I am thankful that God is in control and loves us more than we could love each other. Honestly, if I didn't have that knowledge, I would be constantly in a state every time I didn't hear from one of two we're discipling. Funny how when you walk with someone so closely through all their ups and downs, help them get up and go on and cheer with them when they take steps of victory, they get into your heart somehow. And the first time you don't hear from them, especially since they've just come off the streets, your heart hits the floor and you start to pray like crazy for God's protection over them and everything else. That's when you know they're not just people you're teaching the Word to. That's when you know they've become people you care and love so much that you're willing to hit the streets to look for them should they not return home. That's when you know you would do anything to help them get back up and keep fighting, even fend off a bear. That's when you know they've gotten into your heart.
I remember the first time JP left home after he had gotten off the streets. Luchin and I went to look for him and Luchin even disguised himself should JP try to run and hide from us. I remember once when we saw him on the streets at night and we followed him and how my heart just took a nosedive to the ground wondering if he had returned to old habits. Through it all, we've prayed hard for him, kept telling him how proud we are of him, reminded him of and highlighted every tiny accomplishment in the face of great temptations and a few stumbles, told him we love him and we never think badly of him, and generally been a thorn at his side. And through it all, I would have been a complete basket case had not my so amazing God kept reminding me that He loves JP more than Luchin and I ever could. That has sustained us and helped us release him into the Lord. We pray constantly for him knowing that God will work all things out for good for JP as he asks the Lord every day to help him overcome. We are seeing how this young man is starting to think in a different way. Starting to learn responsibility, integrity and patience. We are seeing how he really wants to change his life around and struggles against temptation. We see how he perseveres and fights against his emotions to do what is right. We are very proud of him. But we know that even as we are proud of him, his heavenly Father is prouder still.
EM is also making us so proud of her. She has struggled with erroneous thoughts and beliefs, but with the Word of God, she is learning to overcome. I wasn't able to contact her at all all last week and wondered what had happened. She has a new job that she had said yes to when she saw it as an opportunity to get off the streets and I knew we couldn't meet as often as we had before but not hearing from her scared me. But she called and we got to meet and listening to her just made me want to cry. She said she almost quit her new job twice because it called for regular hours and it was kinda boring as she works as a domestic help. But then she talked to her sister who encouraged her to stay and she got a hold of the Word because she knew that she had to overcome her feelings as this job is a blessing from God and she needed His reassurance and strength to stay. I was so proud of her when she said that. It showed that she was now not just acting by impulse and emotions. She is also learning new things as her employer teaches her and instead of saying, "I can't", she keeps declaring Phillipians 4:13 over and over while she learns. At the end of our meeting, she told me her hours and how much she earns which are excellent. Aside from that, her employer is going to add her on a medical insurance plan. No one does that for domestic help here! God is so blessing EM's socks off!
God is so good and faithful. I have also started to go to the Women's Prison to minister to a small group of foreign women and it is a joy to be with them as they are truly a fun group. It is a huge blessing for me to be able to minister the Word in English after such a long while.
We appreciate your prayers more than you know. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May the Lord guard and keep you, may He shine His face upon you.
I remember the first time JP left home after he had gotten off the streets. Luchin and I went to look for him and Luchin even disguised himself should JP try to run and hide from us. I remember once when we saw him on the streets at night and we followed him and how my heart just took a nosedive to the ground wondering if he had returned to old habits. Through it all, we've prayed hard for him, kept telling him how proud we are of him, reminded him of and highlighted every tiny accomplishment in the face of great temptations and a few stumbles, told him we love him and we never think badly of him, and generally been a thorn at his side. And through it all, I would have been a complete basket case had not my so amazing God kept reminding me that He loves JP more than Luchin and I ever could. That has sustained us and helped us release him into the Lord. We pray constantly for him knowing that God will work all things out for good for JP as he asks the Lord every day to help him overcome. We are seeing how this young man is starting to think in a different way. Starting to learn responsibility, integrity and patience. We are seeing how he really wants to change his life around and struggles against temptation. We see how he perseveres and fights against his emotions to do what is right. We are very proud of him. But we know that even as we are proud of him, his heavenly Father is prouder still.
EM is also making us so proud of her. She has struggled with erroneous thoughts and beliefs, but with the Word of God, she is learning to overcome. I wasn't able to contact her at all all last week and wondered what had happened. She has a new job that she had said yes to when she saw it as an opportunity to get off the streets and I knew we couldn't meet as often as we had before but not hearing from her scared me. But she called and we got to meet and listening to her just made me want to cry. She said she almost quit her new job twice because it called for regular hours and it was kinda boring as she works as a domestic help. But then she talked to her sister who encouraged her to stay and she got a hold of the Word because she knew that she had to overcome her feelings as this job is a blessing from God and she needed His reassurance and strength to stay. I was so proud of her when she said that. It showed that she was now not just acting by impulse and emotions. She is also learning new things as her employer teaches her and instead of saying, "I can't", she keeps declaring Phillipians 4:13 over and over while she learns. At the end of our meeting, she told me her hours and how much she earns which are excellent. Aside from that, her employer is going to add her on a medical insurance plan. No one does that for domestic help here! God is so blessing EM's socks off!
God is so good and faithful. I have also started to go to the Women's Prison to minister to a small group of foreign women and it is a joy to be with them as they are truly a fun group. It is a huge blessing for me to be able to minister the Word in English after such a long while.
We appreciate your prayers more than you know. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May the Lord guard and keep you, may He shine His face upon you.
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