Loving the Unloved: Life's lessons outside the classroom

One of my teenage daughters had a story she wanted to tell… so I’m giving her a platform to do it. I hope you enjoy but even more I hope we can learn as adults what she’s learning as a teen.

A few months ago I went on a service day trip to a local Christian school for underprivileged kids with my small group from school. Being a first year school, they had one kindergarten class of 14 and they plan to grow one class per year. This trip opened my eyes to the poverty in our own community, not just third-world countries.

When we arrived, they put us straight to work cleaning three of the classrooms. They didn’t have time to clean them since they only have 5 or 6 regular staff members, so we jumped at the opportunity to help in this area. Once we finished cleaning the rooms, it was close to lunch time so three other girls and I went to prepare lunch for the kids. However, we didn’t know we would be able to actually eat with the kids!

After lunch was ready we went into the cafeteria to wait for the kids. I sat at a table with some friends and we talked about our experience until the kids came. After a few minutes, the kids came running in with huge grins on their faces. You wouldn’t even know these kids lived rough lives at home by their expressions when they saw us. The three kids with us at our table were Kistin, Markiel, and Brendan. Kistin and I sat together and talked the most. She was the kindest, sassiest, funniest little girl. About half way into lunch she turned to me, took out one of her hair clips - a navy bow - and said with a smile, “You are awesome, take this and keep it!” I later heard her telling one of my friends about how that was a good bow, not a cheap one. Even a girl who had so little was so generous with what she did have. I still have that hair clip and always will.

After lunch we went outside for recess. This was my favorite part of the day. The kids had little bikes they would ride down the hill. Daniya asked if she could ride down the hill with me. So – keep in mind that I’m about 5’9” – I sat down on the tiny bike that didn’t even come up to my knee. Daniya climbed on my back and we rolled down the hill together at least 5 times. But it was totally worth the awkward discomfort of a tall girl on a short bike to see the smile on that girl’s face and hear her beautiful laugh. To most people, this may seem like a common thing. I mean, she’s a little girl; of course she’s going to smile and laugh all the time, right? That’s what I thought too until I saw her crying inside one of the tunnels on the playground. I figured she had fallen or something. I went in to try to calm her down and I asked what was wrong. She said, “I’m just having so much fun here with you and all your friends and I don’t want it to end because I know what’s going to happen when I go home.” I was brought to tears. Right then and there I knew why we were sent there – to love the unloved. I had noticed before how skinny and possibly malnourished she was, but I didn’t think too much of it until she said those words. “What’s going to happen?” I wondered. I could only fear the worst. I wanted to scoop up her little body right then and there and take her home with me. The people who seem happy all the time still have struggles and pain in their lives. The people who smile the brightest are usually the saddest; that’s why it is such a beautiful thing to see them laugh.

The kids showed us how to whip and “nae-nae,” play basketball, and ride a bike. They also made us “salads,” and some even gave us parting gifts. They impacted our lives so much and they don’t even know it. I can only hope we impacted them as well and they remember the 12 girls that love them and will always have them in their hearts and prayers. Even more, I hope they remember that God loves them with a never ending love.

Just imagine how all of those kids are treated at home: neglected, abused, starving. They are beautiful children who don’t deserve any of this. If it wasn’t for the wonderful ladies and volunteers that teach, cook, and clean to make the school possible, they would be in that environment all day, every day. Instead, they are taught the alphabet, counting, and shapes at school. Some kids came to the school not even knowing how to spell “cat” and now they can read and write sentences as kindergarteners!

It’s been awhile, but I contacted all the girls that went on the trip and asked them what they remember most about the kids…

“They were so lovin’ and sweet and I remember one saying, ‘Come at me, I’ll beat you at basketball!’ and another one saying, ‘I love God and the world.’”

“I thought it was cool how the school leaders said the kids have such hard lives but you wouldn’t know it by how they act and by their innocence. Their sweetness was so genuine.”

“The thing that stuck out the most to me was Daniya talking about her abusive life and everything going on in her life.”

“I mostly remember the fun times we had just playing with the kids and letting them forget everything that has happened in their lives for a little while. I remember them saying they didn’t want to go home and even one child whose parents sold all her stuff so they could pay their bills.”

