Resting in the Lord

This post is republished from a newsletter on Jaime's Blog. To see the original newsletter visit her blog Redhead In Africa.

The Lord is so good to just convict and show us our need for Him, each moment of each day. As I serve and continue to look to Him for strength each day to do His ministry, He is faithful to provide what is needed for the day. It is easy as humans to look at the now and lose sight of the eternal, but this last few weeks the Lord has brought me back to the core of ministry.

It is not about what I do or how I serve, it is about the Reason, the Lord in my life. He is my sufficiency for each minute of each day, for each teaching, each ministry, and I want to use each opportunity here on earth to give Him glory. This life is so short, it is a vapor and how we use the time today and the heart in which we do things is what matters. 

The joy is it is not about my strength, my abilities, or my failures, it is all about Christ and I can rest in the fact that He will accomplish the work He has purposed in my life! I just need to be faithful to look to Him and follow where He leads.

The Lord had really been doing a work in the hearts of the women at bible study, and this last month it was a blessing to be able to have a two-day retreat with thirty ladies. Vicky Bentley came to teach on redeeming each moment of time here on earth for the Lord. This was such a sweet time to get away from the busyness of life and fellowship as sisters in Christ.

One of the great moments was during the evening we had a time of afterglow and worship where the women wrote their prayers, or burdens on paper and put them in a jar. We then took the jar out and burned it in a campfire; the jar that was once full of papers was empty. It was a great picture of how when we give up all the things that burdens us to the Lord and empty ourselves, we become vessels ready to be filled and used for Him.

After several women have come and given testimonies of how the Lord has worked in their lives since the retreat. It is such a refreshing time to be able to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear from Him and lay all our cares at His feet. Now after such a sweet time at the retreat it is time to use every bit of time for His kingdom and eternal worth. Please continue to pray for the women who came that the Lord would use them and grow them for His glory. For more testimonies from the women go to redheadinafrica.org

God’s Love Displayed!

This post is republished from a newsletter on Jaime's Blog. To see the original newsletter visit her blog Redhead In Africa.

This month we had the joy of serving with Calvary Chapel Santee. As Christians it is not just about serving or simply doing ministries that matter. It is doing ALL things with a LOVE that is of God. When our hearts are in the right place and we seek to give God glory than anything we do is important. 

With the team we were able to do a medical clinic and health education at a local Masaii village, have a three day VBS, and minister to the church body at CC Nairobi. It was a special blessing to be able have a member of the team share with the women in the Kibera study and in the Rabuna Fi group at church. It was a busy time as they served and shared the Gospel, but it was such a blessing to have the team here. They have a love for the things of the Lord and that gave them a greater love for those God had put around them. It was their love and joy to serve that made an impact in Nairobi even after they left and returned to the USA. The mission field is not just a foreign country but it is in front of us daily. What impact are we leaving in the lives of those who are around us?

The amazing thing about a child is that no matter the circumstance they are in or the hardships they face, they seem to have the ability to just smile. They have that pure joy that as they play a game or see a friend they do not see their tattered clothes or lack of food. 

As Christians we are given a responsibility and a call to look after the orphans and the widows, and to love on them and care for them. This may not mean that we adopt a child,but we should be involved in their lives in any way that we can serve or help those who are alone here. The Lord is the father to the fatherless and protects the widows. He sees them as important when many people might forget them.

It was such a blessing to go and serve with the CC Santee team as they did a three day VBS for the Dream Children’s home and school. The children there are not all orphans but each child did need to see the love of God displayed to them. Even for those who might have a family these children still face many hardships and difficulties, but for those three days they were blessed.

The children were able to hear about the love of Christ and experience that love through games, prayer, teachings, snacks, and time with new American friends. We may not be able to find every child a new home or family, but we can be God’s vessels of love to those around us especially to the orphans. In that way they are never alone for Christ is with them always.

Prayer Requests

Pray for Jamie that the Lord would continue to guide her and give her wisdom and His grace to fulfill the calling He has put on her life and to walk according to His will as she serves in the ministries that are before her.

Pray for the continued protection of the team serving in Nairobi, that as they trust in the Lord He would be their shield.

Pray for the Rabuna Fi Women’s retreat, it will take place at the end of August. Pray that the Lord would draw each woman closer to Him and that this sweet time of fellowship would last all year.

Pray for Jamie as she counsels and teaches the Word to some women whose hearts have bitterness toward other tribes, that God’s peace would reign.

Pray for the Calvary Chapel East Africa Conference in Oct, as Jamie and the Nairobi team prepare to host the event.