Last week was a very busy week for us. We taught every day, had to drive to East London (2 hours away) and back in a day, had a team meeting, various Bible studies, and an all night Youth Lock-in followed by another, FIVE hour team meeting the next day. I started off the week feeling in control and pretty good about it all, but as days went by, I began to experience this anxiety about everything. As soon as I would finish one thing, I’d realize I’d forgotten to work on something else. I felt the control slipping through my fingers and by Wednesday I wasn’t really sure WHAT I was supposed to be doing.

     I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to finish getting prepared for everything and something wouldn’t turn out right. I prayed and prayed, but could NOT get it through my head that it wasn’t my job to freak out about this. Wednesday night, after our Bible study with the Youth, I decided to go to bed, but to wake up at 4:45 the next morning so I could finish preparing for Thursday. (THAT right there should clue you in to my level of insanity!)

     We were going to Kenton and were teaching a class, then speaking to the 12th grade about choices. I got up at the right time, checked my e-mail, had my quiet time, went for a run, took a shower, ate breakfast and by seven-thirty I was ready to prepare my “speech” for the 12th grade. I had my Bible, I had my notebook, and a good supply of pens, I was ready to take control of the task at hand and was already beginning to feel better.
 
     About that time, I heard the phone ring. Megan answered. It was the Kenton school, they had moved their classes up earlier, so we had to leave immediately in order to get there in time. We drove to the school, taught our regular class, then headed to the 12th grade. I was so nervous because I’m just not an excellent speaker, and I had prepared NOTHING.

     Megan and I ended up simply sharing about what God had done in our lives and how He had directed our paths. It was amazing! God really just gave me the words to say, and the class was so receptive. They asked questions, and we really were able to give God the glory for what He has done in our lives. It was quite amazing, and it really taught me about trusting Him.

     In the end, I am doing nothing here. It is all what God is doing through me. Even if I teach and make a mistake, it is ultimately God, NOT me who is at work, and my mistakes must look very insignificant and easily overcome to Him. A verse He’s led me to recently is 2 Corinthians 12:9,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

     His power is made perfect in weakness. I rarely feel up to the task that God has called me to here, and sometimes I wonder why He did not call someone else. But he has been showing me that in my weaknesses, He is strong, and He receives the glory. Each day is about giving over control to the Lord, allowing Him to use me in whatever way He desires (this is NOT an easy thing, at least for me, but I would encourage each of you to give it a try!)

• The work at Joza. Each of our classes are really different, but pray that they all continue to open up more to us. Pray for relationships to form. Pray that we will be both wise and bold in our presentation of our material, and that ultimately, they will see God’s love for them, and realize their need for Jesus.
  
  Pray that God will give us chances to share with the kids individually. Also, pray for the Bible study there. The kids really do not have a solid understanding of the Bible and there is a lot of untruth being spread. Pray that God will help us to speak truth from God’s word, and that it will land on hearts that are ready to hear it.
   
• The work at Kenton. Pray for my class at Kenton. Megan and I teach separately in this school, and I think I ended up with the “trouble” class. They are not responsive really to what I say, and as soon as I walk into the classroom, I feel like they want me to leave. I know that what I am telling them is the truth, and that they need it, but pray that God will soften their hearts to what He is saying. Pray that He will allow me to form relationships with the kids, and that they will know how much I care about them, AND more importantly how much God loves them, and desires to have a relationship with them.
  
  Also, pray for the believers from the church there. They are really seeking God right now, and trying to reach out to their community, but there are some problems in the church which are discouraging. They do not have a pastor, and that is probably the hardest thing, because many of the problems stem from lack of organization or unity. Pray that God will raise up a pastor, and until then, that He will give the leaders wisdom.
   
• The work at Port Alfred. Right now we are just trying to finish up the HIV/AIDS videos. It has been slow going, and several weeks we have come, and no one else has shown up (that is just how it goes in Africa sometimes). Last night, we came and there were people there, but we ended up talking for 2 ½ hours and never got around to the actual video (also a very African kind of thing).
  
  Pray that God will continue to give the believers there a passion for reaching their community (I wish I could share more about last night, and the wonderful believers here, they really have touched my heart with their love for the Lord).
   
• The Youth Group in town. Many of them are desiring a deeper relationship with the Lord, but there is also a shallowness that exists in the group at times. Pray that they will be able to focus on God and realize what He wants for their lives. Its hard to describe how secular the area can be, and there is even some of this creeping into the church. Pray that the youth will be able to clearly see what God has said in His word about how to live.
  
  Also, pray for Jade, Nicolette, and Kerri. These three girls have not accepted Christ, but they are searching very hard. Pray that God would move in their lives as only He can, and that they would accept the grace He offers.
   
• Pray for Megan and I personally, that we would continue to seek God above all else (even above the things we do for Him). Pray that He would give us wisdom in how we use our time, and that everything that we do, we would do with the sole intention of bringing glory to Him. Pray for our relationship, that it would continue to grow stronger and that we would be a source of encouragement to each other.
   

     For God’s glory,

     heather

See some Photos from Heather Here