“I remember playing with them at recess and eating lunch with them. That was a party! Then I remember my girl Armya saying they took her daddy and her other daddy and then they took her stuff like her fishing pole. That’s what I remember and seeing the beautiful innocent little face she had. It’s making me almost cry thinking about her; I don’t know what’s going on in her life but I’m praying for her.”

Sometimes we have to get out of the classroom to learn the most important lessons. My day with these kids helped me realize that poverty isn’t only a third-world problem. It’s right here with us. We think we have so little when we actually have so much. If an underprivileged kindergartener can be generous with a hair bow, how much more can I give to others? If they can be happy in such a hard place in life, then I can be happy in the circumstances my life has given me. Finally, it’s easy to love those around us in our normal life. Most people are scared or don’t think they can love people who are different or in not-so-easy lifestyles. It turns out it’s easy to love those in different places and conditions. All you have to do is love like God loves – by loving the unloved.

Invest: How much is too much?

A friend of mine started Discovering Beautiful, a ministry designed to encourage individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. As such, she stays up to date on what's going on in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse. I've often thought our ministries are similar; we both focus on helping people find freedom.

 

The state of Colorado recently legalized the use of marijuana. During a subsequent conversation, my friend told me about the extent of money invested by proponents of marijuana legalization. Those campaigning to legalize marijuana had invested over $12,000,000 at that time. Those who wish to keep marijuana illegal had invested $56,000 in the fight. Those supporting the legalization of marijuana invested 214x more money to make their case heard - and they won!

 

In other words...

 

 

Here was my take away from that conversation...

 

Are we ready to invest in the battle?

The above doesn't apply only to the fight against drugs. It applies in all areas - abortion, definition of marriage, human trafficking, pornography, education standards, etc. A secular worldview is fighting hard to gain victory in these areas; they are investing time, money, and resources to win their battle. Many in the American church don't even realize a battle is going on, let alone are they ready to fight.

 

Grow Barefoot focuses more on missions than the war on drugs. Lottie Moon was a missionary to China for forty years; her service ended only by her death in 1912. A friend gave me this quote from Lottie Moon a few weeks ago, "Why should we not ... instead of the paltry offerings we make, do something that will prove that we are really in earnest in claiming to be followers of Him who, though He was rich, for our sake became poor?" (Source)

 

Read her story and you'll soon realize that Lottie wasn't content until she was giving the full extent of what she had in service to God's kingdom. She taught others the Word of God, she encouraged the American church of her day to support more missionaries out on the field. She wrote letters and articles to plead the cause of mission work in China. She evangelized and discipled people. She gave all of her time, resources, and meager income until God called her home.

 

Lottie Moon realized a battle is going on; she committed her life to fight. She willingly invested all she had.

 

Some of us may go to places like China or other locations in the far reaches of our shrinking globe. God calls the rest of us to join the battle right here and now. He asks us to invest our time, money, and resources in the battle. The world won't change and lives won't transform until we do.

 

American church, I believe a time of testing may be on our horizon. God will say, "I've blessed you in abundance; now what are you going to do with it?" Did we build mega-churches or did we feed the hungry? Did we give the homeless a place to sleep or did we lock our doors? Did we reach out to the abandoned, the imprisoned, and the lonely or did we wait for them to come find us in our cushy pews?

 

 

Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 

For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat;

 

I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink;

 

I was a stranger and you took Me in;

 

I was naked and you clothed Me;

 

I was sick and you took care of Me;

 

I was in prison and you visited Me.  ...

 

I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me' (Matthew 25:34-36, 40).

Holy Anguish: Praying for those who hurt

Our last post shared about the flood crisis Jimmy flew into during his current trip to Africa. Much of that post came from Chica, the wife of the couple with whom he worked while in that particular village. The following is another section of the email I received from her regarding their current situation. 

Before the floods even hit, a flu-like sickness hit many of the people. As Jimmy said in a text message at one point, "People are dying all over the swamp." (The swamp is their nickname for the area.)

With that explanation, here is Chica's update...

Last week the local religious leaders said the amount of sickness in our town is due to people not following Mohammad's way correctly. The leaders announced that everyone was supposed to wash with hot water mixed with salt and neem leaves at 11:11. Then God would hear them, and he would heal them. Well, a lot of people did it. Neighbors checked on each other to see if they did. Then they decided they should have a sacrifice, too. Just maybe, God would be pleased and take away the rampant sickness. So, lots of sacrifices and blood was split.

