so much going on!

Sorry I haven't been consistent on the blog lately... We have come to our last three weeks here, and things have seemed busier than ever! God has been so good in providing great opportunities for our team, as well as some good times of closure in the different ministries we have been involved with. Here is a picture recap of just some of the happenings of the past two weeks.

I took a day off school to join some of my teammates at the preschool in the poorest part of our town. I come ALIVE with these kids. We did a program called "clown worship" and I had a BLAST enjoying and loving on these precious guys (as well as making a fool of myself acting like a clown!)

This is Michael and I after he got his face painted to match mine! :)

We only have one more week left of our study with the high school girls from the hostel. We've started a new form of "discussion"- we use posters so they can write the answers and the girls have responded so well. It has been a JOY to see these girls pursue a greater knowledge of God.

Our study is called "My Heart, Christ's Home" and Mackenzie made the girls journals shaped like houses...they've been a great tool to use to encourage reflection.

At school, I have been having so much fun with my grade four kids. We did paper mache, and made our own Easter eggs. I've never seen kids so excited about balloons and newspaper before!

The finished products...painted Easter eggs. Happy Easter! Easter has provided great opportunities to share the gospel in class with these kids...even with the language barrier, some are starting to get it! Praise God.

I am beginning to recognize just how much of my heart will be left with these kids. God has been good to bless me with some of the sweetest times with them even in spite of how much of a challenge it has been.

-In other news, we have two new team members. Josh and Nikki have joined our team in Rehoboth, and Nikki has been praying about taking over our girls' Bible study at the high school. We are so excited that they are here, investing in the community, and also excited that our girls' group has the potential to continue on!
-Mackenzie, Catherine, and I are headed to Rundu for Easter weekend to visit our AIM friends Trisha and Nicole and to get a glimpse of what ministry is like in northern Namibia.
-You can begin pray for our goodbyes, for closure as we finish up ministry in Rehoboth, and for the travel we have ahead of us.
-We leave Rehoboth two weeks from tomorrow (on April 23), and fly out of Namibia on April 26.

I sincerely thank you for your prayers...I continue to be amazed at the faithfulness of the Lord as He shows up in ways I never could have expected or imagined. This is our God! He has done great things... and more than I could have ever asked or imagined. To Him be the glory. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
I am praying that He opens your eyes and mine to the greatness of His work, the perfection of His plan, and His great love for us as we celebrate Easter.

Love you all,
Kristen

experiencing joy in life HERE!

I wanted to post a few pictures so you can get a glimpse of life and ministry as from the past couple weeks.

We had "sports day" at Kwakwas this past Saturday. It was an all-day long event, but such a blast for the kids. It is amazing the things they get excited over. Here was one of the events...running through hoola hoops.

These were the trompopies girls (I honestly have no idea how to spell that), but it means "cheerleader." :) They did such a great job on their routine!

Just a typical day doing phonics with the fourth graders. They are such sweet kids.

Our team has had some great time together lately. Here are the girls last week at the dam that is just about 10 km outside of Rehoboth.

Our high school girls Bible study. We had an art and nail painting party on Tuesday...complete with chocolate chip cookies for a snack. They absolutely loved it and we had a blast. This coming Tuesday, we will start a new study with them, called My Heart, Christ's Home.

Thanks for being interested, and as always, for your love and support.
Love,
Kristen

Count me in.

Lately, I have been so aware of how little time I have left here in Rehoboth, Namibia. As a result, I have been thinking through all of the lessons I have learned through my time and experiences here…all of the ways I have been challenged, stretched, and grown by the Lord. My heart has been so moved with gratitude and amazement at what the Lord has done in me…the way He has been SO near, how I have experienced Him here in ways I have never experienced Him before, and all the ways in which he has expressed his love for me.

If you’ve been following my stories and thoughts on this blog at all, you know just as well as I do that this has been, at many times, a hard and difficult journey. Some of the hardest moments of my life so far have been had over the past six and a half months. And yet, when I reflect back on every single moment, I see the Lord’s hand over it all. I see the perfection of His plan, His Fatherly love in the ways in which He has chosen to refine me, I see His creativity and the wildness of this adventure He has called us to. I see Jesus written all over it.

And I wouldn’t trade that for ANYTHING. I wouldn’t trade that for an easy life. I would never exchange the difficulty, the pain, the tears for an easy story. Because I have known far greater joy than ever before as a RESULT of the hard journey. The joy of clinging to Jesus in the most difficult moments of your life, the joy of knowing that He is working it for your good, the joy of knowing that you will emerge more beautiful and like Christ as a result….that joy far exceeds the cost of any sacrifice you might make.

Compared to many, I haven’t made many sacrifices in my life. Compared to most, I haven’t had much hardship in my life. Here in Africa, I am more aware than ever that the Lord has spared me from so much. And somehow, it has made me even surer that whatever He sees fit to bring in my life, no matter what the trial or pain that results from following Him, I long to love Him and follow Him forever. The joy that results from HIS presence is worth it. Oh, my friends, it is so much BETTER than all the world.

