HOPE

           On Wednesday we were getting ready for our “Revival” church service and the power went out because of the rain. The women in the house were still making dinner, we still needed to eat, and get ready. Everyone got out there headlamps and flash flights and tried to put the flashlights on our food so we could see what we were eating. We were waiting around waiting to leave and the service started at 7pm and it was 7:30pm. We have somewhat gotten used to being late to our own church service that we put on, I guess its normal here. We asked bishop if the service was still on even without the electricity and he said to pray about it and if it turns on we will have the service and if it doesn’t we will just stay home. The team headed over to the church and prayed for electricity! People started showing up despite the darkness! We prayed and opened up with the song “The Heart of Worship” that goes: When the music fades, and all is stripped away, and I simply come. Longing just to bring, something that’s of worth, that will bless your heart. I’ll bring you more then a song, for a song in itself, is not what you have required. You search much deeper within through the way things appear, you’re looking into my heart. I’m coming back to the heart of worship and its all about you, its all about you, Jesus.  This song is perfect for coming back to the heart of worship and worshipping God without comfortable chairs, air conditioning, instruments, microphones, or even lights! Towards the end of the song the lights turned on! I got a handful of FAITH that I needed! That night God met me where I was at and I am just reminded of his unconditional love for his daughter. I found a verse in 1 peter 4:12-13 and it say’s “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But REJOICE that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be OVERJOYED when his GLORY is REVEALED.” Another thing I realized today is that my FAITH needs to be strengthened! I want faith that we can talk to Halema, (the muslim lady I met) about Jesus and that we can welcome her into the gates of heaven! Romans 5:1-5 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have PEACE with God through or Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into the grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the HOPE of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice IN our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” This just gives me hope because as I’m discouraged about talking with people while going door to door and really craving to build relationships and tell people about Jesus I felt satan giving me doubts and making me feel not good enough to be at the spot I’m at now and tell people about Christ. I can think of times when I was suffering and it’s so hard to find deliverance through Christ DURING our suffering because we don’t have faith to see what the trial is doing to benefit our lives. Romans 5 say’s, we rejoice “IN” our suffering not “BECAUSE OF” our suffering. Trials and suffering bring character and we should be thankful at the character God wants us to be and the way he brings up to that place. Verse 5 say’s “Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his LOVE into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Paul moved from faith, to hope, to love because the past action brings a present status. Through my lack of faith I was brought to suffering because I’m hard on myself and having God meet me where I am gives me HOPE. Hope that can give me the courage to not be ashamed of the Gospel! Wooo! Romans 8:24-27 says, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit  himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with Gods will. Wow sorry I wrote so much! Much love from Kenya! Miss you all!
-kk<3
 
“God will strengthen you… so that you will not give up when troubles come… And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you able to have a share in all that He has prepared for His people in the kingdom of light.”
-Colossians 1:11-12