Then this week it flooded.

I asked my neighbor, Ash, and she told me that the washing was silliness. That it is not commanded, but praying is commanded. So, everyone should just pray. I shared with her about why I don't spill blood. I shared that I agree we should only look at God’s Word and see what it says; follow that, and not listen to what others say.

She said, “Who would ever think that God needed salt?”

Today, it was just Ash and me on the mat. It was a sweet time for me with her. Please pray for her – and for my boldness. Pray for her as this is abnormal for her to go against what everyone is doing and say these things. Pray for me that God would increase my love for Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind so my words flow from my heart and not rehearsed. Pray that I have the courage to continue to be bold with her.

Also, please pray for me to have a holy anguish for all of the peoples here.

I realized I was in anguish – just nauseated – thinking of the villages cut off by the flood during this season. Malaria is coming; it always does. The way to the hospital – the way to the saving medicine – will either be very difficult or impossible. Many will die. It makes me so upset inside… then angry… and then really sad. I wish they just had the opportunity to get the medicine, if they chose to come in. Dumb flood!

And at the end of today, I realized I’m more upset about this crisis and thinking how can we fix this than I am about the same people cut off by the flood of sin. Sin is reality; it always is. The way to the ultimate saving grace – the way to healing that will save their lives and give glory to the Healer – will be very difficult. Many will die. And that should also make me so upset inside… then angry… and then really sad. I want them to have the opportunity to get to salvation by grace, if they choose to come to Him. Dumb, deceitful father of lies!

So I am praying that our Father will give me that holy anguish for them.

Floods in the Desert: Praying for a messed up world

I began my last article with a list of some of the concerns in our world right now. As I typed the list, I thought, “Jimmy doesn’t even know about much of this as he’s virtually separated from world news in such a remote location.”

Jimmy didn’t need access to world news, however, to know people are in danger and hurting. He flew into his own situation right there.

First, let me catch you up on his location. After finishing the current solar panel installation, he flew to the village where he led a previous solar install two years ago. The following is a description of what he found there – some written by me from a compilation of his text messages, most written by Chica (the wife of the family with whom he’s staying.)

Yikes, did it flood.

The rainy season had been off and on. However, the night before Jimmy flew here – literally hours before the plane took off from his solar project – the rainy season turned on. 

A flash flood came through; the pressure of the water blew four culverts out of the road. The road is made of hard red clay. A few sections have culverts made of concrete and large causeways built under them to allow water to flow north to south to the millet fields. The water was so much and so fast – plus engineering didn't take water pressure into account – that it washed away these causeways.

So now the area is completely flooded. The floods extend for miles and miles and miles; the causeways are huge drop off cliffs. They cannot fix the road until all the water covering it completely subsides and dries up. That won't be until after rainy season and some strong African sun. Rainy season ends in October; then, the roads have to dry up and work vehicles have to get here. It may easily be November before they begin to fix the roads.

The broken culverts happened right outside of town. The truck stop and outlying neighborhoods are under water. I keep thinking, “Don't drink this water! We don't need typhoid and cholera.”

But, I know others are thinking, “Free and convenient water.”

It's all perspective, I suppose.

We visited neighbors today. Everyone is talking about what the floods mean for our community –

• The flood wiped out fields that farmers planted only a couple of weeks ago. All that work, all that seed, and all that future harvest – gone.
• Food and fuel prices will be high and then higher as the harvest will not be brought in. Prices have already increased by 25% in one day.
• Our village is cut off from the road to the north, the country to the east, and the capital city. All of our goods come from those locations. We are literally an island right now.

Folks are scared. What does this mean? They don't know. Will there be enough food? Will the mills still run to grind the grain if the gasoline runs out for the generators? What about medicines for the hospital? People are thinking about the villages that weren’t flooded, but are cut off by the flood. Those people have no way to the market, no way to the hospital.

Some people are driving large market trucks to a certain point in the road; they then use dug out canoes to bring goods into our town. So some things are arriving. That is good. If they can keep essential supplies arriving, that is great.

