“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7 NIV
So far I’ve been sharing a lot of highlights – and to be fair, there have been and still are quite a few of them! This week, though, I want to share some struggles I and my team have dealt with, and the ways the Lord has been so good through it all.
Thing 1: The first weekend we went into Antigua, there was actually a massive windstorm back up in the mountains – the worst one our hosts said they’d seen in a LONG time – that blew all our tents down the mountain. 🙃 (We found this out as we were driving back to Prayer Mountain for the week!) Our tents got a little banged up, but nothing too bad in the end. My tent was the worst off of everybody’s from what I know, and even that was really just a few rips and holes in the fabric. For how bad the storm sounded, it could have been a lot worse – the tents are certainly still livable for now! And that’s really what’s needed, just a place to sleep up on the mountain.
In the moment, it was rough, I won’t lie. The thought of living in a beat-up, ripped tent for another 6 weeks was NOT comforting or exciting, and I was certainly frustrated and “why am I here”-questioning as I set my tent back up. But as He so often does, the Lord has been redeeming even this. Day by day I realize more of how I get to see the beauty of His creation and be surrounded by His faithfulness in so many little but worthwhile things; night by night I’ve been able to see the vibrant stars, and sleep despite the cold of the mountain. It’s a different way of living, no doubt; but that’s the heart of the Race in a lot of ways. As we learned at training camp, some things (in a culture sense and, in this case, lifestyle sense) aren’t wrong, they’re just different.
Thing 2: On Tuesday this week, we got back to Prayer Mountain after a long, dusty ministry day and were informed that we had no water. Now, some background for this: we actually do have a bathroom with a toilet, shower and sink, and another sink by our kitchen area, all up on the mountain. This has been such a blessing to have while living in a place often covered in dust. So to come back dirty and ready for a shower and to have that be impossible was definitely a subversion of our expectations! The water ended up not being pumped until the next morning, and the rest of the week we had a lot more limited water than previously. Again, it was a struggle at first, but it wasn’t as bad as it first seemed. We had enough water to cook and wash dishes – we even got 2-minute showers per person, which was so helpful just for the sake of getting some dust off before bed!
Thing 3: On Thursday, while taking a water break from digging on the mountain, I helped Josie get some water for a couple of horses that were crowding us (because, we presumed, they were wanting water). And then… one of them kicked me in the thigh and I fell probably 3 feet backwards and down the mountain. It wouldn’t have been that bad if not for the fact that my foot got stuck on a piece of wood sticking out of the ground as I fell. Thus the rest of Thursday I couldn’t really walk on it because it was so badly bruised, which is a problem when you’re staying on a mountain full of uneven, steep pathways. HOWEVER, I’m including this event because I HAVE A TESTIMONY TO SHARE! On Thursday night, my team prayed over me for healing. The next day, I could walk on that foot. It still hurt, for sure, but it was a massive improvement from the day before, and so much faster healing than just a regular night of sleep would have brought about. Even this weekend has had more improvement; I’ve been walking around Antigua with only a bit of pain here and there. The bruise that was purple immediately after I fell is no longer even visible after just a few days. The Lord is good, He is gracious, and He still heals!!!
Why do I share these things? Let me be clear, this is not to complain or compare. I just want to show and share how God gives us peace through storms, especially when they are storms that occur as a part of being within His will for us. These experiences are my deepened understanding of that. There is a PEACE that makes no sense even as I experience it. Somehow the Lord has enabled me to walk through all of these things as if they were normal – which for right now, they are, so that’s just more of His grace! Despite all the crazy things that have happened already, His peace assures me that this is where I need to be in this season. And it’s His peace that then allows me to be grateful and joyful in the midst of the chaos. God is good!!
“Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalms 103:1-5 NIV
