PRAISE AND CELEBRATION! SUNDAY

PRAISE AND CELEBRATION!

SUNDAY

Roughly two thousand eager worshipers gather under a metal pavilion, lifting up the name of Jesus!  What a joy to enter into that praise with our sisters and brothers at Life Center!  Praise and worship lasts for several hours sometimes, but you don’t think of the time.  Praise flows into praise.  Apollinaire, the worship leader, does an amazing job of leading the body into God’s presence, reverently, sweetly.  Anticipation builds and crescendos into a celebration of praise!  You feel totally enveloped in His presence, in His joy.

Ironically, they were hosting an American pastor as guest speaker.  He is in Africa for a three- week tour, sharing in several countries, but this was his first time in Burundi.  He is part of Barnabas Ministries and shared about encouragement and persistence.  Response time is always one of thankfulness and celebration for all the Lord has done and will do. We were able to visit a little bit with Apollinaire and some of those at Life Center we have come to know.  It is always so good to reconnect!  The CA and FL team had to leave church to head to the airport for their journey home.  They have had a wonderful experience here, most being here for the first time.  We pray for their safe return home and all that they have seen and heard here will forever burn in their hearts, and that they will share it with many others.

We were able to have lunch by the lake today, and it was so refreshing to sit by the beach, watching and listening to the crash of waves, which were particularly high today.  What beauty!  Just being there for a while was so tranquil and renewing.  Walking along the sand we are reminded of His power and His creative beauty.

Tonight we pray in great anticipation for the week ahead.  The leadership retreat begins tomorrow.  We will have the 12 women of the staff staying together at the Swiss Mission.  They have never had the opportunity to have any kind of extended time together or retreat, so there is so much anticipation for this.  There will be deep heart work in the next few days as we each look inside our personal stories, share with one another and seek healing and refreshment from the Lord.  The prayer is that by doing so, they will be better equipped to hear, respond and minister to those who come to Homecare with huge wounds and in despair.  We are confident that Lord is going to be with us in a mighty way; we are excited!  We also know the enemy would love nothing more than to disrupt and prevent His work being carried out, so please stand with us against any of his attempts.  We know His plans are good; His plans will not be thwarted, and we are here, asking Him to use us fully so that we may all experience Him in a fresh way – the ultimate goal, that He is glorified.