The Journey: Stand Firm

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Stand Firm

We had a wonderful time of worship this morning with a church that meets just a short walk from the apartment we are renting. We were able to enjoy worship, testimonies, the Word and communion.It was so nice to gather together and be encouraged. One of the members sat behind us and translated the whole service. That was an unexpected blessing. Even without the translation though, there is comfort in being in a corporate gathering and feeling the presence of His Spirit. He is the same in all languages. Before we left Columbia we were told to Stand Firm, and that was the message of the sermon today. There was a pastor visiting that had been sent out from this local body as a missionary to Siberia 2 years ago. He pastors 2 churches in Siberia and had so much to share of what the Lord is doing in that region. The Lord really used this body to encourage our faith. We hope to visit their small group in a few days.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon with the older kids at #4. We had a lot of fun just hanging out and playing. There is another family here from SC that was visiting with their new son as well. The children are excited to know that they will be in the same area. There is one boy in Lyonya's class, named Andrei, that asked us to please try to find him a family when we return. He says he prays every night that God would send him a family. He doesn't understand why he hasn't been chosen. Please pray for Andrei to have a family. He is a really big guy physically, with a really a special 14 year old heart. He's just a kid that wants a family to want him.

It is so hard when you want to bring them all home or at least find them all families. There are so many kids with no parents. Please pray for the Lord to touch hearts and raise up families that would want to embrace these children that think they are forgotten. We know that God knows each of their names, but they have a hard time believing that when they feel unwanted.