Now you see her, now you don't...
Now you see her again!
You may have noticed that I disappeared from the website for a little while. I've been in the process of moving from Kenya to another team, and we weren't completely certain which team I was moving to! But I'm back, and as you can see, I've landed on the Western Europe page. I'm raising some additional support and hope to be living in France in just a couple months. I'm praying for God's provision, and a quick and smooth transition into my new home and ministry. Would you pray with me?
Posted September 16, 2009 by Jill.
The Disciple's Renewal
I'm back in Texas on home assignment for a while, and it's been difficult to put together an update this spring. There is a lot going on in my life, but it's more on the inside than the outside. Coming back to the US is always good for me. Sometimes it's good in a refreshing, restful, encouraging kind of way, and sometimes it's good in a tetanus-booster-shot kind of way. There are people here who love me and understand me better than anyone. There are people who will tell me what's what and expose the pride that lives in my heart.
I've been reading slowly through a book called The Valley of Vision. It's a book of prayers written by the Puritans, and one of the prayers, entitled "The Disciple's Renewal," expresses my thoughts better than I could do myself.
"Oh, my Saviour, help me.
I am so slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb;
I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights;
I am pained by my graceless heart,
my prayerless days,
my poverty of love,
my sloth in the heavenly race,
my sullied conscience,
my wasted hours,
my unspent opportunities.
I am blind while light shines around me:
take the scales from my eyes,
grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief.
Make it my chiefest joy to study Thee,
meditate on Thee,
gaze on Thee,
sit like Mary at Thy feet,
lean like John on Thy breast,
appeal like Peter to Thy love,
count like Paul all things dung.
Give me increase and progress in grace so that there may be
more decision in my character
more vigour in my purposes
more elevation in my life
more fervor in my devotion
more contancy in my zeal.
As I have a position in the world
keep me from making the world my position
May I never seek in the creature
what can be found only in the Creator.
Let not faith cease from seeking Thee
until it vanishes into sight
Ride forth in me, thou King of Kings and Lord of Lords
that I may live victoriously and in victory attain my end."
I'm thankful for this season: a chance to reflect on God's work in my life. Don't we all need that once in a while?
Posted March 29, 2009 by Jill.
An Alternative Progress Report...
A lot has been happening with the women at Word of Life Fellowship Church. This month Allison, along with another church leader's wife, began a Bible study for the married ladies, and many women have been coming regularly. I've been meeting with the single ladies several times a week, sometimes for worship practice, sometimes to study the Bible together, sometimes just to hang out. And last weekend we hosted a city-wide, all-day women's conference that we've been planning for months.
As the women's ministry begins to grow here at our church, I've been thinking about what "success" looks like. We women are very good at programs, aren't we? We can pack out a conference or Bible study. We can organize potlucks and special events and everyone looking on will say, "Wow - that church has a strong women's ministry!" But as we all know, it takes more than attendance to have a vital ministry. Oftentimes, the easiest part of ministry is filling the seats. Once you have them there, how do you instruct their hearts, provide an environment for genuine fellowship, encourage them to be vulnerable and broken before one another, and draw them closer to God? This is the hard part!
So, instead of giving you statistics about the number of seats we've filled, I'd like to offer an alternative "progress report" on our work with the ladies at WOLF Church. Here are some of the things I've seen among the single ladies:
- More phone calls and text messages: the girls have begun calling and texting more; sometimes just to let me know how they're doing, sometimes to ask if they can come hang out at my place, sometimes because they need advice or a ride somewhere.
- More invitations: Allison and I have both received more invitations into people's homes, and we've received more visitors in our homes as well.
- More hugs: I've noticed that, not only do the girls hug me more when we see one another, but they hug each other more as well.
- More confidence: Several of the girls have opened up more. They seem more willing to talk about their struggles and family life.
- More trust: A couple of the girls have very strict parents who never used to allow them to stay out late or go on outings with the church. Lately, these girls have seen a change in their parents, because their parents have seen a change in them!
- Less idle talk: I've noticed that several of the ladies have begun talking about things that are spiritually edifying when they get together, instead of the usual shallow banter.
- Less tardiness: The girls used to be late for everything! These days, however, you're more likely to see the girls waiting for the guys to begin worship practice.
We're praying that these signs of change will continue, and that the women's ministry at WOLF Church will go beyond filling the seats - we pray God will use it to change lives!
PS As I've been typing this update, a one-armed monkey walked into my house and jumped up onto the dining table. He had his eye on a banana in my fruit bowl, but my house-helper and I chased him away before he could get it. That doesn't have anything to do with anything, but it doesn't happen every day, even here in Kenya, so I thought it worth mentioning. :o)
Posted November 29, 2008 by Jill.
10-31-2008 The Roaring Lion...
09-19-2008 What I'm Learning Today...
08-21-2008 On Being Sick in Africa...
07-17-2008 Thoughts on Being an African Missionary...
06-20-2008 Mwanamke Mrembo wa Mungu
05-07-2008 Back in Action!
03-27-2008 How do you say, "You're welcome?"
01-23-2008 The Long Road Back
11-29-2007 A Wild Ride
11-02-2007 Missionary Plumbing
08-22-2007 Life in the Bush
08-12-2007 Morningsite
07-04-2007 Nafanya kazi kwa bidii!
05-04-2007 Tanzania!
04-18-2007 April Video Update!
02-22-2007 At Last, An Answer!
01-09-2007 10,000 miles and 90 degrees!
12-04-2006 December Video Update!
11-22-2006 Karibu Kenya! (Welcome to Kenya!)
11-09-2006 It's Time
11-03-2006 "He's my Father, not my Boss!"
10-24-2006 Going to Kenya!
09-15-2006 A Visit to New England
08-23-2006 A Big Deal
08-03-2006 Photos!
05-20-2006 Watch a video!
04-19-2006 Auction for Africa!
03-12-2006 Traveling to Virginia
01-19-2006 Driving with the Brakes On...
11-15-2005 It's a bird! It's a plane!
10-23-2005 Kenya, here we come!
09-13-2005 He is Faithful!
