My heart is in Lusaka today...

Update on Update:) - So apparently she didn't receive the visas literally yesterday - the photo sizes were wrong and had to be redone... it was the approval she received. But then today (Tuesday) at the end of the day, she got an email saying the visa packets were ready to be picked up! She'll head there first thing in the morning, pick up the last of their stuff and then get on a plane at 1pm to begin the long journey home... It's been quite a trip! :)


Update at 3:50pm - I just have to give God thanks here... I just saw that Janice received the Visas today as we desired and urgently prayed for. I don't know any more than that, but when God acts and blesses us in ways that only HE can, the least I can do is THANK HIM! Praise God for today's blessings. :) :) :)
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Original Post: I'm at work with goals of being the diligent worker today... but my thoughts are in Lusaka, Zambia... my friend Janice has been there for 24 days working hard to finalize the adoption of her two Zambian twin boys - Chazano and Zunduka. The adoption is complete - they are now Chazano and Zunduka Walker (!!), but the paperwork allowing them to leave Zambia and move to the US is still in process... Today is hopefully THE day. Today we are expecting to hear wonderful news that God has provided the Visas necessary (at 2pm!) for all three of them to get on a plane Wednesday...  I woke up a million times last night for no apparent reason other than Janice and today's needs were on my heart... so I prayed each and every time I woke up... God has shown His hand so many times on this journey, and I am expectant and hopefully in Him!


Check out ourangelsfromafrica.blogspot.com if you're interested in reading this special adoption journey through a mother's heart - a mother who had to leave her husband and four young children for over 24 days to travel alone to Zambia to bring these boys into the Walker family... a mother who had a child growing in her womb when she left the US, but mourned the loss of the baby (possibly twins) alone in Zambia... a mother who is missing her baby girl's second birthday today... a mother who has had in incredible journey of testing and triumph with GOD on her side... a mother who's faith has been stretched and refined.  Pray for her and pray for her family.  They need the Visas today so they can fly home Wednesday... and then a whole new transition and adjustment period begins for everyone... her journey isn't over yet!

So excited!

We've confirmed plans this week for August... we're going to Halifax!! :) It won't be the glamorous vacation that might be crossing your mind, but I will get to see precious friends for a few days! We are going to help out at a Teen bible camp there, so will be in separate sleeping quarters for four nights... I think Evan will even be "tenting"... if you know my Evan, camping is not high on his list at all... but I'm sure he will survive. :) Hopefully we'll be able to be some help during the four days. It will be a new experience for both of us, but I'm looking forward to it. It helps that some of the kids will be my past SS kids who are now... gulp... teens and driving! yikes.  

I'm hoping to see my family briefly, but we'll see... we're going with the purpose of helping at the camp - everything else has to be worked around that. And we don't have any longer than a week. sigh. Vacation time is always too short! Still... thankful.

Just a few of the lovely faces I'm looking forward to seeing!!

According to your faith...

You know how you're reading along, a passage you have read so many times, yet something hits you in a fresh way... words that you should be able to quote with your eyes closed (key word being SHOULD), but something about it causes a pause and you reread... and reread... well, that happened to me in the book of Matthew, chapter 9. Four little verses portray an encounter with Jesus. 

Two blind men were following Jesus as he walked through the city, crying out for mercy...  they refused to be deterred, and continued to follow Him right inside someone's house! It's my assumption, that since they could not see, that they must have stayed with the crowd that likely grew as the day went on...  It was quite a day - it started with Jesus healing a paralyzed man... then He called Matthew to follow Him and to be His disciple and Matthew immediately left and joined the crowd following Jesus... then Jesus had 'lunch' but no rest, as people were still flocking to him... the Pharisees got all uppity seeing Jesus eating with common men and women, so Jesus took time to put them in their place... THEN Jesus gets confronted by John's disciples and has to settle their concerns about fasting... as this was happening, a Ruler comes begging Jesus to come heal his daughter because she is dying... Jesus, full of compassion, gets up and heads to the Ruler's house with his disciples, and yes... with the masses following Him. In this throng of people, one lady who was desperate, but believing that Jesus could heal her, got close enough and touched the hem of his cloak... and yes - she was healed and she even got to speak with Jesus for a moment... so many people desiring to have their needs met by this Man. Miracles didn't stop there - Jesus goes into the Ruler's house and raises up the man's daughter and people are in awe. 

 It's at this point we get back to our two blind men... Jesus leaves the house, and the dear men follow Him... crying for Mercy...  why didn't Jesus stop immediately? I don't know - maybe he wanted to see how persistent these two were... to see how much they REALLY wanted help from Him... well, they marched right up behind him into someone's house and there, Jesus stops and turns to them.  "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"  Oh how many times does the God of Heaven whisper that into our soul... "Do you really believe I am able?" Their answer must have delighted the Son of God. "Yes Lord!" The acknowledged who He was... and then Jesus touched their eyes saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 

So here - at this critical time in their lives, their faith was being called into play... I feel quite sure that if they didn't truly believe Jesus could give them sight, they would have walked away without their sight. Still blind. "According to your faith, it will be done to you..." The good news is, they DID believe Jesus could heal them - each of them had faith that they would walk away from this Man seeing the world through new eyes.  And they did! Praise God!

