my girl.

Last year on Palm Sunday, I was privileged to delight in the joyful presence of a little girl named Shantel--an Easter gift from heaven.

Those of you who have been following my time in Zambia or my blog have a pretty good idea of the battle she has been through in her 12 short years.

Almost exactly a year ago, in spite of all she was struggling through as an orphan, she stood beside me in church on Easter with her hands raised. Shantel became a Christian before the church that Sunday, although she had been a believer for quite some time.

Since she popped into my life in February of last year, all that we've been through can best be described as a roller coaster--a thrilling ride with as many ups as downs. Through the many highs and lows, together we have not ceased moving forward towards a sweet victory. The victory is preceded by a vision held and the vision preceded by a promise:

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow" Deuteronomy 10:18

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling" Psalm 68:5

There have been prayers for protection, open doors.

Prayers to sustain, prayers for strength, prayers to preserve.

Prayers for the vision to be upheld, prayers for justice, prayers for the lion of Judah to show himself.

And let it be known that God has answered them all, every one. As if that was not more than enough to show Him faithful there are more blessings falling on us, as abundant and as sure as rain.

I will be with Shantel again this Easter, and celebrate we will--

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable,

and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:

'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'

But thanks be to God!

He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.

Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,

because you know that

your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15

With all He has done, it's as if I've seen him here walking among us once again, performing miracles and defeating death.

Her life is a testimony of His resurrection.

And to me it is a good and perfect gift.

Beauty.

There are many things in this life that I call beautiful.

Here is one of them:

Beauty is only 9 years old.

She lives in a house that burned down, but has two rooms still intact.

She has to worry when it rains.

She has to stay home from church with her sister at times to protect the little that they have from thieves.

Her surroundings are not quite beautiful.

But, Friday her mother told us a story.

Beauty is a member of a GEMS club here in Lusaka. Her mother is one of the counselors for this group of girls. Beauty asked her mother why one of the girls in the club wore the same outfit every Saturday to church. She asked if it was because she had no other clothes to put on. Her mother told her that this was probably the reason. So, Beauty went right home and gathered up a few articles of the precious little clothing she has and took it to club the following week. And now that little girl can wear clean clothes whenever she wants.

Our Father makes his daughters beautiful and He begins his work in places no one can see.

He works from the inside out.

And though few people could see this small soul giving so freely, He did.

He named her Beauty for a reason, even if just to teach me what it looks like.

little.

Falling asleep, listening to Norah Jones, and praying for Shantel.

Spinning, laughing, dancing, to her favorite song

A little girl with nothing wrong, is all alone.

Eyes wide open, always hoping for the sun

And she'll sing a song to anyone who comes along.

Fragile as a leaf in autumn

Just falling to the ground, without a sound.

Crooked little smile on her face,

Tells a tale of grace, that's all her own.

She's a little girl, with nothing wrong

And she's all alone.

"In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth."

He has called her out in righteousness.

He takes hold of her hand.

He keeps her and will make her a light to the Gentiles.

Like Jesus, for Shantel I am steady and undiscouraged.

I hold a jewel of hope for her and she sings songs of grace to me.

I show her love and faithfulness and she shows me unwavering faith.

And she sings that song to anyone who comes along.

faithfulness.

This weekend I have the chance to go and visit my little angel, Shantel.

More than anyone else in Zambia, my greatest desire is to show her the love of Jesus.

I only want to display her Father's faithfulness to her "in the flesh".

The only hindrance to my 6 hour pursuit of her is that she currently refuses to speak to me.

Today is March 2nd and, for Shantel, the beginning of March marks an unfulfilled promise.

I told her with my own lips that I would return in February, which I did.

February came and I was in Zambia, but I was not with her.

At this point, my trip to the remotest parts hinges on her. If she will talk to me, I'll be there.

I'm praying that I will be given that chance. Today, this is my prayer over her:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God"

Ephesians 3:14-19

In all of my attempts and my failing to love her like Jesus loves her, I am driven into deeper intercession on her behalf. He makes up for all of my lacking.
He stands in the gap while I am on my knees.

There is no better place that I can be for her--away and on my knees.

different.

The first 5 days back in Zambia have been a whirlwind. It took a couple of days for me to get my brain all the way here (I think my body arrived a little faster).

The circumstances are different. Sophie and I are still working for GEMS, but even our role in that has changed. We are staying for a shorter time period (June), living in a different area, and find ourselves surrounded by a vastly different and diverse group of people.

One thing I very much lacked last year in Zambia was fellowship. It’s amazing how much a person can miss living in community, even when surrounded by people. We lived in the heart of a Zambian compound and our house was always full of Zambian women and children. How wonderful, right? But what I didn’t know that I would miss was a community of people who could enjoy a plate of spaghetti with me, or someone that I could talk fast to. I didn’t know I would wish for a group of people to laugh with me or to invite me over for the night. I didn’t know I would, but I did--I longed for familiarity.

This time around the setting has changed. We are living on the the campus of a seminary here in Lusaka. There are families scattered amongst the big shade trees and grassy lawns. We have mzungus (even American ones) inviting us over for dinner or to lunch every day. There are students and professors working and going to class. We even have access to the internet from the library. It is all so very different.

Every new thing takes a little getting used to. It is a very nice place, almost entirely free of the dust that always took over our previous home. It is shady and green. It is QUIET. There are absolutely zero knocks on our gate. There is community.

I’m realizing that while all of the people, the noise, the dust, the lack of privacy, and the constant harassment that comes with being a mzungu did wear me out and push me to the point of insanity (at times), I REALLY miss that. I miss the smelly, dirty, runny-nosed, no-pants, kids that would knock on our gate at all hours of the day until we answered-maybe for water, maybe for a sweet.

The fact of the matter is just that--it’s different. This change has also helped me realize that there are different types of community that I love to be a part of and usually cannot be experienced in the same place. If I want to hang out with North Americans, then I have to live where they live and live like they do. If I want to enjoy the children and be at the heart of the Zambian culture, then I have to struggle through the chaos of living right in the middle of a compound. Either way community is a part of my life and I’m getting to know people, they’re just different.

faithful.

Today has been the best.

I don't have many words to say other than the Lord has been faithful to Shantel, his little girl.

He has heard her cries and lifted her out of her situation into a loving home, that of her true guardian.

Of all the reasons I am here in Zambia, she is number one.
Of all the callings God has on my life to be here for this time, she is the greatest.
Of all the aspects of ministry I carry out, she is my favorite.

Ten months of my life given to save hers, far more than worth every hardship.
I never knew the hope and the future that the Lord, her lion, had in store.
I will say that today was the pinnacle of them all, every day that I have spent in Zambia so far.
The Lion won. The victory belongs to Him.
His timing and his plan placed her once again on our doorstep at the perfect time.
And she is safe.

fruit.

There is nothing like being fruitful in life.
In fact, all I want in life is fruit.

Lately, I've been a bit interested in and consumed by our garden outside.
Vegetables, flowers, spices, fruit trees, watermelon vines...I love it.

Flowers alone are not enough for me.
Flowers do not bring about satisfaction quite like a tomato plant.
They are beautiful and they smell nice, but I'm not really a person about looks.
I like the harvest.

Having a garden, tending it, and waiting for the ripening of my labor--that's what does it for me. My new interest in gardening has helped me see the parallels between reaping the fruit of the soil and the life that I love to live.

It's all about the fruit.
The fruit is why I'm in Zambia.
But instead of tomatoes and watermelons and green onions and cabbage, I get to see the fruit of my labor in changed lives for the Kingdom of God.
And it's the truth--nothing else would do it for me.
I live for the harvest.