Trust

Sunday, Sept. 11

The breeze blew freely through the church with only a roof and foundation.  The open sides allow people to enter easily to fill 2,000 white plastic chairs. Songs of worship welcome us long before we enter the property, and once again we are enveloped in the beautiful voices of Life Center; it’s as though we were just here.  Worship music goes on for about two hours, but it seems like minutes.  Whether in Kirundi or English, you sense the spirit moving in the words, and we come together as one. 

Pastor Marc shared a challenging, timely message, about the focus of our meditation, the basis of our faith, especially during trials. Trust; faith; what is the foundation of our faith?  On what are we meditating? “As a man thinks, so he is” is a challenging thought, especially when facing trials.  He took us to I Samuel and the situation with Saul and David, Saul’s attempts on David’s life and David’s refusal to retaliate.  What did David fill his mind with that allowed him to resist striking back?  Such a timely message, for everyone faces trials of some nature.  Trusting God in all things – because David knew God, His character, he trusted Him completely.  May we be more like David!

We spent the afternoon by Lake Tanganyika, refreshed by the breeze and constant sound of the waves.  We have noticed much fewer people out and about since we’ve been here.  Fewer cars, people walking….gasoline can be hard to come by and people just don’t move about as they once did, not to mention the 250,000+ people who have left these past months.  Another reason to be encouraged to see the church full today.  Watching waves has always seemed peaceful, and today it put us at rest, reminding us of Psalm 42, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the ^[d]sea.”  The mountains still surround the lake; the waves crash into the sandy beach, and we are thankful of the reminder that He is in control.

Taking time to breathe is life giving, and it was good to have this time with Peace and Phoebe to discuss, dream and map out all that we pray to accomplish in the upcoming week.  There is so much to pray about and pursue; please pray with us for wisdom and the ability to hear clearly His voice and direction.  As we meet with everyone at Homecare, we pray to be able to truly listen, encourage, and share hearts.  We had an overwhelming time of celebration yesterday!  We know that will continue, but we will also be hearing of the pain of the past months; may God bring comfort and healing through our times of sharing together.  How we thank God for allowing us to be here; it is truly a gift!