It was a long and hot dry season, but God has brought the rain to Mundri! We returned to a lush, green town. People are out in their gardens digging and planting and we are no exception. Larissa and Scott are hard at work planting fruits, vegetables, flowers, and experimenting to see what will grow in Mundri. Even Liana has her own small garden. Saturday I planted two rows of Moringa trees. I love the taste of Moringa leaves, and it won't be too long before the trees provide some shade. Even the Moringa seeds can be used for water treatment.
Seeing everything growing around me, I realized that in some ways my spiritual life has mirrored the weather in Mundri. During the dry season, I was weary, tired, and spiritually dry. In God's providence, I then had the opportunity to travel in Europe and be blessed by nice hot showers, comfortable beds, and great food. As the rains started in Mundri, God placed people in my life to pour into me. I had wonderful conversations at the WHM conference with older women who have walked through many desserts and seen God faithful through them all. I was encouraged by other single women serving God in Europe in a completely different context, but facing similar struggles. I laughed a lot with new friends and connected with friends from my sending church in Richmond.
I was even blessed by wonderful conversations with Larissa. I have lived with Larissa for over a year now in tight quarters in Sudan, but during the dry season we hadn't been connecting or encouraging each other in the same ways we had during the last rainy season. Especially after we moved to the new land with more personal space, we each in certain ways retreated to our new spaces.
I came alive as the World Music Mission team poured into us through their worship, especially when they sang "Did you Feel the Mountains Tremble", a song that meant a lot to me after singing it in worship with hundreds of other college students so many times at the CCO Jubilee conferences.
When I returned to Mundri I was greeted with exuberance by friends at the secondary school and the water office. I am so happy to be back home in Mundri, and I am praying for the rains to continue to bless the land and for God to continue to pour into my heart.
As a team, I think we have all noticed that the scripture verses that talk about the blessings of shade, shelter, and rain mean so much more to us now. And I can identify a whole lot more with Jonah's response when God took away his shade plant.
Isaiah 32:1-2 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
"When you think your well has run dry and you send it down for one last try and you raise it up to find it full the overflow so beautiful..." - Jason Gray, When the Stars Fall from the Sky
2 comments:
Thanks for writing this post Christine, i found it really meaningful for me.
blessings Christine...thankful the Father refreshed you. I'm praying for your work with the interns, and that God will bless abundantly with water, and living water:)
Wendy Allison
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