November is almost over?

Hi everyone!
I can't believe November is almost over. Well there's one more week, but it feels like time is just flying by.

I'm still teaching at Namwianga twice a week and the girls seem to really be embracing and understanding what I am teaching them. I pray that they will guard their hearts with all their might and trust the God will bring them the right man at the right time. I'm not just teaching against our human temptation to sin sexually, but also how the culture here in Zambia has been for a long time. Teaching them that is it okay and even good to say no seems to be so freeing to them. :) I love it.

My Sunday school class is also flourishing. The other week we had 80, yes EIGHTY, youths there! Now granted youths here are from age 11 or 12 up to age 35 so that increases the percentage of the church population that I get for Sunday school. :) We are studying Hebrews 11 looking at why the men listed in it were men of great faith. Every week we review all the people we've already learned about so that it helps stick with them more than just on one Sunday morning. I have them ask two questions every week to themselves. The first is what will I be remembered for? When I leave this place (Kalomo in their case), what will people remember me for? The second question then is, "Will I be remembered for my faith?" I have them simplify the people we look at down to one thing that they are remembered for. I am trying to help show them that what they do now, who they are now will have a great impact on their future. Who are they choosing to be now and how do people remember them? They seem very attentive for the most part and are getting more use to answering questions so it's definitely an encouragement to me.

My Saturday afternoon youth Bible Study at the church is still on the smaller size. I like it though because I feel like I am getting to know those who are coming better. I usually print something off for them so they can take notes/answer questions/fill it out and they seem to really like that. :) The church keeps trying to lecture the youth into coming on Saturday. I don't know that if I got yelled at every week I would really feel like coming either. I am trying to encourage the ones I do see in town during the week to come on Saturday and it seems those I meet with personally are more committed to also coming on Saturday.

Mutali and I are still meeting weekly for discipleship. She is very bright and starting to see that God has unique, special plans just for her - even as she is here in Kalomo studying to take her grade 12 exams again. It's an inbetween stage that many youth struggle in. They finish school, but want to get better grades on their grade 12 exam so they can get into the university they want to, in the major they want to - so they study for a year and take the tests they want to again. But then it's another YEAR before they get the results back so there's this year or two where they don't really have any focus. It's really hard for a lot of them to apparently get back on track because they spend a year or two just sitting around and then it's hard to get back into being a full time student or working full time again. They definitely need all of our prayers that God would use their unique abundance of time to get involved in the things He wants them to.

I am also starting to meet with another young lady, Memory. We have just started to hang out, but she also is very quick. :) I am excited to get to know her more and to possibly have the honor of discipling her.

Other than that I have been getting more into my artwork again. I am currently working on a mural that's an entire length of one of the walls in my room. I'm really liking how it's turning out. I feel so blessed to have time again to do these kinds of things and it makes me thankful so much more for how God has lavished blessings into me. I certainly don't feel that I deserve the gifts He's entrusted me with. I pray that I will be faithful to finding how He wants me to use them every day.

Well I should get going. I have some finance work to do. I wanted to get this out and up though as it seems my blog lost my last blog from the other week. I miss you and love you all! As much as I am enjoying my time here I am excited to coming home to all of you! Please pray that I would know when exactly I should come home. I'm tossing around some different possibilities, but really just want to know what God wants me to do. Okay, for real, I'm going now. I have loved all your encouragements, questions, and stories. They help me feel more connected to home. I pray you are all doing wonderfully and gearing up for the holidays with an expectation for God to show up in the midst of them! Because if we look for Him we'll be surprised how much He plans little things just to show us how much He loves us.

By God's Grace & For His Glory,
Abbie Morehead

P.S. There's a bunch more pictures on Facebook of all my adventures here in Zambia! If you don't have Facebook and want to see them, either ask your kids to let you on theirs ;) or let me know and I will try to get them up on another site as well.

November 5, 2009

I've found a god groove in my work. I know I've found a good groove when it doesn't feel like I'm working that much, but my weekly work hours report says I'm putting in over fifty hours per week.

Teaching at Namwianga is still proving to be a challenge, but the girls are really just soaking it in so I do feel this is where I'm suppose to be. They cancel classes and change the schedule so much, but don't find it necessary to tell me. In some ways I'm upset, but on the flip side it allows me to just show and say I'm going to meet with my girls at the normal time... I think have a schedule is just so important for communicating the importance of what's being taught and at the same time teaching the students responsibility for following a schedule. So I continue to show up and they continue to say okay, we'll go get the girls and tell them they're still meeting with you. :)

I know that Satan does NOT want me to share the truth with these girls - he desperately doesn't want them to be free and to know the love they crave can only be found in God. God loves each of them so so much and has plans for each of them. I know that I am making Satan angry by sharing about sexual purity with these girls because they are being empowered to stand up against the sexual sin that has weaseled it's way into the Zambian culture.

Even though the lack of organization and communication on the administrative level at the school astonishes me, I know that I just need to be faithful to what god has called me to do and that He will take care of the rest. I want to be more prayerful too over these girls. I want them to be covered in prayer, but I know the will only happen if I take the initiative to pray for hem. Even here I find myself getting "busy" with tasks... getting things done which I have something tangible to show for. Prayer is hard for me because I don't have anything tangible to show for it most times. Yes, God answers prayers and His provisions daily I know are answers to prayer, but other things like writing curriculum, working out, making journals for girls, going and meeting with people... those things others see as works I am doing. But I know that those things - those tasks - should not be my focus. Relationships and my relationship with Christ should be first priority. It's easy to get caught up in the tasks because pretty much everything we do here is considered missions work. I've lately just been convicted to be in prayer much more than I am... to make it the way of my life - not just part of my life - but that my legacy would be one of prayer. Prayer is such a powerful weapon and God longs to meet with each of us. Will you join me in committing to live a life of prayer? If we do I know we will see so much more that God has planned for us all along!