During the bus ride, I read through John 4, 5, and 6. There were a lot of things I underlined and felt encouraged by, but chapter 4 was the best. In John 4, the story of the woman and the well comes alive. It's one thing to read this story while you're sitting in your comfy living room or sanctuary. But when you're in a country where people really do get their water from wells, the story takes on a whole new meaning. Then when that country also struggles with prostitution and polygamy, the story takes on even another meaning. The woman at the well was tired of having to go to the well to draw water. It's an exhausting journey. When women here go to the well to draw water, they wrap a scarf around their head and carry the jar over that. And the water is going into a clay pot. (In case you're wondering, those aren't light). So in verse 15, she says "sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water." She's tired of going back and forth for water. It would be so much easier if Jesus could just quench her thirst permanently. Little does she know what's going to happen next. Jesus tells her to bring her husband...well, she tries to play it off cool. "I have no husband" she says. Well, sorry lady. That's not going to help you with Jesus. He replies "you're right in saying that you have no husband. You have had five. And the man you are with now is not your husband." I can only imagine what her face looked like in that moment. Or what was going through her head. Probably something like : dang it! Not only does my community know and judge me for it, but even this man knows.
Anyways. Jesus doesn't condemn her (because, remember, 3:17 told us he didn't come to condemn but to save) but instead encourages her. She ends up going home and telling her family about what happened. This is another thing I understand way more when I'm over here. EVERYTHING is a family decision and commitment. I'll talk more about that later. This one meeting between herself and Jesus led them to believe in Christ. Then when he came and performed miracles there, they were able to say "now we believe for ourselves and not because of your testament." So cool!!!
Jesus works in amazing and mysterious ways, huh?
So that's it for my reflection on what I read. Now back to what I was saying about families. Everything over here is still a family decision. I remember a conversation last year, that left me so dumbfounded. Someone that's working with AIM (agape international missions) was telling me a story about a girl they went to talk to that was working in a brothel. She had the same story as most: her family needed money, and in order to provide the cash, she was selling her body. When AIM came in and told her about the opportunity to leave the brothel, learn a trade, and be successful in other ways, she seemed really interested. But she told them she would have to ask her mother first. They received word later that said she wasn't going to come. Guess why? That's right, because her mother didn't trust that money would come in if she stopped. So the girl stayed at the brothel!! She had a multitude of other things she could have done. She could have stopped herself from being molested every night. But instead of thinking all those things for herself, she stopped and respected the culture. She called her mom.
In some ways, that's something we should admire and strive for as Americans. To respect and honor our parents that much. I know every child knows they have work to do on that front. But at the same time, you just want to shake them and yell "Forget about your mom!! She's not looking out for what's best for you!"
Our prayer requests today:
- as we begin our first day of ministry tomorrow, I would ask you to pray for our hearts to be opened and full. That we would be prepared to give 115% every day for the next couple weeks.
- that God would open the hearts and minds of the people we're going to meet. Not everyone is on board for Jesus' word being spread.
- the staff at HBI (Hope Bible Institute) and the work they're doing. Church planting, teaching students, and spreading the word of God!
- and of course, keep praying that God will be with Nicole and I. That we won't run out of steam, and will be ready to go when the rest of the team leaves and we're on our own serving.
Thank you for being our prayer warriors! We are so blessed by you!
Xo
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