“My sheep hear My voice, & I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Jn. 10:27-29
Oh how these Words give confidence & stir faith within my heart when the task ahead seems nigh impossible. His sheep will hear His voice... They hear his voice because He calls & because He calls they follow Him, & in the beauty of the following they are known by this Great Shepherd of their souls who will keep them. When my words fail, when my faith gives sway, when i am in weakness, when the darkness seems too much to bear He is the One who has made a way & will call His sheep... they will hear Him & follow. I truly love this Sovereign King.
“How did I come to be a believer? Well, it was simple... I was reading in the Bible and I thought, ‘This must be true.’” This morning I heard these words flow forth from the mouth of a local believer. She told us in 1989, when she was 17, she wanted to read in the Bible but could not find one. She went to several local orthodox churches in her city but they wouldn’t help her because it is illegal to proselytize to anyone 18 & under. When she was 19 she read the Bible for the first time & realized God was speaking to her, & she believed. The Lord called her; she followed. His desire & strength to save is so much stronger than our own.
During these past few weeks the Lord has begun bringing local believers into our midst! These few have such passion & tender love for the Lord & His Word. Over & over again we have heard this similar testimony... “I read in His Word & knew it was truth.” It has been an honor to have them in our prayer times and invite them into our small (yet growing) community. Our desire is to support, disciple, & give them the resources they need to continue spreading the Worth of Christ & the truth of His Word in this city. These are exciting days as we see the Lord’s leading unfold before us in bringing us to this specific place. He is truly doing amazing things.
Our language adaptation is slow but steady... we feel a great grace in learning. The largest growing conviction surrounding acquisition is the desire to befriend our neighbors, love them well, & testify of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Most days I find it difficult to communicate how old I am, or what my daughter’s name is... we have a long way to go :).
Part of our group traveled last week to a refugee camp for the purpose of distributing medical supplies and connecting with the local churches there. They returned safely (thank you for praying for them) with the desire to invest within that city long term. The need there is pressing, & the suffering of the people is worn on their faces. Those who have been tried by long years of persecution are still standing, & as a community we see opportunity to serve there long-term. We are in prayer as to what this looks like; please be praying for wisdom & guidance. For more info. on the situation within the refugee camps click here ( http://www.faimission.org/a-glimpse-into-the-lives-of-syrian-refugees )
Thank you for your continual faithfulness in giving of your finances, your time, your prayers, & your love for Jesus & for our family... it is overwhelming to us & humbles us. May we all speak & live to makes His name famous, no matter what city or nation we are in!