In the wild

Our next stop...
The deep wild.

Off to Kruger National Park.

How did I get here?

I kept saying to myself...
"I am in Africa!"
I was giddy.
I still am.

Our team was alive with hope and expectation.
The winds of The wild were blowing...

Creating sparks and electricity in our hearts.

Experience God's presence...
It was what we craved...
In the park.
His wildness reigning on high...

Naturally occurring.
Not man made.
Not contained by gates and walls.

We desired all His wildness.
We asked to see it all.

Sightings came early.
Bus stopping often.
As we were filled with awe...
Animals I had never heard of...
Dwelling next to things my eyes had never seen.

He is so big.

The glory of His creations and works...

Who can fathom?

His majesty...

His mark on humanity...

The way He embellishes His earth...

It's a mystery to me.

Yet...

He invites...

"Come nearer still..."

"Taste..."

"Drink Deeper..."

"For you have wild beauty of your own."

Removing me from "the river of sand."

No matter my present darkness...

He issues "a ride of my life" invite.

With the love of brothers at my side.

Allowing seeing eyes to see me...

So that I might capture a bigger picture of who He is.

Presence often camouflaged...

But His bigness ALWAYS 100% there.

As I continue to grow...

I pray my perspective does as well.

That my vantage point will increase.

So... whether I rise...

Or rest...

I always see without strain...

More of Him...

Always present...

In the wild.

Holy encounters

With darkness and the windstorm behind us...

We returned to our first African love.

The light of Guewla.

Again we walked through those doors of change.

And changed we were...

All of us.

Teaching us...

Ones from the land of "prosperity..."

Revealing what it looks like to "give the Lord your best."

In worship.

In praise.

In sacrifice.

In poverty.

In love.

Seeing The Word in action as I have never seen before...

It tapped into the rocks of my soul...

Waterfalls of life burst forth within.

From the Papa of the church on down...

We were truly treated as sons and daughter of The King.

What joy...

As two worlds collided.

How great The Father's love for us!

What power...

As honor was exchanged among brother-strangers.

So many doors of life...

Everyday...

Open for us to walk through...

For many reasons we refuse.

Thankful for our Good Papa.

He continues to open until we are ready.

He is such a lover.

And as we are consumed with His relentless affection...

We burn.

The faces of my new brothers and sisters are planted deep in my heart.

Their hands have helped fill holes from past devastations...

Only God could knit this quickly.

He is the God of...

Tapestry...

Story...

And Masterpieces.

So thankful He is the author.

So thankful He entrusts me to co-write...

Love...

Back into my story...

And... into the story of other royals...

He is so very good...

All the time.

His light flaming forth...

It will NOT be shut out.

Teaching this little girl...

As "good-byes" are said to those we dearly love...

He is busy creating space for more...

Holy encounters.

All Hail... The Ashes to Beauty God...

He keeps on doing great things!

undone

Many, Many, Many....

Of our hours in Africa were spent here...

On this very bus.

Most often in 8+ hour increments.

Learning mind over matter... a must...

Especially when forced to eat your knees a day at a time.

The culture in Africa breaks all US norms....

In vehicles...

In life...

The more the merrier.

Personal space simply DOES NOT exist.

In the cramping... 

We were all stretched.

As we approached our first stopping point...

We were pleasantly surprised by our accommodations.

We were quite aware that we hadn't yet "arrived" on our mission.

Still we enjoyed a mosquito-free zone and a nice bed to sleep in.

As we motioned our bus and our hearts into the bush...

We were met with a Wizard Of Oz-type opposition.

A dangerous windstorm like I have never seen threatened our purpose and safety.

The enemy was making it clear to all that he HATED what was about to happen.

Thankful for safety in the treacherous travel...

We walked on in faith.

What we encountered as we entered Giyani undid my heart.

In a very small...

VERY POOR...

Village by the name of Guewla...

Our Papa took those he dearly loves...

And taught us what it looked like to come out from our hiding.

To be naked in the receiving.

And... Oh how we were fed.

Never have I ever felt more like royalty...

Than in the dark, windy hour I walked through the church of "the buffalo."

For the first time.  I saw honor lived out of EXTREME poverty.

It wasn't shameful.  

It wasn't false.

It wasn't premeditated.

It was simply Christ's heart with flesh wrapped around.

In this moment I knew....

Though my heart came to heal...

God in His extreme abundance...

Was inviting us to heal each other.

I accepted the invitation.

I watched and wept as I experienced...

The Master Welder...

Do what He alone can do...

Break ALL barriers...

Open ALL doors...

Cross ALL boundaries...

Remove... ALL obstacles...

So that a group of little old Americans could enter into that which is most sacred to Him...

TRUE WORSHIP.

His children becoming one.

Undone...

It's the only word that can describe what this encounter did to my heart.

That... and of course...

Thankful.

Sabbath

Sabbath...
A day to drink from His cup that replenishes...
Leaning and loving on those in our life circle.
Gulping deep...
Empty bellies filled full.

Grinning...

As we enjoy each and every drop.

In the feeding...

Hunger increases.

Desire for more takes over...

Until we surrender fully...

To the only drink that truly satisfies.

May your cup be filled to the overflow...

Stirring greater alive and hunger within...

Leading you to return the empty...

To The One guaranteeing the deposit.

Asking The King to refill...

With "the real thing."

Today and everyday.

Oh... that I would be faithful...

To enjoy Sabbath refreshment in such a way...

Others thirst to sip the sweet as well.

Sabbath Blessings,

The Hopefuls.

the beginning

I hardly know where to start.
After two weeks in Africa...
I have returned to Ridgegate.
It's hard to believe my time in "the bush" has come and gone.
Like a flash of light that illuminated hidden spaces...
Only to vanish.
Combustion of my soul has occurred.
And... just as Mary did with her son-King...
I will treasure and store up those moments in my heart...
FOREVER.

So I ask...
"Papa...
Where do I start?"
He whispers...
"How about the beginning?"

This story will be ongoing...
I will do my best to retrace the sacred steps.

17 days ago...

Myself... along with my 15 siblings...

Embarked on a life changing adventure with The Spirit.

I stand amazed that our Good Papa would allow me to be a part of this team of hungrys.

To say that I love these people would be the understatement of a lifetime.

God did what only He could do.

He broke all rules and formulas regarding group dynamics and relationships "how to's."

He weaved and worked on Heaven's timetable...

A supernatural uniting of hearts and minds.

My first glimpse of The Motherland...

It was love at first sight.

Though decay was rampant...

My heart saw only story...

Lots and lots of story.

My heart called out...

"Papa, the devastation is so big...

It feels impossible...

But... You see and you know...

Each face...

Every heart...

No story forgotten...

You hold each in your hand."

On this African soil...

I walked...

It tilled in...

Rich, altering agents into my story.

Amending structures...

Organically changing the very nature of who I am...

How I see.

A coaster of love bringing a rush-ride that only our God could wind up.

He has taken the wild deeper still...

Releasing me...

Out onto the streets and land He deeply loves...

A place filled with eyes...

Expanding my vision.

Much like this post...

The awakening that has occurred in me...

Is only the beginning.

More...

It's surely coming...

Psalm 145:3

"There are NO BOUNDARIES to HIS greatness."