Kap and Jimmy wanted to see if they could offer some aid. They went to the governor’s office but he had left on travels. His offices are chest deep in water. So, with no local leader, figuring out how to get to people who know what is happening is difficult to chaotic right now. The folks are worried about the river – which is on the other side of town – overflowing its banks.

So, the overall feeling right now is fear. And helplessness. So then more fear.

Please pray for us - that we can help with the immediate crisis and that we can bold in our faith. Pray that we can work past the fear and helplessness of being cut off from the surrounding communities as we try to reach a people who are cut off from the grace of our living Savior.

Moved by Compassion, I... did Nothing

During college, a group from our Baptist Student Union went on a mission trip to New York City. We prepared and delivered meals to AIDS sufferers, served in a homeless shelter, painted some rooms at a Baptist associational office, and many other things.

We stayed at a church in a section of New York known as Hell’s Kitchen. Although this region of the city is currently being refurbished, at that time even many New Yorkers avidly avoided the filthy, unsafe area. New York natives’ eyebrows rose when we answered questions about the locale of our accommodations. We watched as they mentally crossed off their classification as “tourist” and replaced it with “respected” as we willingly laid down our heads there each night.

A few evenings we arrived home a little late. We’d take the subway to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8^th Avenue and then walk the last couple of blocks home. The later we arrived each evening, the more people we saw lined up along the buildings; homeless persons curled up asleep, some sitting around talking. Occasionally we even had to step over a passed out or sleeping person in order to continue walking on the sidewalk.

I remember one such incident remarkably well. While walking to a project, we came to a woman curled up on the ground at the foot of one of Manhattan’s towers. This moment stands out in my mind as one of those times that molded me into who I am today. This woman was unique. And not in a good way.

This woman wasn’t in Hell’s Kitchen…she was in a more prominent area of the city.

Although she lay on the street, it wasn’t late in the evening…it was the middle of the day.

She didn’t have the worn, crumpled, dirty clothes of a homeless person…she lay there naked except for a box. She lay huddled inside the box which reached from her chest to part way down her legs.

I would have kept my straight-ahead-no-eye-contact New York gaze except, in her case, I wasn’t worried about making eye contact. Her eyes were shut as she lay there shaking. Shivering? Trembling? Convulsing? Overdosing? I’ll never know.

Regardless of why she lay there in such a condition, I was moved with compassion for her.

And I did nothing except walk on by.

Fast forward to now – this month.

Grow Barefoot focuses on a theme each month for all of our social media. Everyone focuses on love for the month of February, and indeed, that has been our focus during this month for the last two years. This year I wanted something else. Prayer led me to the word compassion. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter to see what we’ve been posting.

I looked up all the verses that use the word compassion and was quickly convicted by what I saw.

Jesus told stories about people who were moved with compassion. In each of those stories, when compassion overcame the person – they did something. In the parable of the unmerciful servant, the king’s compassion led him to forgive the servant’s debt (Matthew 18:22-35). In the story of the good Samaritan, the Samaritan man’s compassion caused him to treat the wounds of the injured man and take him to a place to receive care (Luke 10:25-37). In the story of the prodigal son, the father’s compassion made him run to his rebellious son and lavish him with gifts and affection (Luke 15:11-32).

But wait, there’s more.

Jesus didn’t only tell stories about people who acted when compassion overwhelmed them.

Jesus lived it.

Jesus saw a large crowd; He had compassion on them – so He healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).

Jesus had compassion on a crowd of thousands who hadn’t eaten in three days – so He fed them (Matthew 15:32).

Compassion moved Jesus when two blind men came to Him seeking their sight – so He gave them sight (Matthew 20:34).

A man with leprosy asked Jesus to make him clean. Compassion filled Jesus – so He cured the man (Mark 1:40-42).

Jesus saw people lost as sheep without a shepherd – so He taught them (Mark 6:34).

Jesus felt compassion for a man possessed by demons – so He cast them out (Mark 5:18-19).

Jesus experienced compassion at the sight of a widow grieving the death of her only son – so He comforted her. (Luke 7:12).

Jesus had compassion on so many people needing so many things – so He commanded us to pray for them (Matthew 9:36-38).

Jesus had compassion – so He did SOMETHING.

