Answered Prayers

About a month ago, I sent out some prayer requests... and have recently been reflecting on some of those things and felt I should write a THANK YOU to those of you who have been praying.  God has answered prayers... some in ways I wouldn't have expected, but that's how He does it, isn't it? Know that your prayers are powerful and effective, and that they have brought blessing into my life and the lives of people here in Liberia.  Thank you for your ministry to us!  So here is an update...

Prayer:

--the nursing shortage:  please continue to pray for this!  new nurses have arrived (a couple of them are my roomies, and they are wonderful!!) but June marks the 'six month' mark for this year and many people are heading home in June.  So our staffing continues to be tight.  Please pray that God would strengthen and encourage and keep our hearts strong in the midst of physical tiredness.  And pray he would send more workers:).

Praise:

--a couple of weeks ago we had a "long weekend".  Sometimes this doesn't mean a break for the nurses, as the hospital doesn't stop, even when the surgeries do.  But this long weekend, the wards cleared out enough for lots of people to get some extra shifts off!  This was a MUCH needed and well timed break.  Thank you, Lord!!

Prayer:

--I think the middle of the outreach can be a time of exhaustion and potentially some discouragement on board.  We are heading into rainy season as well, so our sunshine may be dwindling a bit. Please pray for endurance through the middle stretch:)

Praise:

--we have had a vision team on board the ship recently as well as other guests.  as a result, we have received lots of amazing teaching and time of being ministered to by these pastors and teachers who have come to visit.  Praise God for providing much needed encouragement and refocusing to the body here!

Prayer:

--our times at the orphanage have been blessed and have also had some trial and error in how we approach our relationships with the girls and our time of studying God's Word with them.  Please pray that we would have wisdom in how to use the time we have with them, and please pray that we would be faithful to LOVE and to PRAY for them.  

Praise:

--as I mentioned in the previous blog, God is growing our relationships with the girls at the orphanage and we have gotten some good time together!  Praise Him for the gift of relationships and the privilege of getting to know some young women here on a deeper level!

Prayer:

--God is continuing to reveal so many things to my heart here.  I get more and more convinced that He brought me here to minister to me, rather than to have me minister to others.  But then, somehow, in ways beyond my understanding, it is not one thing or the other, but He works them all together, and that is beautiful.  That is God.  Please pray that I would know Him more and more... and I pray the same for you!

Praise:

--For greater peace, for clearer vision, for precious friendships, for meaningful work, for kindred spirits, for other cultures and different perspectives, for God's Truth that crosses cultures and perspectives, for time to be still and know that He is God.  There is much to praise Him for!

Thank you for your prayers!  It means so much more than you or I can even know:).