donate financially .... go to

 tscnyc.org / give / contribute to a missions trip / morales family zambia

Or you can mail a check or money order to 

Morales Family 

Times Square Church 

Missions department 

1657 Broadway FL 4

NYC, NY 10019

earmarked Morales family / zambia

A Musing on James 1

 HOW did the photographer get such an amazing shot!?  

I was just on the phone with a friend whose son was just bit by a rabid dog.  They have gotten the proper medications for him, but they are going to have to play a waiting game for the next few weeks.  Through tears she said "I just have to believe that God is in this, because if I allow myself to think differently I will loose my mind"  If I were to describe to you the year her and her husband have gone through you would just shake your head in awe and amazement.  

Luis has a friend whose marriage is falling apart.  He became a Christian AFTER he got married and his wife isn't happy about it.  She kicked him out last week because he won't renounce Christ and go drinking with her.  Thats a rough day! 

Our car has died and we are trusting God for a new one.  (that isn't as bad as what our friends are going through, but if you have been there you know!)

Depression plagues some of us like a nasty cold.  Anxiety, Worry and fear keeps some of us awake at night.  

LIFE IS HARD!!!!!

James wrote the following to the persecuted church.

(I like the way The Message puts it)

Consider it a SHEER GIFT, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.  James 1:2-4

A sheer gift.....WHATEVER!  Raise your hand if you feel that phrase mocks your pain!  

Consider this for a moment....God's goal is that I become mature and complete not happy and comfortable.  If pain has to come to be a part of that process, then so be it.  If he has to put pressure on us in order that "our faith life is forced into the open" then so be it! 

How do I react under pressure?   Not well at times, I must admit! I don't think that God is expecting that we react with a super spiritual attitude...bleh!  Wouldn't you agree that true worship in born out of pain.  True worship that says 

"YOU ARE GOD NO MATTER WHAT!  In the middle of my pain, in the midst of my confusion and frustration I am going to worship because you 

are my hope and my strength!"  

^{I Peter 1:6-7}  Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes outproved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

I leave you with this this poem written by Amy Carmichael.  She wrote this while bed ridden from a back injury.  She was a missionary in India. 

Hast Thou No Scar 

by Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet, I was wounded by the archers, spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die, and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?

Bitterness....bleh

Just recently I have received an email from a long lost blast from my past.  I was thrilled to get back in touch, but quickly things went south.  She wanted to make me account for things I don’t remember, things other people did (supposed and real) and to tell me to never get in touch with her again.  

HUH!?  You emailed me!!!

WHY IN TARNATION ARE YOU SHARING THIS MYRANDA!?  It actually was a real God moment for me!  After I got over the initial shock of her anger, it dawned on me that I felt true and real sorrow for my friend.   She has spent many years immersed in what really amounts to a terrible misunderstanding.  Initially I was angry, anyone would have been reading that tirade.  The Myranda of 2 years ago would have wanted to nail her to the wall!  But after it rolled over my soul and I digested it I realized that I honestly feel sorry for her!  Then I was happy because I recognized something beautiful God has done in my own heart!  

The other thing that was awesome about it was this......I have been praying for a while that God would keep me from the sin of bitterness and resentment.   The past couple of months have been a real emotional roller coaster for me and I saw some bitterness cropping up in my soul that scared me.  This is a generational thing that has gone on for WAY to long.  Some perceived hurtful things happened and I was angry about them, but didn’t know how to process it but be frustrated.  (I say perceived, because what happened wasn’t meant to be hurtful, just good intentions that were misunderstood)  But this is the look that I think I have had on my face. 

Through this email I realized that I have been holding people over the fire of my own judgement.  I have been found guilty of not giving them the benefit of the doubt and allowing myself to see things from their points of view before reigning down “righteous” indignation upon their heads.  My thoughts were beginning to take on the look of the root system you see in this tree.  Confused and tight.  Not being able to find the beginning from the end.  

People are going to disappoint, people are going to be human.  Errors will be made and toes will get stepped on.  It is a part of life, but here is the bottom line.  We have to grow up!  Let people be humans and allow God to give us the eyes to see the purity of heart and motive!  If conversations need to happen and the air needs to be cleared, do it!  Get it out of the way and move on with it!!  Let the healing happen as soon as possible!   Time is short and there is to much work to be done!! 

I leave you with this

 “Bitterness is like drinking poison and

 waiting for the other person to die.”  

Who does bitterness hurt in the long run??