Proclaiming His Name

Hello everyone and happy fall to you!

It is a nice day today but last week there were a few very ‘wintery’ fall days here.  There was even some snow for a couple days! The word for snow is ‘snek’.  The snow was very pretty and I think I could have just stared out the window all day long.  It was not quite cold enough to stick to the ground so I didn’t mind walking around outside.  All semester it has been hard to imagine this land with a blanket of snow, but it will come soon enough I am sure.

Language is slowly making more sense. The other day in class we spent a couple hours asking each other questions like, “What are you doing?” “Where are you going?” “What will you do today?” etc., etc.  A local friend has taken the time to have tea with us and go over the homework our teacher gives in class. Every day before we leave our class teacher says, “Know these things by heart. That is the only way to know Russian.” I believe that advice is no doubt the wisest thing she has said. Six months is not near enough time to learn this language, but it is a privilege to begin learning it and ‘knowing it by heart’.

Some incredible things are happening here. We have continued to have good conversations with our Cardamom friends about love and life and the real Life-giver, but it is difficult because they are all guys.  We look for alternative ways to hang-out with them because it is not appropriate to host them in our rooms, which ends up being a good chance for them to get plugged into Student Life Camus M. and meet our local brothers. And PTL for them! They have just been such a blessing to connect our guy acquaintances with.

I’d like to introduce you to my friend Addie. She lives in my dorm; she is very intelligent young lady and loves English. I met her in the elevator one day and we have just cliqued. She has either been to our room or we have all gone to her room every night. We have had a lot of good conversations about love, family and life. Sara has talked with her a lot about her family. It seems her father is distant and not very loving. Sara has shared her story and talked of our heavenly Father quite a bit.

{One of my favorite salty conversations happened last night when we had music playing in the room and she asked about the artist, Josh Garrels. Sara explained that the artist is a brother and showed a video he made where he talked about love and the love of the Son. The pinnacle was when Addie asked, “What happened that this man believes in something so deeply? And how is he able to have a ‘year of Jubilee’ where he gave away his music for free?” My heart leaped for joy at just one more opportunity to tell of the Father’s goodness and truth. PTL for this artist’s passion for Father and for the chance to use his story in talking with our friend!}

Another great thing… Addie went with us to Sunday morning meeting!! We are studying Gen 3 and during the message, she asked some really good questions about following your heart and listening to Father. She said she really enjoyed it and wanted to go back! This is really exciting and usually hasn’t happened this fast, but I have a sneaky suspicion (call it the HS) that this friend will become a sister soon! I encourage you to be lifting her up and interceding for us in this. Also pray that we would have to words to say to her and she would have ears to hear.

Something else you can be talking with Dad about is sp. warfare. The night before Addie went with us to meeting; we all had a restless night, so much that we were physically and spiritually exhausted the next day. Things happened all night long and all I could do was pray. I heard voices and noises and physically swatted away things I believe were trying to attack me. The enemy really doesn’t like us being here and sharing the truth. He wants to snuff out our tiny little flickers of fires we have going in the dorm. Please be praying for our hearts and minds to be strong in the Father. Pray that while we are sleeping (and not fully on guard) that the HS and His angels would protect us and guard our rooms.

Thanks so much for always keeping me in your thoughts and talking to Dad for me and Gabi :)