We may have the tenderest heart of anyone we know. We may weep for starving children, abused women, victims of sex trafficking, people without a home, broken marriages, and those caught up in the world’s deceptions. Compassion requires us to finish the sentence though; we have to add our own “so I…”

I have compassion for my neighbor whose husband just left her so I…

I have compassion for my child’s friend who doesn’t have any food in her home so I…

I have compassion for the people I pass in the street who have nowhere to go so I…

I have compassion for people in countries closed to the gospel message so I…

Our God is the Fire

Permit me to set the stage a little for today's post. I received an email a few days ago from a missionary friend in West Africa. He told the story of Komlan and his wife who recently accepted Christ as their Savior. Under the Spirit's leading and protection, they desired to burn the idols of their former beliefs.

Joseph's story reminded me of the stories of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and the disciples. I had studied these biblical stories the day before receiving the email. In each one, God appeared as a fire. Inspired by their story, I sensed God leading me to sculpt Joseph's letter into a poem - my first attempt at poetry in twenty years. I hope you are inspired by it...

Our God is the Fire
by Joseph Akakpo and Kathi Woodall

Praise the Lord, Amen!
It was done for God;
done for God's glory.

Brother Komlan stood,
stood before the Lord,
stood with gods in hand.

Komlan’s wife, she came
to know the New Lord,
Lord of her husband.

I am ready too;
ready to follow
Lord of my husband.

For this year I pray
freedom for our souls.
We suffer too much.

Suffer too much in
the hands of Satan
I… I want freedom.

Her declaration,
our praise to the Lord,
give Him the glory.

Our God can do more –
abundantly more –
more than what we think.

Brother Komlan brought,
brought his fetishes.
Gods dug from the ground.

He had many gods
for such a young man;
too much at that age.

Psalm one fifteen speaks,
Not to us, O LORD
Your Name be glory

Why do nations say,
Where, where is their God?
God is in heaven.

Idols made by men.
Eyes but cannot see;
Hands but cannot feel.

Pow’r in Jesus name,
put fire on these gods.
Gods became ashes.

Abram testifies
Near a flaming pot,
Our God is the Fire.

Moses testifies
Near a burning bush,
Our God is the Fire.

Elijah proclaims
Near to Baal’s altar,
Our God is the Fire.

Disciples proclaim
Under tongues of flame,
Our God is the Fire.

Cast your idols down.
Throw them in the fire.
Our God is the Fire.

My partner in pray’r,
My holy fam’ly
Of our one Great God,

Lord Jesus the Christ –
One consuming Fire –
Jehovah is God.

A Purpose to Live Free

The following is a portion of an article my husband wrote for our church blog regarding his current trip to Africa. In these paragraphs, he shares how he felt as months of planning, trusting, and waiting finally culminated in the touchdown of their small plane in an African village.

Our two hour and fifteen minute flight to the swamp passed quickly with great stories and conversation with Kap. As we approached the village, his words changed to focus on the town below. He then became silent; anticipation of seeing his family again became apparent. I too looked down; we were only 2500' off the ground. I saw the huts, the mud brick walls, and the people waving. We approached the air strip from the north and made a pass to land with the wind. We banked hard and made the approach. We could see Chica and their children; they were all waving. We landed soft and safe on the sand runway.

We. Were. Here.

Emotion overwhelmed me; I began to cry but I held it back. We had arrived. We had arrived at the place for which my friend had totally forsaken all the luxuries of the USA; the place for which he had forsaken all excuses not to serve.

We taxied to the drop off point. Chica and the kids were waiting.

I came with a purpose – a purpose of no excuses, a purpose to live free. Free from what the USA has taught me. Our country teaches us to take care of ourselves. Do not help others. Worry about what is yours and nothing else. We are a lost nation.

I was now in the village – where God wanted me to be at this moment in time. While still in the plane, I began to weep uncontrollably. The others were off but Kap and we wept together. We were in the village together.

I wrote an article this past weekend entitled God Shows Up. In it, I summarized some of Jimmy's emailed comments about his trip because they show that when we lay aside excuses and choose to follow Christ then we will see extraordinary things happen. In this article, Jimmy experienced one of those extraordinary things. He found himself in the right place at the right time and he defined his experience as a purpose to live free.

