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June 25th, 2012
Snapshots from Day 2 in Bulawayo
We spent time today with people from many different walks of life…a pastor, mothers, a grandmother, orphaned children, businessmen, young adults, and students. But the resounding themes of the day were making God the center of your life and following his calling.
I heard this in the message of a mother raising three children, two of whom are her natural children and one her nephew, the son of her deceased sister.
When we asked her how we could pray for her family she replied to have a good life, for God to guide them and for God to help her raise her children well. She believed that she could raise her children well with the help of God.
I heard this in the words of a grandmother raising her four grandchildren on her own. Although weary and struggling, she praised God that she had the chance to watch her grandchildren grow and raise them. She embraced the calling God had given her.
I heard this from a pastor who described past years of significant hardship in this country. While many fled for other countries to escape the food shortages he described how he and his wife resolved that even if their entire church left they would be the last ones to go…the last ones to close the church doors. When I asked him what made him stay, he answered simply…because we were called to minister to these people in our community whatever the conditions.
I heard this from students and young adults who arrived today after driving many hours from South Africa in order to minister to the youth in and around Zimbabwe. They are here following a call of God in their lives to ignite the hearts of the youth in this country to follow after God.
Finally I heard this message from a Zimbabwean businessman and his wife whose attitudes and actions were transformed by making God the center of their lives. Along with others in their church they are responding to the call of God to take the love of Christ both to people in their local communities and in rural communities throughout the region.
All of these encounters today were reminders to me that whatever the circumstance, God needs to be the center of our lives. When he is, we are positioned to respond to his calling, no matter the cost. When we do, we both have the privilege of being part of God’s transforming work on this earth as well as drawing nearer to the heart of God.
Blessings from Bulawayo,
Kathy Goss
Volunteer Kids Serving Kids Coordinator
Tags: #FVAfrica, calling, community, death, grandparents, love, orphans, zimbabwe
Filed under: General Blog, Travel Blog
Kathy,
Thanks for sharing from your heart to encourage mine.
Praying daily for all of you.
Be blessed and be the blessing.
~Julie VE.
Kathy,
Continue to pray for you. What a day meeting God in so many different situations! God bless you. Your mom is okay–sounded good this morn. Love, Aunt Carol