• May. 6, 2007
Caring for the Prisoner
Prison Fellowship, which is a non-profit agency supporting prisoners and sharing with them the love of Jesus Christ, is offering a chance for moms on the outside to send an e-card of support to moms in prison. Now, this little gesture won't solve their problems, but maybe it will lighten their load a bit to know that someone cares for them and is praying for them. I encourage you to go here and send an e-card. Then pray for the person who will be receiving it.
"'For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly, I say to you to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me.'"
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• Nov. 3, 2006
Humbled
I'm on the women's leadership team at our church. One of our honorary members this year is a woman who has served in Africa with missions for many years. Each month this year (she's on furlough), Connie shares about one of the women that she works with in Ghana. Today she shared with us about "F". .
F is a young 24 year old woman who was raised in a muslim family. She was away from her family for five years as a child living as a slave to another family,
obviously not being allowed to attend school. When she was returned home, she was allowed to go to school, but was unable to afford it. My friend Connie and her husband supported her financially to get into the school. She was far, far behind (she was a 13 year old and in "second" grade). So far she has completed school through junior high. Some years ago, she wanted to attend a nearby church but she didn't think her muslim mother would allow her to. She waited until her mother was out of the house and then took her sister and two friends to the church. Hearing of this, two of her brothers came, entered the church, went up to the front row where F and the other girls were sitting and started beating them in the face with sticks. The men in the church interevened and F and the other girls were allowed to stay and given medical care. Eventually F and her mother became followers of Jesus. F recently withstood a harrowing experience in which she was to become the "bride price" for her brothers who wanted to get married. They attempted to abduct her from her home and family and take her several hours away to another remote village where she would be sold as a slave to a family in order for her brothers to obtain brides.
I sat in the meeting this afternoon listening to my new friend Connie share about F and her daily trials in following Jesus, her trials in just surviving life as a woman in a third world country. I wept for F. I will pray for F. But I also grieved for myself because of my absolute self-centeredness. So often I take for granted my education, my home, my food, my Chrisitan heritage, my wonderful church. I take for granted my Bible and my safety. I was humbled to sit in the presence of my friend Connie, who takes the sweet message of Jesus to this desperate area, to these desperate ladies.
Please pray for our leadership team who has the potential to visit and meet these ladies that we're learning about and praying for each month. We could potentially travel to Ghana in 2008. What an awesome privilege to even think about meeting these sweet sisters in Christ who daily persevere in the face of suffering.