Freedom isn't the right to do whatever you want. It isn't unbridled behavior. Spiritual freedom is the strength to throw aside what the world tells you and be free to be who God created you to be!

Right now, Jimmy's job in the kingdom is to help a friend in Africa. My job is to stay home and take care of our home and family while I write about his trip. Last January, we reversed our roles when I was the one called to go and do in Haiti and God led him to stay home. For some, their job in the kingdom is to reach a lost friend in their workplace. Or, raise a godly family. Or, serve permanently in a desolate village in a third world country. What matters is that we each do what God designed us to do. Do you know what your job is? Are you doing it? It is your purpose to live free.

God Shows Up

As you may know, my husband is currently in Africa. He has been able to send a few reports; today, as I sat looking over them, I was struck with the consistency of God. I've been around many short term mission trips over the last 20+ years, either as a participant, an organizer, a supporter, or the wife of one of those jobs. Here is the consistency that struck me today -

The more a believer stretches out of their comfort zone...
The more they step out in faith...
The more they rely on God and less on their own ability...

The more God shows up and does His awesome thing.

• God doesn't provide money for trips that people won't commit to because they think it's too expensive.
• God doesn't soften the heart of custom's agents or airport personnel for trips that people won't commit to because it would be too hard to get the needed supplies to such a location.
• God doesn't perform logistical miracles for trips that people won't commit to because they don't really see the need or the purpose.

God does His amazing work when we step out in faith and trust, totally dependent on Him. The important thing isn't what we can do in our own power - what matters is how much we trust Him to do what He says He will do.

So... here is some of what's gone on with Jimmy getting to Africa. I know they have arrived safely and completed their first full day of work but I haven't received a report on any of that yet.

A Softened Heart

Each man traveled with an extra bag. The amount required for the extra baggage fee turned out to be 267% higher than the amount listed on the airline's website. Jimmy politely questioned the increased fee; rather than explain it, the airline attendant simply honored the lower fee thereby saving hundreds of dollars.

A Convenient Distraction

While boarding in Atlanta, the airline personnel informed Jimmy they would have to check one of his carry-on bags as it was too large. This distraction enabled the other men to pass by with larger bags. The late checking increased the odds of the bag not arriving at the final destination but Jimmy was OK with that. The situation reminded him that our stuff doesn't meet our needs; God is the One who meets all of our needs.

An Uncluttered Mind

Mission trips provide an opportunity to step away from the stress and hassle of everyday life. When the coming and going of busyness doesn’t clutter our mind, we see God in a new and fresh way. Therefore, I wasn't surprised to read that a sunrise declared God's glory over the Atlantic Ocean and the sand dunes of the Sahara proclaimed His power.

A Helpful Spirit

The custom's agents delayed the men when they arrived in country. Lots of questions ensued. Kap arrived to help sort out problems. The agents finally allowed them to pass through when they realized our group of men was there to help the people. The world will know us by our love; a helpful spirit penetrates more barriers than a sword ever could.

In the Bible, God performed epic miracles. God is still God today. If God isn't showing up in your life, maybe you need to step out in faith; relying a little less on yourself and a little more on Him.

God Might Send Me To Africa

Have you ever heard a Christian say something like, "I can't commit to be a missionary – God might send me to Africa!" Despite the spiritual and physical needs of billions of people on six out of seven continents, everyone worries they may be called to Africa.

(Why six continents? Antarctica's population is zero - I looked it up. A few thousand researchers live there though and they need Christ as well. So maybe I should have said all seven continents.)

Anyway, I'm thinking about African missions today because a member of the Grow Barefoot team leaves today for a short-term mission trip to the scorching sands of the northern half of Africa. He's not only a member of our ministry team, however. He also happens to be my husband, Jimmy. He is leading a team of men to install solar panels for some friends who serve there permanently. You might remember them – she guest blogged on here a few months ago. Her article was I Was on the Inside.

I have a few reasons to share this with you today.

First, this is one example of Grow Barefoot's current expansions. Up until now, Grow Barefoot has been a teaching ministry. We teach God's Word through writing and speaking opportunities. That isn't going to change but we're adding a new focus. Learning God's Word doesn't mean much if you don't put action to your knowledge. As Grow Barefoot expands, we will be providing more opportunities for people to add action to their faith. In the past we have helped to grow – now we will also equip to go.

