Prepare for War

"Father God, you have warned me above all other pieces of armor to take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16)

The above is a prayer based on Eph.6:16 given to me by my sweet friend, K, before I left for Africa. Just a coincidence that I read it yesterday morning? I think not.

If any of you woke up on Saturday morning about 6:30am....yep. That was my fault.

Our Saturday didn't quite go the way we had planned, but ended up being really great. We found out that Noah (our van, if you haven't caught on from my previous posts) had to go in for some repairs that morning. Our driver came and picked it up and told us it shouldn't be but about an hour before he would return and take us to the BCC.  The hour came and went, then was followed by several more. He finally made it back about 2 pm because some other necessary repairs came up.  We debated for a bit whether or not we should go out to the BCC because we normally have to leave about 3:15 to return and it take nearly an hour to get there. After getting Tom's opinion and blessing to stay a little longer, we decided to go.

All of a sudden, as soon as we climbed into Noah, I had a sudden hesitation about going. My apprehension grew the further we traveled. The uneasiness was so strong that my chest tightened and my stomach was in knots - for no apparent reason. My team and I talked about it, because a similar feeling was lingering in the van.  I had no reason not to want to go to the BCC - I LOVE Saturdays with the kids! It's our VBS day and we really get to play with them.  But, I couldn't shake the feeling. We decided we should continue on.  I battled in my head what I was feeling - was it the Spirit telling me to go back to the apartment? Was is a silly uneasiness because our routine had been disrupted? Or was it Satan attacking my mind and emotions to keep us from doing what the Lord desired us to do? I honestly didn't know.

So I prayed.

I prayed for understanding. I prayed that if my thoughts were an attack, that God would give me peace...that if it was the Spirit, He would go so far as to make me physically ill so we could turn back.  It was 6:30am in the States, so I prayed the Spirit would awaken believers to pray for me and our team. I prayed the entire ride to the BCC, but didn't feel calm until we were inside the compound and out of the car.

Once we started the VBS program, I finally felt calm and, of course, was so glad we came. VBS went well, and I hadn't heard such sweet laughter as when we had our Silly String fight.

The day was rough, however, it served a great purpose. It reminded me that I am in the middle of a battlefield - a warring land. Not warring in the sense of military action, but a spiritual war. A war for souls and a war for freedom.  You see it in the slums when there are young men lying in the gutters completely drunk at 11 o'clock in the morning, and when you see a woman in threadbare clothing with a joyous smile, rejoicing in the Lord's favor. You see it in this country that has not long known freedom, as they strive to piece together their very first constitution. And you see it in the deep desperation in the eyes of the elderly man that sits on the street corner.

I am here for fun.  I am here for games. I am here to bring smiles and laughter to these sweet children. And I'm even here to peel potatoes! But most of all, I am here to proclaim the name of Jesus - the only one who can set captives free and give hope and lasting peace.

"Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:10

Thank you for your prayers - especially yesterday. God's purpose will prevail.

Love, T