This is what challenged me...  how many times do I walk away without a blessing God is ready and willing to give me because my faith is too small... He is there saying, "According to your faith, it will be done..."  Like the apostles, my heart cries out "Lord, please Increase my faith!"

Coffee & Company

If you know me, you know coffee is a "need" more than a want, as it is with many others... I'm a regular Tim Horton's girl, but I love finding unique little coffee shops. It doesn't happen often, but I made it to one last Saturday as I was spending time downtown while Evan was at work for a few hours. I met up with my friend Mark, and he took me to this cute coffee shop "hidden" away in the historic Distillery District - Balzac's Coffee... don't you love the decor? I actually didn't have coffee - I had just finished my Tim's! My mocha was delicious, but the company and decor was more what made the outing special. I'd like to go back!

Power of Prayer

My friend is in the process of adopting two twin boys from Zambia. Well actually - the adoption is official but she is still in Zambia sorting out all the paperwork to bring them home. Janice travelled to Zambia alone, leaving, her husband and four sweet children at home and is going through this agonizingly slow process on her own in such a far-away land. As the days go by, she just wants to be home in the arms of her family - including her two zambian sons. Her sister-in-law, a mission worker there, is helping her, so she's not completely alone. She also has a whole army of prayer warriors behind her. This experience has been an on-going lesson on prayer... every step of the way God has been showing His hand - even on the days she feels frustrated and alone. We are praying with her and Dean that God will do what only HE can do - speed up the processes and red tape and get her and the boys on a plane home ASAP. We're looking for an end-of-the week wrap-up... impossible? Nope - not with our God. That's what we're praying for, but ultimately it is His will. The God who knows all is in control. We will trust You, God. And while we're waiting and trusting - please give Janice peace, guidance and strength for every hour she is still in Zambia.

Captive?

The Breaking Free bible study I'm working through  is having some impact... the author's definition of the captivity of a believer is this:  A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her (or him). "Anything". That leaves a pretty wide scope... fear, unbelief, pride, impure thoughts, laziness, legalism... the list goes on and on and is tailored according to the person... sometimes we may not even be AWARE of what is in the way of us enjoying the fulfilling ABUNDANT life God intends for every believer. 


John 15:8 says:  "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." In John 10:10 Jesus says "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  Abundant life. Life to the full. Does this characterize my Christian life? Can I joyfully say that I am living life to the full to the glory of God?? Am I experiencing that true liberating abundant Freedom that only Christ can bring?  Is there evidence? Does the world know that I am happily a disciple of Christ? Happily being the key word.


Questions to ponder. An abundant life doesn't come with a snap of the fingers... becoming a disciple of Christ doesn't happen overnight. I became a Child of God in a moment when I trusted Christ as my Saviour and know that I have peace for all eternity. That can not change. But while I"m still living in this world - God wants me to have a satisfying, abundant life in Him.  God longs for a relationship with me... longs for me to be a vessel in which He can reveal Himself to others... A true disciple is called to obedience. A surrendering of my own will... there WILL be a cost...  But a quote from Beth Moore on this topic spoke loudly to me:  


I should not be scared of what it will COST me, but I should be scared at what I will MISS .... by not laying everything down at the Lord's feet... surrendering to Him. To the One who gave everything for me. He wants more for me than I can ever imagine... that abundant life?? Freedom?? He WANTS that for me. And that life is what I will miss if I continue to hold onto my own will and live my luke-warm Christian life.  The choice is up to me.  And in your life... the choice is up to you.  "Choose you this day who you will serve."

10K... my golden moment :)

I thought if I posted a picture of my achievement from  October 2009 that it might "kick me in the butt" to get out the door and get running... I had so much fun (and pain!) running the 10K Oasis Zoo Run at the Toronto Zoo this past fall... I did the 5k the year before, which in itself was a huge personal accomplishment... my "training" (REAL runners would laugh) was a little slow taking off, with a lot of knee pain... but finally by the end of August, I was starting to get some rhythm. But 10k?? I couldn't make it to 8k!! Kept hitting 7.54k... bam. The first time I crossed that 8k barrier, I went to 10.62K in 1 hour 11 minutes... I was in shock that I ran for over an hour.. haha That was Oct 5, 2009... my 10K race was Oct 17/09! So you see, I didn't run very many 10K's before my race, so it was still a big challenge to finish... but finish I did, in 1:03... in pain but so excited that I did it! :) :) And all the while my husband was in bed... ;) Some year I will get him on the course to at least cheer me on! :)