Second, hopefully we will have many posts over the next couple of weeks as they report back on their trip. This will all be limited to the technology availability in their remote village but I hope to be able to share with you as much as possible. Be watching for these upcoming posts. Even better, subscribe to this blog to have posts automatically delivered to your inbox. The box to do so is at the top right of this screen.

Third and final, please pray for our friends, my husband and his team, and the people in the village where they are working. Satan fights a fierce battle but Jehovah Nissi conquers all.

Our Purpose...Is It Worth It?

What if your life was only a few weeks long? Could you impact the world in a few weeks? Would your life matter?

This picture has been my Facebook profile picture for the last six months. I am holding baby Amy while on a mission trip to Pignon, Haiti. I first wrote about visiting Amy in my article Cleaning Off the Dirt.

About the time I thought about updating my profile picture, I received word that Amy had passed away. Her situation was too severe and her living conditions too poor. Since that time, I haven't wanted to change my profile picture as it seemed I would be saying a final good-bye to Amy.

I looked at her picture this week and remembered the day we visited her. I realized Amy's life had purpose. She only lived a few weeks in a hut in rural Haiti; no worldy success, no platform, no awards, and no accolades.

BUT...

Amy needed the special things that a newborn requires - things like baby formula and preemie sized clothing. These needs led her uncle to walk the many miles to the orphanage run by my friends. His trips to the orphanage caused my friends to then visit him in his home. That visit led to the uncle accepting Christ as His Savior. Amy's presence on earth, although brief, was instrumental in another soul receiving eternal life. Many of us who've lived for decades can't make such a claim regarding our own selves.

What if...God created Amy for the sole reason of helping the uncle receive salvation? Is it enough? Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Don't count Amy among the unfortunate. She's no longer hungry and malnourished. She is no longer wet and irritated from no diaper. She is satisfied and content, wrapped in the arms of Jesus. She is blessed as one who lived her life as God called her to, even though she was never old enough to understand that during her short time here.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you" (Psalm 139:13-18).

I Was on the Inside

Today I get to share a guest blog by a friend of mine. I can’t share her name with you but I'll call her Chica. I can't even share where she calls home, other than it's in northern Africa. However, her heart for the Lord, her desire to grow spiritually, and her perspective on life make her one of my favorite people in the world. She sent the following to me via email; once I read it, I had to get her permission to share it with all of you. May you be as blessed by her experience as I was…

I needed to see a doctor, so I went to a new non-profit hospital. After the main road, we turned onto a hard dirt path that forked and weaved in-between sparsely situated homes and buildings. It seemed we were in the middle of nowhere, but then the low wall of the hospital appeared.

Behind the wall was the large sandy courtyard where a throng of people had waited since dawn in hopes the healer would see them. On the other side of the courtyard, another wall, much taller than the first, separated everyone from the entrance gate to the hospital.

After my appointment, where wisdom and skill shined way beyond the rudimentary resources available, I went to pay my fee. That's when a realization struck me – stopped me.

I was on the inside.

Just meters in front of me people filled the entrance gate, grabbing, smashing themselves up to it, clamoring to be seen. It was loud; it was desperate. A male nurse had a stack of papers; he was calling out names, “Mahmood? Mahmood?” When Mahmood squeezed his way through, another male nurse pulled out a set of keys, unlocked the gate, and allowed him a small opening through which to enter. Then the crowd swelled back in close again.

I felt myself stop all thoughts. Our days here have not been easy. It's hard living here. Too many interactions with others seem to involve deceitful motives.

But I saw it. Our Father is calling out to those from the utter ends of the earth. They will hear His voice and will come and be healed. Restored. Atoned for. The renown of His name will be throughout the earth.

I was able to close my eyes for a moment and ask, “Okay, show me. Show me who you are calling.”

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you. Thank you, Father, for showing me that you are our Hope.

“The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10: 3-4, 9).

Are you, like my friend and myself, “on the inside?” We're in; we’ve seen the Doctor who gives spiritual rather than physical healing. He restored us; He atoned for our sins.

Let's work together to see who else God is calling through the gate. Pray, as my friend did, for God to show you who He is calling. I then challenge you to reach out to the person He lays on your heart. Maybe you'll be the one to help them come in and see the Master Healer who gives new spiritual life!

