What a rich life this is...

So it has been a while since I wrote on here and A LOT has happened!

We have been in South Africa for a little over a month and even though the journey has just begun we feel right at home and rooted in our adventure here.

Since Orientation the students have settled into House life and have begun their foundational lectures such as Spirit Soul Body, Integrity of the Word and Hebrews 6 Foundations. It is so special to watch God unfold each of their stories. We have totally fallen in love with each of them and are so excited to live this next year with them!

As a church God’s word to us at Victory has been ‘Consider your ways, your previous and present conduct and how you have fared’ Haggai 1

God has been challenging us to look at what we do and the way that we do it. The bible says again and again that God’s ways are not our ways; that HIs ways are high above. In His Kingdom there are ways and mannerisms, behaviours and conducts, values and principles that are completely different to the worlds ways. And we need to align our hearts and lives to Him and His Way…. Because ultimately He IS the way.

God is calling is to get into His presence, to spend time getting to know Him so that He can speak to us and give us all that we need to change our ways and build our life according to His ways.

This word is not a condemning one but an encouraging one from a Father who loves us, who has the best for us; but who want us to align ourselves with His ways. Why? So that we live each day as a living representation and reflection of His glory.

I am becoming more and more aware of who I am not in the light of who He is! And it is such a liberating thing! I am not God, He is! He is completely in control of all things and his thoughts and intentions towards you and me are good.

We have been overwhelmed by the provision and blessing of God in our lives this past month!

For the last 14 months we have been trusting God for a car and two days ago someone blessed us with one! How amazing is that?!?!?! It is exactly what we wanted down to the colour and it came out of nowhere. The people who blessed us really want to remain as anonymous as possible, so all we can say to Mr and Mrs Anon is thank you… Thank you for sowing such a huge blessing into our lives. You have no idea how thankful we are. It seems like the English language lacks the words to really express how we feel or what you have given us. And thank you Father for your amazing blessings to us.

I was also blessed with an Amazon Kindle the day before I flew back to South Africa. The angel that hand delivered it to my door will definitely go down in history and in my heart as one of the most generous people who have ever walked the planet. You know who you are but I don’t know if you know how greatly valued you are and what a gift you are in my life. My Kindle has become like an extension of me – it goes everywhere with me! So far I have enjoyed being able to carry around a novel, at least three bibles and a reference book all at the same time and not break my back because they are all in my Kindle! It is the coolest piece of technology I have owned since my iPhone and just as cool! People are obviously what we miss when we think about England, but when it comes to stuff, my books are my first love. I miss having a bookshelf to look through and all the books that somehow feel part of my story and me. I had found it stressful when thinking about having books all over the world that I will never be able to move or ship and so my Kindle is such a brilliant gift because it allows me to travel with my library!

This whole year feels like a gift. I have realised in the last week or so that this is the first time we have really been able to settle since we got married. We got married in July 2009 and three months after that God spoke to us about coming to South Africa (although at that stage we had no idea what that would look like!) We then lived in a kind of limbo for 15 months while we made preparations to come here (not to mention we moved 3 times in that 15 month period!) and then we lived in community as students for a year! So now, for the first time in 2 and a half years we have the privilege of settling somewhere and building a life together. Its only been since doing it that I have realised how much I have needed to do it! I have needed to call somewhere home and have a space of my own; we have needed that. Having our own home and now our own car is just adding a new dimension back into our lives. Space, independence, a place to invite people, to entertain and host people, space to nest in and be creative together in – what a gift!

On Saturday night we had a little house warming braai (that’s a BBQ for the English people reading this!) with a few of our nearest and dearest to celebrate being in the place God has chosen to give us as home and the people he as added to us as family.

What a rich life this is…

I hope that your year has got off to a wonderful start and that your year will be full of great things!

Thanks for stopping by, K x