“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:3-4
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8
Two verses God has been continuously speaking to me as I pray for wisdom and guidance pertaining to my next step after Zimbabwe. At first, I didn’t think this was an answer. I kept saying to God, “Why am I not getting an answer?” And yet, He kept drawing me back to these verses.
Three years ago, when God called me to full-time missions, He never spoke a specific place that He wanted me to go. This confused me because almost all of the missionaries I knew where grounded in a specific place. After lots of tears and pleading with Him at the altar, He spoke very clearly to me one day when I was alone on a California beach. “Gina, the whole world is open to you. You can go wherever you choose.” At that point, I knew God wanted to show me and teach me many things, but in many different places.
Zimbabwe has been a HUGE learning experience for me and God has blessed me with a burden for the babies and the children here. My prayer when I started taking missions trips was for God to break my heart for the things that break His. My heart is broken everyday as I look at the situation most of the children are living in here. That is why I know God has called me, for such a time as this, to help with the opening of Jabulani. I still have 2 months. I still have work to do. I still have things to learn.
However, after my last 2 months are over and I come back to the states, my journey doesn’t end. Zimbabwe is not the end for me. My call from the Lord is to full-time missions and that call will not end. I don’t have all the answers right now and I’m not sure what my exact next step is, but I do know that God will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. Psalm 82:3-4 will always be His aim and purpose for my life. He is never late. He is always on time…in His time. It may be to come back to Zimbabwe for a time or to go somewhere else…or to travel and fill a need in a country then move on to another country and fill another need for a certain length of time. I don’t know, but I still need time to allow God to speak to me.
But, what I do know is that I want you to continue on this journey with me. Whatever God asks me to do next; I still need your help…whether in prayer, continued monthly financial support, a new one-time donation, or a new monthly commitment. I still need you. For however long you can commit to continuing on this journey with me.
To be honest, I was afraid to write you about continuing to help me because I don’t know exactly what my next step is, but I need to allow God time to speak to you. Whatever God speaks to you, please know how much I appreciate you and what you have already done for me…all the kind words and encouragement…all the financial support…all the gifts and all the prayers. I couldn’t do this without you. You are a blessing and a gift from God in my life.
I love you.
Excited to hear what God speaks to you,
Gina :)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A New Year!
Happy 2009 Family!
I trust your holidays were amazing. I heard from many of you and I really appreciate that. Christmas in Zimbabwe didn’t really feel like Christmas. They don’t make a big deal out of the holidays here like we do in America. No biggie. Like I told some of you, I think I would have had a harder time missing all of you if I did feel like it was Christmas. But, I am right were God wants me, so I had a great time. We didn’t do much. We had a really relaxing Christmas day and New Year’s day.
All of our Christmas parties went off without a hitch. Dombosava (on the left) and Madvuku (on the right..this is only a small portion of the kids) were a lot of fun. I have included a picture of each, so you can see the children. They even got me up to sing, in Shona (their native language), at Madvuku. I had a great time. Between the two parties, we r
eached about 200 children with love and the message of Jesus. It was so great to hear them singing and see them dancing for the Lord. There is nothing like seeing children love and worship the Lord. After all, Jesus did say that we will never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven if we don’t become like little children. For some of the children at Madvuku, this will have been their last Christmas. They won’t live to see another December…the sad reality of HIV/AIDS.
We started our work with Jabulani back up yesterday. The care staff are going to be great. We are diverse in age and background, but we are all coming together for a common goal…to love and care for children who have no family. Baby Kuda has been our “example” for the training thus far. This morning I trained the staff on how to properly prepare and administer a bath to a baby. Yesterday, we talked about what God says about work, learned a little bit about each other, and had a discussion on what we expect from each of the staff members. Because the care staff is staying at our house for the duration of the training this week, we shared a meal last night and as we cleaned up, we laughed together and joked around. I think we are going to make a very strong and happy team. Please pray for our care staff: myself, Christine, Shelter, Florence, and Concepter. Pray for God’s wisdom for each of us as we continue in the training and next week as we, hopefully, get to be in Jabulani! We are so excited to actually be in the building. Also, pray for the babies we will start accepting at the end of January. The team is already praying for the babies who aren’t even born yet that will come to us.
As we enter into 2009, realize that this is a new year filled with new hope, new endeavors, new gifts, and a fresh start. If there is something that God has asked you to do that you haven’t done yet, DO IT! You are in a new year, do what God has asked you to do. Make this New Year about changing your mindset. Don’t let all of your old junk hold you down anymore. Let 2008 stay in 2008. “The old has passed away, BEHOLD, the NEW has come!” If you feel like you have failed God, He wants you to know that FAILURE IS NOT FINAL with Him. He loves you and has amazing things for your life. Step out this New Year. Grab hold of your destiny. Stop holding back. If you do that, I promise you, you will be blessed.
I love you and I will see you soon.
Grabbing hold of my new gifts,
Gina :)
I trust your holidays were amazing. I heard from many of you and I really appreciate that. Christmas in Zimbabwe didn’t really feel like Christmas. They don’t make a big deal out of the holidays here like we do in America. No biggie. Like I told some of you, I think I would have had a harder time missing all of you if I did feel like it was Christmas. But, I am right were God wants me, so I had a great time. We didn’t do much. We had a really relaxing Christmas day and New Year’s day.
All of our Christmas parties went off without a hitch. Dombosava (on the left) and Madvuku (on the right..this is only a small portion of the kids) were a lot of fun. I have included a picture of each, so you can see the children. They even got me up to sing, in Shona (their native language), at Madvuku. I had a great time. Between the two parties, we r
eached about 200 children with love and the message of Jesus. It was so great to hear them singing and see them dancing for the Lord. There is nothing like seeing children love and worship the Lord. After all, Jesus did say that we will never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven if we don’t become like little children. For some of the children at Madvuku, this will have been their last Christmas. They won’t live to see another December…the sad reality of HIV/AIDS.We started our work with Jabulani back up yesterday. The care staff are going to be great. We are diverse in age and background, but we are all coming together for a common goal…to love and care for children who have no family. Baby Kuda has been our “example” for the training thus far. This morning I trained the staff on how to properly prepare and administer a bath to a baby. Yesterday, we talked about what God says about work, learned a little bit about each other, and had a discussion on what we expect from each of the staff members. Because the care staff is staying at our house for the duration of the training this week, we shared a meal last night and as we cleaned up, we laughed together and joked around. I think we are going to make a very strong and happy team. Please pray for our care staff: myself, Christine, Shelter, Florence, and Concepter. Pray for God’s wisdom for each of us as we continue in the training and next week as we, hopefully, get to be in Jabulani! We are so excited to actually be in the building. Also, pray for the babies we will start accepting at the end of January. The team is already praying for the babies who aren’t even born yet that will come to us.
As we enter into 2009, realize that this is a new year filled with new hope, new endeavors, new gifts, and a fresh start. If there is something that God has asked you to do that you haven’t done yet, DO IT! You are in a new year, do what God has asked you to do. Make this New Year about changing your mindset. Don’t let all of your old junk hold you down anymore. Let 2008 stay in 2008. “The old has passed away, BEHOLD, the NEW has come!” If you feel like you have failed God, He wants you to know that FAILURE IS NOT FINAL with Him. He loves you and has amazing things for your life. Step out this New Year. Grab hold of your destiny. Stop holding back. If you do that, I promise you, you will be blessed.
I love you and I will see you soon.
Grabbing hold of my new gifts,
Gina :)
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