April 2018
Sustain. Encountering God’s heart for you. The theme of our women’s retreat. I want to share with you how God orchestrated our women’s retreat. We usually have a group of women who come from a church to do a women’s retreat for our missionary women yearly. This year the women were not able to come. I figured that we would just wait until the following year. One of the ladies in our group approached Leslie with the idea of using Velvet Ashes online retreat for our women’s retreat. Leslie talked with me about the idea and together we planned the retreat. Because the retreat was online we decided that even if our ladies were unable to come to the retreat that they could still be blessed by doing the retreat on their own time. I was shocked by how many ladies signed up to attend our retreat since this past year there has been some tension and conflictual issues. As we confirmed the place where we were holding the retreat, we were told that another party had already put a deposit on the place so we had to scramble to find another place to hold all the ladies who would be attending. On the way to buy the food and set up before all the ladies arrived, the car Leslie and I drove overheated and we pulled over to let it cool down. A minute later two policemen on a motorcycle stopped and asked us if we were okay as well as how long we ago we pulled over. The police helped us with our overheated car. They shared with us that this area is highly dangerous with robbers. We thanked them for stopping and helping us and the protection that they provided. The policemen even followed us for about 20 minutes to make sure our car would not overheat again. We had 17 out of 22 women attend the women’s retreat.
An air plant was used as a beautiful picture of symbolism for our retreat. An air plant does not
have roots and as cross-cultural women we do not have roots. But occasionally an air plant will have one root that shoots out, which helps to connect it to its environment. This shoot symbolizes that even though we are rootless we need connection to our environment. An air plant needs light and water to live. Jesus is our light and living water. He is our sustenance. When an air plant dries out it needs to be submerged in water. Be submerged and soak in the presence of God. All 17 of us were submerged in the presence of God. A place where we could disconnect from the world and ministry around us in order to soak and bask in the presence of our Lord. Be still before the Lord. Many good things occurred.
One of the passages of Scripture that we studied was Exodus 18. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law came to visit Moses in the desert. God sent Jethro along with Zipporah and her sons to Moses at a time when Moses really needed them. Jethro listened to how God worked through Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt. He rejoiced with Moses. Jethro stayed with Moses and observed Moses’ ministry to the Israelite people. He saw that what Moses was doing in carrying all the burdens of the people alone was not good for Moses. Moses needed others to carry the burden with him. Jethro advised Moses what he should do and told Moses to obey him. Moses did what Jethro advised by selecting men who were God fearing and trustworthy to help Moses in serving the Israelite people.
I related a lot to Moses in this passage of Scripture. I am sure that Moses felt overwhelmed and
even alone because of carrying the burdens of his people by himself. I myself have felt overwhelmed many times with trying to carry the burdens of those who I minister to upon my shoulders. Yet God sent Jethro to Moses. Likewise, God has sent many people to me throughout this past year just when I did not think I could take another step. You have lifted me up and bathed me in prayers. You have encouraged me. You have given me advice. I felt your support. Through it all God has shown me that I need to ask for help and that I do not have to carry the burden alone. This is the truth that I learned through this Moses in Exodus 18.
“And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
Exodus 18:22-23
PRAYER REQUESTS
Praise the Lord for our Women’s Retreat!
Praise the Lordfor Marcie and Amaya Cooper have arrived to the DR to join their family here!
Praise the Lordfor Susanna’s time here in the DR!
Praise the Lordfor his protection!
Prayfor my spiritual walk…growth.
Prayfor Cory as he returns back to the states to finish raising his support. He is hoping to be back to the DR full-time in July.
Prayfor the planning of our summer program and our summer intern program.
Prayfor Directors Retreat May 3rd-5th.
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