I don’t know what lies ahead for the rest of my life…I don’t even know what lies ahead for me in the coming months. But I do know, for sure, that I have tasted the sweetness of following Jesus. I would be lying to say there haven’t been plenty of moments where I have felt like it was too hard to sign on for this kind of living for the rest of my life…moments when I longed for life to feel EASY. Moments when I thought that this was going to be the last time I tried to live “sold out."
And I know I will wrestle between those desires and the deepest desire of my heart for the rest of my life. But the Spirit of God has moved my heart to a place so that my deepest desire is for the joy that results in a life sold out to Christ. A life not content to make Jesus fit with my plans, but rather a life that is only content to fit itself around Jesus. To seek Him and go wherever, do whatever He calls me to, no matter what I have to give up. I am so confident that when I meet Jesus face to face, I will say, “I NEVER made a sacrifice. Anything I gave up for you, I receive back one hundred fold now, in the presence of my Savior.” But I will only be able to say that if I live it out…

What I have learned while I’ve been here has made me want to say to ALL of it, “COUNT ME IN.” I’m in. 100%. Wholeheartedly. Because I have tasted the joy of intimacy with Jesus that comes from trying to live this way. And because I know that right now I cannot possibly fathom the even greater reward that I will see one day… MY JESUS.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Count me in. I’m amazed that you’ve even allowed me to taste it, Jesus. It’s a gift to be called and to follow, no matter what we must give up. There is no greater joy than following you, and more than ever before, I want to do it FOREVER.

Thanks for your continued prayers… Here are a few specifics:

-To finish WELL. That God would give our team the strength to finish all that He has for us here in Rehoboth before going home.

-For Lulu, on my team here, who is leaving next week because her grandfather is ill and her family needs her. That God would reveal Himself and be near to her and her family during this difficult time.

-For our last five weeks with the high school girls Bible study. We just completed our first study with them, and had a really great response. God is working on their hearts. Pray for wisdom as we continue meeting with them.

I love you all!

He does ALL things well.

Last week, five of the best teammates in the world and I traveled the 21+ hours on bus to Livingstone, Zambia, the location of the incredible Victoria Falls. At first sight of the falls, there was nothing I could do but just stand in awe and worship of the Creator. My heart was in AWE, and that is the perfect word to describe what I felt. There is a song by Chris Tomlin called "You Do All Things Well..." which echoed in my mind as I stood on a bridge, getting soaked by the mist from the falls. The God I love, the God I live for, the God I follow... He does ALL things well. From creating beauty and life to the way He sovereignly designs our lives...including the way He did this trip.

There is so much I could say about this trip....about the refreshment it provided, the opportunities God gave us through our time there, the people we met, and the ways that absolutely everything can and should point our hearts and attention on Christ. Instead, of a lengthy explanation of all of those things, though, I will simply leave you with a few pictures to enjoy.

My first view of the falls. He does ALL things well.

Free....Free Falling! I don't know that I've ever been so scared in my life! There is nothing like the feeling of free falling. This was called the "gorge swing" and all our teammates took the quite literal "leap of faith." Incredible.

Not quite the adrenaline rush of a free fall, but riding and feeding elephants was definitely fun!

The fellow travelers from my team, minus Trisha and Steve. We had an incredible time living in community together for a week. This is right after we had been SOAKED by the mist from the falls.

We stayed at a backpacker's lodge which was FULL of character. This was the "chill pit" where we spent our evenings meeting new friends, spending time with each other and in great conversation.

I have come back from this trip feeling so refreshed and excited about my last 6 1/2 weeks in Africa. I can't believe it is really that close to being over...and I know God still has more to do.
Thanks for your prayers, your love, and just for who you are! I am grateful for all of you.

More soon...
Love,
Kristen

A rain day? Really?

Here in Namibia, they don't have snow days. But rain days, yes. Below are some pictures of the river that we have to cross to get to school. Up until the past few weeks, it has been completely dry, and we just drive across it in the fearless combi (van). But with all the rain we've had lately, the river has flooded and it prevented us from going to school on Thursday, and called for an emergency evacuation on Friday!

Here is the river on Tuesday, the first day we had to "forge the river" (I felt a little like I was in the old computer game, Oregon Trail) on foot.

Friday morning, some of the girls coming over to the other side of the river before we decided it was safe for us to cross.

Halfway through the day on Friday, a man from the farm came on horseback to inform us that more water was coming and the river would rise quickly. (They opened one of the dams). So we had to make an emergency evacuation from school in the quickly-rising, strong-current water. I love adventures! :)

A raw heart and A worthy cause...

Maybe this post is finding you in a place similar to where I have been the past couple of weeks…feeling burnt out. Those words provide such an accurate description of that feeling: that something that was once lit inside you, giving off light and heat, is suddenly barely hanging on anymore. Tired, weary, worn down.

