Mozambique 🇲🇿

May 23- June 7

Mozambique was life changing. Emotionally, spiritually and physically.

I had the privilege of speaking to the church in Mozambique before we left thanking them for their time. This is what I said:

“Every time I come to Africa it feels like home. And this time was no different.

I was so impacted by the church and these people. It’s so powerful to come into this church and have prayer be the center of worship. Where the children pray just as much as the adults. Where the service begins in intersession. And is full of prayer. Something that God has been teaching me is to be disciplined. Disciplined in prayer, in my thoughts, in my life and in my actions. It’s on my heart to pray without ceasing and constantly think and see Jesus in all things.

Sometimes being disciplined does not look how we think it ought to.

As we went to our host family’s I was reminded that the pace of life doesn’t have to be fast. We need to take time to be interruptible in our daily life. Whether that’s taking time to pray with someone at the grocery store or on the street, or praying over each plate of food that gets prepared or every dish that gets washed. I’ve learned over my time here that prayer is the center of discipline. I see the ministry thriving because of how many people are faithful in prayer. And that is going to prepare me as I take on a new season of ministry when I go back home next week.”

And as I reflect on my time there now months later, I see what a blessing that trip has been. I still keep in contact with the team that I went with and we still pray for each other. I was in kind of a difficult spot when I went on that trip I had just gone through a break up and really didn't feel like myself. When I began the trip there it was more of a chore to serve than it usually is. But somehow that's right where God needed me because my team mates encouraged me in ways that I had no idea I needed encouragement in. And built up my character in ways that I didn't see in myself. Isn't it crazy how when you want someone to encourage you it feels fake and forced. It doesn't feel genuine. But then when someone encourages you when you're least expecting it or gives you a compliment on a bad day you dwell on that. You allow that one moment of encouragement to uplift your day. And then in the same way if something negative happens we allow that to be the one thing that ruins our whole day, our whole mood, maybe even our week. It got me thinking, what if we continually dwelt on encouragement and on thoughts of prayer. How much more would that not only encourage you but others around you? The Bible says "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." We are called to change our thinking. So that means we first need to adjust our hearts. Because where your mind is there your heart will be also. That's what Mozambique taught me most. Was to be disciplined in my thoughts as well as my actions. Because I can get up at 5:00 in the morning and make my bed and do my devotional and pray everyday but if my thoughts aren't dwelling on Him throughout the day it doesn't make a a single difference what i did in the morning. So i must first be disciplined in my prayers and then in my thoughts so that I can obey His commands. The prayers of the people in Mozambique and the people on my team showed me the fruit of what that truly looks like.