Week 3

I've only been here for three weeks, but it feels I've been here for a year! I still love it, but everything isn't all new and exciting anymore, it just feels like home. I've gotten really close with several of the people on base and that has been really great. I feel like I'll have a lot of life long friends from several different nations, which is really fun.

So this week we talked about the 'Father Heart of God.' We looked at how God is our Father, and we are his sons and daughters. We talked about the love of a father and his heart towards his children, this was really powerful for most of my class because most of them don't have a father. Most of them grew up as orphans on the streets, with no family, no security, and no love. And for those who do/did have fathers, they were abusive, or just really didn't love them the way the needed. So, their view of a “father” really isn't a positive thing. So we talked about how God fills that spot and he has all the love that we need and even more. We then talked of how God is our 'Mother' as well and he has the compassion and intimacy that we need from a mother. So we talked of the same thing of God filling that role in our life. Our speaker talked of the expression 'I love you' and it was heart breaking to find that more than half my class has NEVER been told those words. They don't have that confidence in who that are and that they are valuable. So our speaker stood in front with his arms opened wide saying whoever wants to receive the hug and the words from a father or mother that they've never had before, come up here. And you wouldn't even believe the reaction, the whole class started to just bawl their eyes out and just cried in his arms with him telling them he loves them. It was such a healing process for so many. We then talked about forgiveness and that was life changing for so many. My friends here have such deep wounds and such insecurities from their tragic past. People's hearts were opened and for the first time and they forgave the person who killed their parents or sibling or friend, or who beat and abused them, or who lied and hurt them, or who rapped them, or who belittled them, etc. We brought it to the cross and the Lord really worked in their hearts and it was life transforming.

But for me, i'm in a very different situation. I come from an amazing, loving, and trusting family. I come from a family who has a perfect picture of how a Father and Mother should love their daughter. I come from a family where both my parents tell me every day that they love me, their proud of me, and that I am valued and treasured by them. I really don't have any deep scars from my past that need healing, I don't have bitterness or anger towards anyone in my life who has wronged me. I am confident in who I am and in my value. So at first I was almost discouraged because I felt confused why I am here, trying to figure out my purpose and where I need to grow. But the I realized how much God has really blessed me with and how much he has saved me from. I realized that I am here, I am created, to help others find that healing, to help others find their identity, I am here to bless others, and to bring glory to my Heavenly Father. I learned how God really can bring that healing but you can not do it on your own, we need God. I realized that I can be such a testimony to people of how God intended a family to be and how a father and mother should love their children, and then point them to the love of Christ. We then talked about the needs of a human being; the need of time, attention, someone to listen, kindness, encouragement, and someone do just 'do' life together... and God has all those for us. God looks at us and sees our pain, he says in Matt 26:37-38, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” He tells us that 'he came to heal the brokenhearted!' And that is why we are here too, when we find that peace and joy, then we are to help others find it as well. And that is only found through Jesus Christ.

So, this was a really powerful week and I can't wait to see what God has up his sleeve next!

Outside of class, it has been a really fun week, i've gone to an orphanage and played with some street kids, i've gone into town and went to the african market, i've gotten fresh fruit and corn off the streets, we have a 'culture' night where everyone dressed up and represented their country/culture and we all performed cultural food and dancing (but American doesn't really have anything exciting, I just made chocolate chip cookies. Haha. But all the other african countries had some really sweet traditional clothing and dancing.) Oh and random, I'm a pro now with washing my clothes by hand! Haha! It takes a really long time but i've gotten the hang of it. And I've made dinner every night this week for the whole base so that's been fun learning how to cook over an open fire. Well there's always more to talk about but it is now lunch time, so I must go. Thank you all for reading.

Much love,

Lindsey Dawn