Deuteronomy
8
…You
shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the
wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know
what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He
humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not
know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man
does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of
the mouth of the LORD…
The hours spent on the road have not
afforded me much rest, but for a few days, I maintain hope for encounters with
a thing called stillness. Few can claim the blessings through a lifetime which
I have experienced in a week. Days after a nearly hazardous return from the
village of Mumbwa, I joined my teammates on a secluded lawn along the southern
edge of the University of Zambia at Ridgeway campus. It marked a transition in
our bond as teammates and travel companions. As the sun set behind me, our
hearts came into the light before each other. Irreplaceable is the sincere
trust between brothers.
 |
| Visiting the Victoria Falls in Livingstone with the Team |
Sitting in Musipa family’s living with
Eddie Broussard will shine among our many priceless, shared memories. Few
discussions stir the soul to the depths we reached that afternoon. It was a
time to be weak, to be learners. It was a time to hear from Eddie, who may know
more about the nations than I will in a lifetime. His insights into thriving
through life’s many droughts may be the encouragement I need most.
I am about five hours north of Lusaka
in a mining metropolis called Kitwe, sitting across from Bryce as he records
his reflections within his notebook. Todd and Silas are on their return trip
through Dubai, back to the States. The rest of the team remains in Lusaka,
partnering alongside local staff in reaching men like the Pacers basketball team
and medical students at Ridgeway. As I continue to grow in my understanding of
the God who sends me, I find that the distance between me and the majority of
my companions is an uncomfortable necessity. Do I trust God as a companion? By
grace, I am still with Bryce, but I may be entering the hardest of the desert
days. The city of Kitwe and I are about to get acquainted.