I have been feeling this way for a variety of reasons, but mostly as a result of realizing that my time here is quickly nearing its end and I am experiencing a sense of helplessness in my work with the children at Kwakwas…that so little is ever going to change for them. And that, in addition to many other reasons, the language barrier between us puts limits on the relationships that I have with them. It feels too overwhelming to wrap my mind around just how desperate these children are for so much in their lives: their physical needs met, safety from evil that is done to and by them, love, nurturing, and more than all of that, their desperate need for a Savior who will add all those other things to them that they need (Matt 6:33).

And what can I do about ANY of that? Teach, tell, talk, listen, and love them. And even in working hard to do all those things, I have seen, day after day, a lack of understanding in all of those areas. And it is heartbreaking. It’s enough to make me feel “burnt out,” and ready to give up.

But as I thought about those words this week, I realized that while that is an accurate description of a feeling, it is a quite inaccurate description of a life that is lived IN Christ, through Christ’s strength. Burning out implies something finite, a wick that runs out sooner or later. But Christ is absolutely infinite, and absolutely capable of accomplishing all of it. Feeling burnt out means that I have, yet again, been relying on my own strength to do something. So how do I pick myself up, continue to work hard and finish well in my work with these precious kids, not burning out the finite candle that is my strength, but rather, burning tirelessly in the strength that Christ provides?

As I was listening to one of my favorite artists, Sara Groves, God moved my heart in such a strong way to recognize the importance of my LOVE for these kids, in spite of whether or not they understand it. It’s not about their response to it, and it never has been. It is about offering truth, which is the purest form of love, and trusting that Christ’s strength will keep in burning in me.

I know that written song lyrics don’t always have the effect that they do when they are paired with music, but humor me and read some of the words that have been such an encouragement to my heart.

When you count the cost and it all seems lost
Love is still a worthy cause
When you’re pressing on though your strength is gone
Love is still a worthy cause

Friend, I know your heart is raw
But love is still a worthy cause
Picking up and pressing on
Oh love is still a worthy cause

It’s the beauty in the tales we tell
It’s the pressing on and ending well
And the joy that comes when we give ourselves away
And I love because You loved me when I had nothing…

The fact that Christ loved me enough to die for me while I was still a sinner (Rom. 5:8), that He loved me when I had NOTHING, is enough to motivate a life of love no matter what the response is from those who receive (or choose not to receive) our love. No matter if they understand it or not. Love is always a worthy cause…no matter how tired, how hopeless, how ineffective it may feel. It is the right answer. And there is joy when we give ourselves away like that.

I pray that if you too are feeling “burnt out” yourself in one way or another, that Christ reminds your heart of this incredible truth. HE LOVED US this way… He loved us while we were ungodly, unrighteous, and the Bible describes this as “JUST THE RIGHT TIME.” Now is just the right time to love others the way we have been loved. And I am praying that Christ gives you and me the endurance we need to press on even when the cost seems too great and all our strength is gone. You can be praying for all of us, that as followers of Christ, we will always count it JOY to give ourselves away for the glory of the God we serve.

Jesus, don’t allow us to grow weary of doing good for your glory, and give us the strength we need to love the way you have loved us.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone… Galatians 6:9

Thanks for your prayers in this, my faithful friends and family. God is continually using your prayers to encourage me and teach me, and I am grateful.

Much love,

Kristen

Encouraged...

Yesterday was such an encouraging day at Rehoboth High School. Mackenzie and I started up our Bible Study and discipleship group with the girls at the hostel. We opened it up to anyone who was interested, and on our very first "official" meeting, we had 15 girls come. We have been praying that God would draw out the girls who are really seeking Him, and that He would work on their hearts in a mighty way. I wanted to write today to ask my amazing prayer supporters to join us in praying for the hearts of these girls and the girls who will join us in future meetings. I really believe that the Lord is going to work on their hearts in His own timing, and I am overjoyed that I get to be a part of what He is doing in their lives already. I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to know and spend time with these girls and have this amazing opportunity to share the truth and hope of the Gospel, and how it has transformed my life. We left them yesterday with a challenge to ponder over the next week... "Do I have a relationship with Jesus Christ?" AND "How does it affect my life and everything I do?" Please pray that God would prompt their hearts and draw them nearer to Himself.

Here is all 17 of us from yesterday's meeting. I'll share the names of the girls in case any of you want to lift them up in prayer by name:

Fabiola
Yvonne
Katrina
Claudine
Lavinia
Dore-Ann
Jasmine
Menesia
Grace
Luzelle
Francina
Taimi
Cardinochelle
Kearene
Ndeshi

This is Grace and I after our meeting yesterday. Every single one of these girls are so sweet and such a joy to get to know!

Thank you for joining us in prayer for this exciting opportunity. I will keep you updated and will also write more soon about how the rest of life in Rehoboth goes and what God is teaching me through it all...

Much love and gratitude,
Kristen