by Tina | Jun 6, 2015 | Devotional
This week I have been so thankful that I was born American. Being raised in a low to middle-class American family, I have had so many opportunities that 95% of the rest of this world have not.
As a child, my mom would tell me about starving children in other countries and I really wished I could send my oatmeal with raisins directly to them. I have never experienced true hunger , let alone starvation.
I have had the opportunity to learn, work, have a roof over my head. I have been able to home-school and then choose schools for our children that we felt were best for them. I have had reading materials readily available to me my entire life. I had a mother that read to me, and we read to our children.
I have always been patriotic, my favorite clothing choices have always, been red, white, and blue. I love the Statue of Liberty, our flag, the Liberty Bell, our soldiers, our country that was founded “Under God”. On 911 I felt personally violated, as I am sure many other Americans did.
With all of my patriotic thoughts this week I have also been reading in Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners. In Colossians 1:13-14 I read, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Did God give us all of this freedom, resources, privileges so that we could want more material things for ourselves? Did He give us the education and resources to just reach the people we WANT to talk to? No, He clearly didn’t. He didn’t make all of us to go. He made some of us to send, some to give, some to pray. He made us to work together. Living in this tribal Nigerian society has helped me realize how very independent we Americans are. I am thankful that God has given us partners that have heard God’s call to send us, support us financially, and pray for us. He put people into our lives that don’t know Him. They need the freedom that only comes from Jesus.
My point for today is this: How are you reaching the people God has placed in your life? That. Is. All.
by Tina | May 28, 2015 | Devotional
This week I have been struck with the realization, once again, that I love and live with an amazing man! I don’t want to be all braggy, but I do want to let you know what I see every day here in Nigeria.
I see a man who has stepped out of the world that he has known – business management in America. I see him, showing people how to fix something, or training them how to figure it out. I see him casting vision to leaders in what our organization needs to do and work toward to be a sustainable entity. I see him researching ways to do things better. I see him learning about solar and wind energy and generators and things he hasn’t been exposed to much so that he can help and teach others how to deal with these things. I also see him compassionately talking to a little child at the clinic. I see him preaching a wonderful message on parenting children and raising them to be Godly people. I see him talking each week to his parents and our children, being wise, funny, and loving. I appreciate and love him even more each day and marvel at how God is using him and changing him.
Don’t get me wrong, Dan has always been smart, funny, and adorable. I just see this now every day as we work together on some items, and separately on others. I see his willingness to learn, make mistakes, admit those mistakes, and laugh.
One of the concerns that we had in this Nigerian adventure is that I would be tired of being around Dan all the time. I am the type of person who does much better with some alone time every day and I really have been known in the past to need this. This has not a problem here in Nigeria. I enjoy every minute we get to spend together and love and appreciate him for this willingness to put his whole being out there to be used of the Lord.
I have no point for today other than do you know what it feels like to be sold out. I feel like I see it everyday in Dan.
by Tina | May 21, 2015 | Devotional
This picture is of our pharmacy staff in our pharmacy. I took it this morning as I was down at the Clinic for devotions and to visit with staff.
A man and his family came up to me and one of the counselors that was working with him interpreted for him. He wanted to talk to me. This man had a beautiful wife and 3 beautiful children. The counselor told me that he comes from about 7 hours away and has been for years. He said that he and his family get better care here and he wouldn’t go anywhere else. He, his wife, and their 9 year old son are HIV positive and the baby and the four year old are negative because of the counseling and medication that GECHAAN has supplied for them. Friends, this is a very unusual thing here because of the stigma associated with HIV. To say this out loud was very open and brave of him.
The man thanked me for being there and said he was so thankful for GECHAAN and what it has meant to his family and life. This was very humbling as I told him that great leaders and people, as well as God’s goodness are what has sustained GECHAAN to this point. I promised him that Dan and I would do our best with God’s help and a lot of praying partners to make sure that this ministry continues and grows far into the future.
Dan is in Yola (about 8 hours away) at a NACA meeting. This is a State run Nigerian AIDS organization and Dan told me last night that GECHAAN was the only NGO that was invited to this strategic planning and direction meeting in addressing AIDS for the future. Another humbling event.
Today I want to ask for your prayers. We have such wonderful, prayer warriors out there, I am so thankful! But, seriously, people, this is not humanly possible to move forward here. It has to be a God-thing!
I am praying God-sized miracles here in Nigeria. What job does He have for you, in your sphere of influence, in your life that can ONLY be done with God-sized help? Are you willing to take the first step to see what that is?
by Tina | May 14, 2015 | Devotional
This week I want to talk a little bit about our ability to strive. Do we strive in our own power or what are we putting our trust in? Here is a picture of one of the goofy goats that belongs to one of the guards here. These things are hysterical! I don’t care how big or small the goat is, they love to climb! Apparently God made them that way! You can frequently see them standing on the highest thing that they can find looking like they are king of the world!
This morning in devotions I read about Jeremiah and this verse stuck out to me “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV). Do you know that this applied to Jeremiah but it also applies to you too? Isn’t that amazing that God set us apart, He loves us, He knows much better than us what we are capable of doing with His guidance, love, and help!
I have no idea how this goat got on this stump, I am also “stumped” sometimes because of the things God does after me thinking they were impossible! Got something you think is impossible? God knows your skills, talents, and capabilities. Who knows what you can do relying on God’s guidance and direction?
My point for today is this: Are you going to do what He has planned for you to do or are you going to sit there and watch someone else do it?
by Tina | May 8, 2015 | Devotional
We sang the song, “A Shelter in the Time of Storm” this week during one of our staff devotions. This started me thinking on something that I have really noticed is different here in Nigeria compared to Minnesota. Here is a picture taken from under a beautiful tree in our front yard.
In Nigeria trees are part of the natural resources that serve a number of purposes. If it is raining, it protects you a bit from the rain. If it is hot, it provides shade when it is hard to find anything that isn’t hot. Here in Gembu, we have a lot of eucalyptus trees. These trees are strong and very tall. Some farmers and ranchers have planted these trees in rows and have attached their fence to the trees. It is much harder to break through a fence that way and provides a natural barrier. A young man is building a home on the property behind the Clinic area and he asked if he could cut a few of our trees to use as rafters in his house. In many villages, the town meeting place is under a big tree. Our favorite mechanics “shop” is under a tree.
This week we have also had rain. One evening it was so loud in the house Dan and I couldn’t hear each other talk. We were very thankful for the sound, secure house to keep out the storm!
I am so thankful that we as Christians do have a shelter when life gets stormy. Problems with relationships, jobs, finances? Jesus knows and there is much peace that even though the situation may not have changed, it is a comfort and true shelter to know that you are not alone in life’s storms. I also got to thinking about how we as Christians CAN be a shelter for those that don’t know our Jesus. Are we willing to help? Do we lend a listening ear? Do we display grace in every situation? Do your loved ones AND others consider you a source of wise, non-judgmental, yet truth-speaking counsel? I pray daily for this, as this is not something that comes natural to us
humans!
My point for today is this: If you know Jesus as your true shelter, how are you showing Jesus to your world? Is there something supernatural about how you handle what life throws at you?
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