The other day ,while we were in the Masaaii tribe, a few of us girls on the team were reading, talking and journaling when a little African girl, from the tribe, came and sat down next to us. She was so willing to watch us, listen to us, smile with us, and just do whatever we were doing. We could tell that she wanted to be like us, she wanted to go where we were going and she trusted everything we told her. I couldn't help but look at the pure adoration, trust, obedience and love she had for us and beg God for that kind of love. Her child-like love and faith was both so innocent and pure. When I looked at her more, I realized all the dirt on her body, cracks in her skin, cuts from the sharp ground on her tiny, bare feet, flies all around her little head and dirty hair braids. Wow, this is really how I should look like to God because of all my mistakes, junk from this world and disobedience to him daily. Instead, Jesus Christ looks down on me with a perfect love. A love that knocks me off my feet. A love that never fails or gives up. A love that fills me up completely.
After I remembered the perfect love my heavenly Father pours out on me, I grabbed some wipes and washed her little face off from dirt and boogers, I washed her hands from long days working in cow manure and mud, and I cleaned her little feet from the cuts and scrapes she had from walking acres and acres with no shoes. This is exactly what Jesus Christ does for my sins everyday! He washes away the cuts of my heart and the smell of my pride and anger. I'm changed by the example of this little African, Massaai girl who reminded me in such a deep way how perfect and wonderful the love of God is.
Leaving the Massaai tribe on September 17th was harder than any of us ever imagined. I thought leaving the Massaai would be easy because we would be leaving to go live in the city, Naivasha, where we would have running showers, toilets, beds and many other things that make us feel more comfortable. Boy, was I wrong about leaving being easy! Those first two weeks in the tribe, God worked so many things out in our hearts. He broke down so many walls, and he began the process of turning our eyes from the world and onto Him! The world will never satisfy, but thankfully God is the true satisfier! His love has moved us to be different, to be pure and blameless before Him. In moments of discomfort, our perfect, Heavenly Father became our TRUE comfort. When we were sleeping at night with hyenas roaming the land around us, God became our TRUE protector. When we were craving more food or even something that tasted American, God became our TRUE daily bread! In ALL things we know that we are more than conquerers through Jesus Christ! I know now that one of the reasons I'm here is because God is such an amazing and romantic Savior that He wanted to buy me a plane ticket to Africa so that he could show me just how absolutely AMAZING and fulfilling His love is!
Kayla
