Spoiler Alert - There's a GIVEAWAY in HERE!

My last post was pretty bleak. I realize that but it was honest and true of what I was feeling and of what happens here sometimes. As soul crushing as it was, I promise we’re okay and God always has a way. Everything has a solution & sometimes it just means being a little more patient and worrying a little less.

On a brighter note, I must say that the rest of the year looks both exciting and a little more upbeat. We have a group of 5 YWAM-ers (YWAM – Youth With A Mission) coming to visit and we couldn’t be more excited!

The coolest part is the team leader, Carmen, is from our home church in Colorado – how cool is that?! We haven’t seen her for a while and we can’t wait. She has the coolest family ever, and having her here is kind of like having a piece of her amazing Mama, sisters and a little of her incomparable Papa. It’s fun when God knits little things like this together so we can encourage one another AND provide some awesome training to some of the areas where we work.

They will be helping us in a few of the villages a few hours from us, by providing more leadership and Biblical training to youth and church leaders. This could not have come at a better time.

The youth where we work are so excited and ready to learn but not many people have materials, time and energy to invest in them, especially as most are in an

extremely rural setting. It makes my heart swell to think about all they will experience with this incredible group. I’m pretty sure we’ll get a few good bush meals in (wild pig is the best!) and of course, a few soccer games, too!

I hope you're as excited about life as Milenea was about her first juice box!

AND – the holidays are coming. I LOVE this time of year, even if it means “pretending” its cold enough to make hot chocolate and “snuggling” up to watch a favorite Christmas movie.

Since we’ve only had kids for a short time, we’re still coming up with fun and meaningful Christmas & New Year’s traditions. One of my personal favorites is enjoying a beach holiday together at the beginning of the year. The kids had the time of their lives last year and we’re praying we can do it again this year.

Tis’ the season for GIVING, too, and giving is definitely one of my love languages. Our annual BIG day of giving – Giving Tuesday, Nov. 27th – is coming up really fast! I’ll share more info soon about how YOU can get involved.

Comment and share some of your favorite ways to GIVE during the holiday season and I’ll enter you to win a FABULOUS gift from right here in Moz! The winner will be announced on Saturday!!

Thanks for all the love,

Laura 

Heavy lifting

I just want to crawl under my sheets, block out the light streaming in from the windows, and cry like the tired, overwhelmed & devastated baby that I feel like right now.

Is it possible for one’s heart to literally break? I feel like the very fibers of my precious organ are pulling apart, one by one. With each piece of bad news, my ugly crying threatens to take over.

My eyes can’t seem to hide the tiredness & weariness my heart feels. This dream, the desire to help and learn and grow and walk through the messiness of life with those in need, seems too difficult to continue on days like today.

I’m not sure what is causing the heaviness I feel on my heart today. We’ve been traveling for the last 3 weeks working out some issues of documents & car problems, and I was so thrilled to be back home with our babies. But the more I learn about what takes place on this side of the world, the more my heart aches for the structured chaos of my former Western life.

The amount of suffering in the world is incomprehensible for me today. In Mozambique alone, I see so much corruption, extortion, physical suffering, and shattering hopelessness. As a foreigner living here, we are often seen as the “haves,” which really IS true, isn’t it?

The reason we keep going...

In a country where many have corrupted, stolen, exploited and covered the eyes of the owners of the land, this seems almost like normal behavior. I can’t even fault someone for wanting to get ahead by any means possible.

I’m a white, American female, so naturally I’m used to justice. Feeling injustice is one of the most beautifully painful parts of this life here. The majority of the world experiences injustices every second of the day, but my privilege has allowed me to experience otherwise.

I’ve never suffered in my life. I’ve never had to look death in the face. I’ve never known true hunger or thirst – physical, emotional or spiritual. But I’ve seen the way hearts are hardened by suffering, which makes all of these awful ways of exploiting others seem like acceptable behavior.

This work can feel so isolating sometimes, but I know the purpose of us being here. It’s not for our own good or our own comfort. I knew exactly what I was walking into when we made this leap.

I knew there would be difficulties, hard days and unexplainable experiences that most couldn’t relate to. But God is sovereign & he knows exactly why each detail works out exactly how it does.

While my heart aches today, I’m reminded that in all the good, bad and ugly in this world, there is still hope. Even when I feel inconsolable, God has the strength & restoring love I need. I’m digging a little deeper into him today as I sort through these emotions. Because in a world full of unbearable pain, the only thing left to do is pray until it hurts.