Namibia Journal - December 4th-9th part 1
Thank you for bearing with us... we do not have separate entries for each day of camp so it is taking us a little longer than usual to post about it. Here is part 1, "How God got glory the week of December 4th-9th."December 4th-9th part 1
How God got glory the week of camp, December 4th-9th 2005:
God showed up thousands of years before we did. He made the ocean, its currents, its waves, and the breeze. He made billions of grains of sand. He grew trees out of the ground and brought men to cultivate the land. He piled up dunes and gave them life to sustain by their presence. He made jackals and seals and lizards. He piled rocks on rocks and made campsites using men and made birds to visit their trashcans. He made smells and He made dogs for people to bring to smell the things He made that we can't smell. He made it all for Himself, for His own pleasure. Then, also for His glory's sake, we showed up.
God brought 29 students, excited out of their minds, ready to do and say and rejoice in everything. He brought some students who couldn't even imagine anything like this or anything like Him and blew their minds away. He took a team of 'leaders' from America and Germany and stretched them to new limits. He broke and repaired some people, giving some new life, starting new things though some are small and hidden down deep for now. He offered no manipulative invitations. He simply worked through prayer and completely on His own.
He gave some new visions for their lives with Him, in prayer and devotions, doing good things together, giving encouragement, not teasing. He taught people to dance new dances and sing new songs. He showed them what it was like to pray and mean it. He showed them just how sick their sin really is, to the degree they could stand it alive, by His grace. He showed them how beautiful He is, to the degree that they could stand it, also by His grace. In the end He showed them the cross. The cross they often don't see because it's blotted out by visions of sex on TV, false dollar signs, broken promises, religion, and abuse.
God put together groups of minds and hearts that are going to go on thinking and beating together for a long time. He made friends out of enemies and brought back lost lovers to Himself. What can you say when someone looks you in the face and says, “I came hundreds of miles and crossed an ocean to be with you, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I care about you, and I want you to know God made you. Most of all I care about Jesus and Him getting the glory He deserves out of your life. He made you for a reason, and it's to give Him glory in everything.”
He gave them some of the best days of their lives and paid for it all, with Jesus' blood on the cross, and with proceeds from His cattle on a thousand hills. When God was done with most of the students and leaders for the week, He said, “Nuh uh,” to several others. He broke down the bakkie and made them stay an extra night. You'd have to ask them directly why they think He might have done that, but maybe it was to give them another opportunity in another place, more discipleship, and prayers. God brought the rest back safely, and for that we are thankful, despite very dangerous roads and drivers with too much to drink or not enough sense to think.
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