I’m really sorry that it has been awhile since I have updated you all, but I am still alive and well! haha!
(Some of the things you are going to read I know I have said before, but I am just sharing my heart; However, it is a little more detailed.)
When I was living in Redding, California, in 2010, I was pouring my heart out to the Lord one night. I told him with a face covered in tears, “God I don’t want to be a missionary without a partner. I am asking you as a son that you would give me a woman, and not just any woman. I want a woman who loves you more than life itself, who lives a life of purity, who is full of peace, who will love me and want to be with me, and who will minister with me and not just sit an watch (I did go on, but I will keep the rest to myself for the sake of the length of this blog post, because I could right a book). Then I told Him, but God I want your will... so have your way.”
In 2011 I went to the Harvest School of Missions in Pemba in obedience, and days before I flew out to Africa the Lord spoke to me when I was just sitting reading the Bible, “Andrew, by the end of this year you will meet the woman i have prepared for you to marry.” I responded “WHAT!? ... That sounds way to much like my heart.” So I proceeded to ask the Lord for the next 10 minutes “God... was that you? was that you?” haha! Then He said, “Andrew, do you trust me?” and I said, “Yes, Lord I trust you.” then He replied, “Well, Trust me.” I laughed and pondered what He said in my heart. I have the best Daddy in the whole world! And He always keeps His promises!! So by the end of 2011 I was dating Dira, and 8 months later we are engaged and planning a wedding for 2013 in America!!! She is everything I have ever wanted in a woman and more.
As christians, we therefore are co-reigning with him. Sometimes we can get in this pattern of asking God “What’s your will, what’s your will?”, and we don’t listen to Him asking us, “What do you want? What do you want?”
When our delight is in the Lord, He wants to give us our hearts desires (I am not just talking about finding a spouse). When we obey His commands we move out of being slaves and position ourselves as friends of God.
Dira and I are aiming to get married on February 2nd in Knoxville, Tennessee. We want to leave Pemba and go to Knoxville on December 10th of this year, then get married in Feb., then go on our honeymoon (we want to go to Hawaii), then we want to spend a few months in the states to just be with each other before we rush back to Africa, and then we need to get back to Pemba.
The funny thing is we don’t have any money to do any of this haha! However, Our Daddy in heaven does, and we believe He wants this to happen more than we do. We will see what He does. If you would like to pray for us and for all if this please please do. Our immediate needs are two plane tickets to the states, but before that Dira needs to get her visa to the states in Maputo (the capital of Mozambique). This whole thing together is a perfect recipe for God to work the biggest financial miracle Dira and I have ever experienced. Feel free to jump on board and be apart of this wild ride.
Moving on to current life in Pemba.
I have recently transitioned to work more with Casa Chover (the boys ages 12-15), but i am still helping out with Jimmy. I am just emphasizing on Chover. (Chover means rain in portuguese). That transition has been quite difficult, so i am trying to do it as slow and as smooth as possible. At the same time relationships with all of the boys in general are growing stronger. Some people might agree with the approach of coming in with rules, rules, and more rules. I however, am taking the approach of building relationships and then out of a place of love and understanding for each other we will see the practical things get dealt with. The problem isn’t a messy room, dirty clothes, or lazyness. The problems are heart problems, and those are dealt with by love, attention, and relationship. If I make rules because of the physical symptoms (I.E, A dirty room) than I am only medicating the issues and prolonging real healing from happening, and I believe real healing comes through love. God is love. God is the healer.
I am going to be honest and tell you that it is ridiculously challenging, and it is easy to get discouraged. However, I have the Author of all things going before me and backing me up, so that is encouraging haha!
Now, I want to tell some stories!
One of the Mozambican staff here at Iris Ministries has a daughter that is very sick with AIDS. One week 3 others and I went into the village to pray for her. We arrived at the house and met all the family. We went in the house to the room where the daughter, whose name is Victoria, was laying on a bed. She is so skinny, I won’t go into detail, but it is a heart wrenching sight. Her veins have shrunk so small that she can’t receive the medical drip that was given to her, so that is why she was extra weak and sick. We began with praising Jesus in the local tribal language, Makua. It was beautiful. Then we started to pray furiously over Victoria, furious at the disease that has afflicted her too long. (I want to pause and just say... her name means Victory. I believe she will have victory over AIDS.) I was overwhelmed with compassion for this girl. I was kneeling in a puddle of tears by the end. After we finished we sat down, and that is when the mom had told us about her veins being too small to receive the drip. After she said that I said out loud not really giving to much thought to it, “Well, I command her veins to get bigger in the name of Jesus.” Then we left. A week later I was informed that the next morning she received the drip!!! That means HER VEINS GOT BIGGER! HAHA! JESUS!!!
We went back to past week to pray again. After we prayed and left... we were told that her dad took her outside and she was able to sit up in a chair by herself!!! haha!! We will see AIDS dealt with, and we will see Victoria healed!!!
One more!
Yesterday, 3 others and I went to eat with a lady and her family in a village next to the base, this lady works and provides for 9 people... she is the only one who works. It is a sad story. We came in and had lunch together, talked, and laughed. Then we prayed over a boy who had asthma. I am believing he is healed. (I have seen God heal 2 people with asthma in the past.) Then I noticed that the baby there had something on his wrist that looked like witchcraft (A black chord with a stone attatched). We asked the mom about it and she said it was from the witch doctor to make sure the baby doesn’t get asthma. We explained why needed to cut it off the baby, and why we as christians don’t need to go to the witch doctor. She agreed that we should cut it off, so we did. Then I had them burn it, just like the people in Acts 19:19 did! HAHA! It was so fun!!!! Lunch and freedom is always good!
Thank you all so much for your continuing prayers and support!!! You all are amazing and none of this could happen without you. Words cannot describe my deep gratitude.
I pray that you all experience the love of the Father in news ways, and grow to deeper levels of intimacy with the King. Blessing and Increase.
Love,
Andrew
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