Motherhood

January 1st me and the girls heading the farm. Jason drove the tractor with wood planks for the roofs of the farm workers houses.

Donkeys passing our vehicle.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas holiday celebrating with loved ones. I also hope you had a chance to remember the remarkable birth of our Savior. With all the business that can easily get pushed aside. I'm speaking for myself because here in Gtown we can get all caught up on all the  preparations for the day we will tell about Jesus coming to earth. There are all sorts of details in the extravagant gift giving that goes along with it, that I need to pause my actions and actually think about the why we are doing all of this. While we were preparing for the outreach at the farm we took some time out to watch the Chosen Christmas special. It had the perspective of Mary being on her deathbed and wanting to make sure Luke knew of her song/prayer so that he could include it with his other writings. The persecution against the early church had already begun so there was great risk in preserving these documents. In scriptures Mary's song followed immediately after pregnant Elizabeth's baby leaped (John the Baptist) in her womb upon hearing Mary's greeting.

"And Mary said:

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. 

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- Holy is His name.

His mercy extends to those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with hood things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors. " Luke 1:46-55

As I read her words and know she would be delivering her son just a little while later- in a manger because there was no room in the Inn it makes me think of my own daughters. I can still recall holding them as little babies and watching them as they slept. Righteous was born in Virginia and every Sunday I would try to drop her off a the church nursery only to be called back minutes later because she would not stop crying. As we started support raising to go to Kenya there were a few people who asked who Righteous would go to- it was fine for Jason and I to travel overseas but surely we wouldn't take our precious baby with us. Throughout the years I have seen our calling extended onto our children. It has been my deepest honor raising these girls and pointing them to Jesus. I have no regrets in being the one to teach them and raise them even though it means less time for me to be out in the community. I can honestly say I have 4 disciples that I am doing life with and I do not want them to be afraid of what the future has for them but to embrace it whole heartily because they have witnessed Jesus actively in their childhood. I have seen them step up into their own giftings in these past few months. When we go to the farm or out visiting our neighbors they know how to "read the room" and jump into whatever is needed. They can start conversations with adults but also kneel down to play with little ones. Each morning we open God's word to read what it says but then they explain it back the meaning. His words are changing them from the inside out. I look forward to this year ahead, confident that we will continue to grow closer to Jesus and ready to be about His will, in whatever way that looks like. Stay tuned.

The trailer is getting filled with wooden 2×4s.

Some of the casual labors climbed up onto the tractor to get a picture taken. 

This truck finally delivered the roof metal sheets to finish the 3 houses for the farm workers. 

Unloading the metal sheets at the farm.