Drinking from the Living Water

Sorry if this blog post gets a little wordy. The Lord's just been teaching me a lot, and I wanted to share it with you! This past week, I have beeing reading the biography of Hudson Taylor, who was the first missionary to pioneer the way to inland China. I have been learning so much through his life and his legacy. And it's been exactly what I needed to read at this time of my life.

Since I've come to Rwanda, I've had this constant need in my bones to DO something while I'm here... to serve God. This past week I've seen, that although this desire isn't bad, it shouldn't be my utmost desire or the place where I find all my fulfillment. The Lord's been showing me that I need to STOP striving and to simply ABIDE in Him and soak in His presence. Hudson said, "I am no longer anxious about anything as I realize this; for He, I know, is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest position He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient." God is fully capable of carrying out His will, and He allows me the privilege of being a part of the process. In His time, and His way, I know that He will unfold the plan He has for me here. In the meantime, I will rest in the Faithful One.

In his biography, Hudson talked a lot about John 7:37-38, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The verb "drink" in this verse literally means a continual, constant drinking. A constant going to Him every time our soul feels thirsty. Hudson Taylor found this promise tried and true. After his wife, who was 30, died along with three children, he said, "Twenty times a day, perhaps as I felt the heart-thirst coming back, I cried to Him. 'Lord you promised! You promised me that I should never thirst.' And whether I called by day or night, how quickly He came and satisfied my sorrowing heart!" Although Rwanda has been wonderful in so many ways, it's been rather lonely here. But I'm learning to go to Christ every time I have that "heart-thirst", and He does... He satisfies time and time again.

Here's another quote from Hudson that I find so encouraging: "What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul-yearnings-Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet. He promises me rest. He promises to alleviate my thirst. He promises that all who trust in Him, out of him shall flow streams of Living Water. Can it be? Can the dry and thirsty one not only be refreshed-the parched soil moistened, the arid places cooled-but the land be so saturated that springs well up and streams flow down from it?"

So much wisdom. I just want to soak it up! Every hard thing we face in our lives is only an opportunity to drink more of Christ. An opportunity to see His promises fulfilled in our lives. An opportunity to know Him more. For that reason, we can be "thankful for each occasion which drives us to drink ever more deeply of the Living Water."

Anyway, the Lord has already been teaching me a lot here, and I am excited to see what more He has in store.

And, since I love pictures... I had to share more pictures from my life recently. I just got back from a safari. It was the first time I had been outside of Kigali, and I was SO thankful to have a chance to see more of the beauty of Rwanda. It really is incredible! Here are some pictures from that, plus a few more :)



This is where I walk just about every day. I live right down the road from this charming cobblestone street!

 

This meal made me a pretty happy girl! It's no American pizza and Dr. Pepper, but it will subside the cravings for now :)
 

So... I met my neighbor's monkeys! I went to the wrong house TWO times, and they didn't know English, so I had to try to act out, "Do you have monkeys?" Thankfully, laughter is a universal thing. I finally got to the right house, and they were so nice. Who says you can't make friends when searching for monkeys?? I ended up staying at their house for a couple hours just to talk. Unfortunately, the monkeys are undomesticated, so I didn't get to hold them, but I did get to feed them! Example that these monkeys were undomesticated: after this picture was taken, the monkey grabbed hold of my hair and yanked my head into the cage. My life flashed before my eyes, but thankfully I got my hair back! Moral of the story... wear a pony-tail when visiting your neighbor's monkeys.


 

The start of the safari! SO green!

oh, just GIRAFFES behind me. No big deal.

this one's for you Christie :)

If I was a water buffalo...

three of the other teachers I work with and live with: Pat, Magda, and Sarah

Honestly, so beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice.

Ha, I don't know if this hippo was trying to be camoflauged with the green on his back or what!

the coolest flowers!

our welcoming committee ALL the way to the park. How I love being in the villages!  

May the Lord God bless you richly this week as you drink of Him!