I Am With You

“…I am with you always…” That is what Jesus promised His disciples after He was resurrected and came to them on the mountain in Galilee. That promise wasn’t just for His 11 disciples. It is now for all of His disciples…for me. “Gina, I am with you always.” I heard God whisper it to me the other night as I was unpacking my things in my new room at headquarters. I heard Him whisper it to me as I started to wonder how hard it will be to be on my own in a foreign land. He said it to me as I was hanging up the pictures of my families and my close friends thinking if there would come a time when I would feel lonely.

In some ways, Zimbabwe is a lot like California. It is very hot right now. Sometimes in the 90’s during the day, but it is chilly at night. When I am by myself in the office and everything is quiet, I open the doors and listen to the wind blow through the trees. At night, when we are finished eating dinner, we hang out in the living room and I set up my laptop so we can watch a movie. I go to bed and listen to my ipod to fall asleep. However, when I wake up in the mornings I am faced with things that make Zimbabwe very different from California. I wonder, ‘do we have electricity?’ I get up extra early and stand in front of my shower and pray, ‘God, let there be water for me this morning.’ I head into the town office hoping that the internet will be working so I can get through to my email and maybe even talk with my family on Skype. I am faced with it when we are walking on the streets, because of the puzzled looks and blank stares that follow me. I try and hang back when we are visiting grocery stands because the vendors jack up the prices when they see a white face. They are under the false impression that all white people are rich.

Pastor Alan exchanged $10US and gave me $200,000 Zim dollars in return. Lots of shops now aren’t even accepting local currency anymore, only US currency or South African currency. It’s unthinkable that a country won’t even accept its own currency because it is so worthless. Take a minute and think if this were to happen in America…..seriously, think about it…..you wouldn’t be able to buy in US dollars anymore. You would have to use Euros, or Pounds, or Zim dollars. Can you picture it?

So what makes it worth it? Because sometimes it is frustrating…and sad…and a pain in the neck. What makes it worth it? Well, getting a smile from a child. Hearing a group of children singing about how Jesus’ way is number 1 or about how God is so good to them. Watching a child stand up in front of their whole school and pray or listening to them pray the prayer of salvation. Seeing them jump up and down and scream with excitement when our team walks into one of their auditoriums to do an assembly. That makes all the frustrating, sad, and pain in the neck moments worth it. I wish you could hear and see it too.

“…I am with you always…” I am hearing it every day now. Jesus must not want me to forget it. I am in this world, but I am not of this world. I am here to do God’s work and fulfill the call He has given me. My fight is not against flesh and blood. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I will be still and know that He is God. I will rejoice in the Lord always….again I say, rejoice!! If a child who barely has anything can do it, I, who have had every opportunity, can do it as well!!

He is with me always,
Gina :)