Well after our long 25 hour journey including a car ride, 2 plane rides and squeezed in there a tram and bus ride as well as multiple escalators and elevators (all of which Josef found truly trilling) ...we have arrived at our destination - Kenya! It was a pretty smooth journey, but that doesn't mean it was always easy or fun. Very little sleep, angry looks from the lady sitting in front of Josef, uncomfortable quarters and a bumpy first flight were a few reasons why the kids were dreaming of an invention where we could push a button and just arrive at our destination (aka a time machine:)). Sounded great, but it got me thinking about how all of our destinations require a journey. Some of those journeys are longer or harder or require more; however, if we aren't willing to take those journeys we forfeit the possibility of certain destinations. Life is full of journeys to destinations and at the same time is one big journey to one final destination.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:5,8Goes right along with a hymn I read today "All of the wold is God's own field, fruit unto His praise to yield." Pray that our journeys on this trip (and your journeys at home) would be for the glory of God as we are His field, fruit until His praise to yield.
Update (I wrote the other part last night) - we just found out that the car Jeremy was going to drive has a gas leak - praise God that we found that out before we left we it - but now we are waiting for another van/driver to take us to Kapsowar. The negative to this is that Jeremy and Pam won't have easy access between Kapsowar and the Iten running camps - pray for an alternative solution.
Love to all - Christine
happy to see you all have made the long journey!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you
ReplyDeleteThankful you all made it safely.
ReplyDeleteGrandma and i are sending Happy Anniversary greetings. So good to know you've arrived safely.
ReplyDeleteSo thankful you made your destination safely. Sorry you have vehicle problems. Praying that will be able to be repaired or find other transportation. Our love to you all. Hope you can get some rest. You all look weary.
ReplyDeleteGlad you arrived safe..Happy Anniversary to a very special couple!
ReplyDeleteLove To you all!
Glad you arrived safe..Happy Anniversary to a very special couple!
ReplyDeleteLove To you all!
Praying for you, and your family, and this wonderful trip/mission! Thank you for sharing your blog with me!
ReplyDelete"Grafted"...we just spent a week meditating on John 15:1-8. "I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. REMAIN IN ME, AS I REMAIN IN YOU. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must REMAIN in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you REMAIN in me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you REMAIN in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not REMAIN in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers, such branches are picked up thrown into the fire and burned. If you REMAIN in me and my words REMAIN in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
ReplyDeleteRomans 11:16-24 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy then the whole batch is holy, if the root is holy (Christ), so are the branches (believers grafted in). If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God. Sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for GOD IS ABLE to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree!
God chose and made one people, the Jews, from all of the pagans of Babel to DISCIPLE them and make them a demonstration of what a people following Him in faith should look like. Through Jesus we have been torn away from the broken tree and GRAFTED into the tree of God's people. God is the trunk/root, Jesus the vine whose nourishing sap transforms us. We are unified now as His people as on tree with diverse branches but one trunk with one root system. This is redemption to be grafted in.
Praying you remain in Him and He in you. Praying you make disciples, not just believers. Praying you continue to respond to our confession of belief and baptism with the willingness to follow Jesus...on whatever journey He sends you. Praying for all the branches you find, see, interact with in Africa. Praying those grafted in remain strong in Him, nourished by His life giving sap, and those dead are slowly but surely grafted back in....transformed and given new life. Praying for all nations, all tribes, all people, all languages being grafted into the ONE TRUE VINE. Praying Revelation 7:9-10 and Revelation 22:1-5....my heart yearns for this fulfillment of prophecy. Until then, I pray we remain in Him.
Much love, Lisa
So happy to see your pictures! Hope you are rested by this time of the week. Praying for all of you. Tell Josef Cindy loves him!
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