Salem shares the differences she noticed the most in Zimbabwe.
Author: laurajones
God Stories from Zim: A New Song
Beth’s biggest surprise in Zimbabwe.
God Stories from Zim: Rainbows
Sisters – God is completely crazy about us. Listen to what He did against all odds as an answer to prayer.
God Stories from Zim: Growing Season
Salem’s testimony about the ways God has grown her through this trip.
God Stories from Zim: A Future and a Hope
Beth’s story of a dream, and a new destination…
God Stories from Zim: Before We Even Left…
For the next few days, we’ll be sharing the team’s stories from Zimbabwe. Here, Laura shares how God radically changed her thinking about financial provision and asking Him for big things – before they even got on the plane!
You Helped Change the World
Sisters – Jana and her family have headed to the beach for some much needed family time after the Zimbabwe trip! Pray for rest and refreshment for all of them.
Jana has asked me to give you all a recap of last night’s Zimbabwe Celebration event, welcoming four of the Women Getting Real team members back and sharing the harvest with the rest of you who supported us stateside. The Zimbabwe trip would not have happened without you.
For myself, it was such a great reunion – so good to see the faces of the women and men who have been praying for us and encouraging us all the way to Zimbabwe and back. As Jana shared last night, “One of the most powerful gifts to us as a team was your prayers. It was tangible. I could send a text calling to rally the saints and we could just feel the breath of God move among us, an ocean away. When someone asks you to pray for a mission trip, never think that your prayers don’t matter.”
We as a Zim team want you to know that you were as much a part of this trip as we were, and we gave each person who came last night a note to remind them – and now you:
Because of God through you. . .
Our team:
- Cried with 14 women at a Bible study
- Challenged more than 600 students in 3 high school assemblies
- Equipped 80+ women at a Women’s Retreat
- Biblically trained 8 camp counselors
- Encouraged the dreams and purity of 50+ middle school students
- Played, prayed with, and blessed 75 children at the local orphanage
- Washed the feet of 25 senior citizens
- Loved on 40 + handicapped children
- Shared testimonies with 20 women at the Women’s Tea
- Prayed for healing at the hospital
- Renewed and encouraged 4 ministry leaders
- Worshiped in song and dance
- Invested in many one on one relationships
Thank you for being part of this journey.
More God stories from Zim coming this week….
Prayer for Restoration
Greetings!
Jana is teaching a women’s retreat tonight and part of the day tomorrow. This song came to heart to pray over her and the women who are there to hear her. Join us in asking that the Lord would restore souls. And revel in this truth yourself: He’s called you by a new name.
Blessings!
Laura
RESTORATION SONG by David Brymer
You bring restoration
You bring restoration
You bring restoration
To my soul
You’ve taken my pain
Called me by a new name
You’ve taken my shame
And in it’s place, You give me joy
You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take weeping and turn it into laughing
You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You make all things new, all things new
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words…
We didn’t have the Zimbabwe Container photo in the post this morning, so if you’d like to see it … The sign reads, “I would not forget you! See, I have you engraved on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 48:16
A Question of Worth, by Guest Blogger, Laura Jones
Hi, sisters! Pray for Jana as she’s getting ready to teach ANOTHER retreat this weekend. She asked me to share one of my stories with you, so I wanted to let you in on a conversation Lyschel and I had the other day. Hope her words bless you like they did me. ~ Laura
A Question of Worth
“I’m so mad! She’s just so belittling and nit picky. I can never please her! And it was the STUPIDEST argument anyway. And I was right! And she wouldn’t admit it. And I don’t want to appologize to her because she’s being a ____.” I dumped all this in Lychel’s ear.
“On top of that, I had to take out a school loan. I’m embarrassed that I even need one. I should manage my money better,” I added. “Moreover, I cried at the bank because I was so upset over the argument. That’s embarassing too. I feel like a total loser.”
Lychel just listened. “You have permission to be mad, if that’s what you’re looking for. And you’re not a loser. You’re God’s. You’re so good. Remember that your value isn’t based on your performance.”
“I know you’re right. I just want to know why it bugs me SO badly when someone acts like I’m stupid. Why am I feelng so much embarassment? Why does it matter so much?”
“Sounds like there are a lot of ‘worth’ questions in there to me.” Lyschel replied.
Bingo. I knew she had just hit home. Jesus has been talking a lot to me lately about my worth to Him. Why is it that He treasures me again?
Because of how smart I am? No.
My service? No.
My loving others well and always being kind? No. Good thing, because I just blew that one.
He loves me because of Who He is. Because it delightes Him to do so. He calls me a pearl. Because of WHO He made me. My worth is a WHO not a WHAT.
And in loving but uncomfortable ways, He’s letting me see that too! He’s letting me see that I can’t determine my value by anything other than what He determines it by: What HE says, and Who HE is.