Ups and Downs

Originally posted on 2/19/09

It was a really rough week last week. I didn't write about it directly because I was and still am processing everything that took place. It started off on Tuesday with a really long day of ministry that when finished, I felt completely useless. Virginia's has only had about 3 kids there for the past few weeks. So being there has been a struggle to find out where I can be used. After thinking and praying about it we are no longer going to be helping there. Instead I will be doing house visits both days . That made Tuesday really long and hard and it was only the beginning. I then went to Ithemba and had a very stressful and challenging day emotionally. I left feeling drained and like the day had been wasted. Wednesday was another stressful day because it was rainy so we couldn't play outside or do anything outside with the kids. Having been inside all day long, they were even crazier! We were supposed to have the usual day with them but the tables and bookshelves from the rooms were being painted so we didn't have anywhere to really do class. Then add in some stress from living in community and having to cook all week and I had very little left in me. I hadn't gotten much sleep and was really just fighting to finish the week. Thursday rolled around and I had to pray for God's strength to face the day, already feeling discouraged from the week. The day got off to a rough start with differences among our small ministry teams and we ended up switching house visit teams for the day. I went with Alexis and Ellen to visit their friend and we sat and talked with her, her sister and her boyfriend for awhile. I left feeling a little better about the day. So, we walked to the beach for our hour break between ministries to meet up with the rest of the girls for lunch. However, on the way there my day got much worse. As we were walking down the main road through the township, we passed over a small side street as a truck was turning so we had to stop. Right after the truck passed I got this really weird feeling and then two guys approached us. The one had his hand on my shoulder, I guess holding my bag. He was speaking to me in Xhosa but I had no idea what was going on. He then opened a switch blade on my arm and the other guy yelled for me to hurry if I didn't want to get hurt. That's when I realized what was going on. I looked down at the knife as he was helping take my bag off my shoulder. He then went towards Ellen and got her book bag and ran off into a field. It all happened so fast that I was completely shocked and taken back. I don't remember many details or even what the guys looked like or anything else said. It was the scariest yet weirdest thing I've ever experienced. We all three just got away from the situation really quickly. Our leader picked us up and we talked about what happened. I didn't go to Ithemba because I was emotionally spent and way too shaken up to do anything. I spent the weekend trying to process the week yet also relax after all the stress. It was challenging but after stepping back and looking at the week, I can see Satan being all over that. It was a week of spiritual warfare at its finest. Satan was trying to deter me and my team from ministry.

I tell you all this to ask for you guys to be on your knees for my team. I think it's safe to say that most of us have experienced a t least one challenging week lately. Satan is trying to stop us from what we're doing and I strongly believe it's because God wants to do something big here. I am asking for you to be in consistent prayer for what God is doing and for the attacks Satan is planning. Pray for protection, we aren't called to a safe life as Christians and we know that but we are asking for His protection in the dangerous situations. Your prayers are needed and appreciated. I love you all and can't wait to share with you face to face the things God is doing. He has already changed my really hard and bad week and given me hope for the situations here. This week was much better and God has really been working in the hearts of the kids in my class at Ithemba. They are asking questions and starting to hunger for the Word which has been my prayer for awhile know and I would love for you to join me in that. God is at work here and has victory even in the situations like the mugging... I love you guys! Thank you for everything you are doing. You mean more to me and this ministry than you know.

Oh, and pray that the men that mugged us would somehow come to know Christ through this situation. In my friend Ellen's bag was her ipod with all christian music on it and her bible. God has done crazier things before, so pray that they will read the Bible and listen to the music and be drawn to Him.