“I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints” (Psalm 52:9).

Get the Work Done

Although I’m home from Haiti now, I'm still thinking about my trip. I’ve known Jennifer, or Mommy as she’s called at the orphanage, for years but this was my first time to visit her in Haiti. I’ve heard her stories and imagined her conditions for years, all the while trying to fathom how she is able to accomplish all that she does. In recent conversations and especially while observing her on the trip, I figured it out. In the answer are some lessons for us all.

Do What You Can, Let Go of the Rest

Although I’ve never examined a room she has painted, Jennifer says she's not at all good at the job. So, instead of going ahead and painting rooms when they need it, she has mission teams, like ours, do that job. She understands teaching is not one of her gifts but also knows their children need to be home-schooled rather than attend the local Haitian school. Therefore, she passed that job over to a volunteer intern. On the other hand, she is able to supervise the ins-and-outs of the orphanage in a way few could. Consistent with her gifting, that is how she focuses much of her time and energy. In short, she recognizes her abilities and inabilities; she focuses her time and energy on what she is able to do. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Accept Help, Offer Help

Other jobs fall into a slightly different category. Jennifer is quite able to prepare meals for the orphans and her family. However, she also recognizes it is too large of a task for one person to do by herself, especially in a country lacking prepackaged foods and take-out restaurants. That's why she has staff cook for the orphans each day and cook for the family two meals a day, five days per week. She knows how to do the laundry for all 37 orphans, plus her family, but knows it is too big of a job for one person. So, again, she has staff do the laundry for the orphans and either she or the staff does the laundry for the family. It's easy to become self-sufficient and even prideful that we can do everything ourselves. This isn't how God intends it to be, though. He desires for us to work together and help one another because life is hard in this corrupted world. Although this verse was written of Phoebe, a first-century helper in the church, I think it fits here as well. “I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.” (Romans 16:2)

Living free and pursuing holiness will be much easier for all of us if we let go of the things which God has not called us to do and only do the things to which He has called us. I guarantee you He won’t give you more to do than you can handle.

Clean Off the Dirt: Taking our filth into the glory of heaven

On Sunday of my time here in Haiti, a few of us visited the home of one of the families who come to the milk clinic at the orphanage. Amy is a newborn whose mother died in childbirth. Her aunt and grandfather have been walking eight miles to bring her to the milk clinic to receive clothing and infant formula. The precious baby weighs less than five pounds.

Due to the poor conditions of the roads it took us close to an hour to travel the eight miles by truck.  After asking around, we found Amy's hut and were glad to find her family home.  A brief exam found her in good condition, relatively speaking, and then I had the privilege of rocking her while the pastor who came with us visited with the grandfather and aunt.

My French is too poor to understand much of their Creole dialect so I'm afraid I can't retell the conversation that transpired between the two. After several minutes of conversation, though, Pastor turned to us and said, in English, that they wanted to accept Christ as their Savior. They bowed down to pray and I could make out enough of what was said to know they recognized the sin in their lives and accepted the gift of Jesus' death on the cross as the payment for their sin, thereby enabling their eternal life in heaven with Him.

As they prayed, I silently prayed for their newfound faith, spiritual protection, and growth. Here is where my story turns ugly, though. 

As I stood in the filth of their hut, holding a sweet infant who smelled of her own waste, I found myself praying, "Lord, what a blessing it would be for You to return soon and lift this family out of these desperate, dirty conditions." Here is my confession: At this point in my prayer, my thoughts shifted. In that squalor, my bizarre mind wondered if God will hose us all off as we leave earth and enter His heavenly presence. Please don't leave me nasty comments, I can't help it these weird thoughts pop into my mind.

As soon as the thought entered my head, the Spirit reminded me that in God's eyes, all of us are more dirty and filthy than the aunt and grandfather were in my eyes. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). In our sinful state, we are so nasty, so dirty, that Holy God has to turn His back to us. In His glory and perfection, we can't even be in His presence.

The wonder of it all is that God couldn't stand for us not to be in His presence. His sacrifice on the cross made the way for us to be made clean, and, in a way, He will hose us off when we stand before Him someday - it will just be a little more spiritual.

"'Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.' Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:7-8).