NAOMI Updates from two members of the team

June 23, 2015

I think I would be correct if I said that the trip is a bit different than we had expected. The kids are wonderful, very active and fun to be around! Weeeeds weeds weeds, every where weeds (Did I mention the weeds?). Our main goal was to play with the kids, and that has not changed, however our to-do list has expanded. Swim with the kids at the public swimming pool, do arts and crafts with them, play games with them AND get all of the weeds either pulled out or weed-whacked down, bagged and tossed out. This morning my prayer request was to be uncomfortable. Basically, I want to not be comfortable so that when God throws me a curve-ball I can be comfortable enough to change my plans for Gods plans.

News Flash: While walking to get Robert’s attention on a freezer problem for Linda I walked into a murder: the killing of a rattle snake. Robert and Tom were standing over the bloody corpse of a recently deceased rattle snake. It was passed off as no big ‘Diehl’ by the men, but in the world of news and media it will always be remembered as a very momentous and blog-worthy event.

– Becca  1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Probably the best way to describe this experience is in a word: overwhelming. I can’t think of any other situation that I’ve been in where I’ve seen God’s love expressed so consistently and powerfully that I very frequently find myself at the point of tears. Writing this right now I find myself welling up. Whether it’s spending time joking around with the kids, helping with worship in the evening, observing Robert walking around with a baby in his arm and joking around with us volunteers, or getting chills from Tom’s extremely insightful and profound devotional this morning, everything is attacking my heart.

Being vulnerable is something still fairly new to me. I have found God pushing me consistently further and further out of my comfort zones. When I think that I’ve reached the point where I should probably get a break and relax and be comforted by familiar seclusion, I hear God urging me to continue to give, to continue to work for Him and to be present.I am getting far more than I had ever anticipated from this short-term mission trip. I am so thankful that God has lead me here. My prayer is that my obedience doesn’t falter.

Tears can be a good thing. God is ever faithful and loving.

Thank you WCFC for supporting this trip.

– Teddy