Carry Your Name: Give me Jesus

Give Me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus…

(Give Me Jesus, by Jeremy Camp)

This song is one that grabs my heart. It holds so much truth in such simple words.

It is easy to find myself frustrated. It’s easy to be frustrated with the horrible Internet connection when all you want is to talk to friends and family back home. You can be easily frustrated with the children when you or they are having an off day. Frustrations come so easily here as they do at home.

Just because I am in Africa, life is still life. Things get busy and hectic and even become routine, and I still find myself having to force enough time for the Lord. Don’t be fooled that even though I am a world away, “serving” finding that time for Jesus is just as hard. If not harder.

But in the midst of my frustration the words of this song will get stuck in my head. I simply need Jesus. He is all I want. When my frustrations seem so much bigger than my faith, give me Jesus. When my body and mind ache with exhaustion, give me Jesus. My patience is gone and its only Monday, give me Jesus. I know this to be true; He is the lifeblood that will sustain me. I know that He is the only medicine that can cure my homesickness. He is the only one who can bring peace in the midst of all the frustrations. I just need Jesus.

So my prayer life is beginning to shift. Sometimes they are simply just those 3 little words. “Give me Jesus.”

I felt it especially strong yesterday with it being Palm Sunday. This is the beginning of the week that ended my Saviors’ life. That is the day that symbolizes the start of the Holy week, and a day that in the bible exalts Jesus as a King. (John 12:12-20; Luke 19:28-40; Mark 11:1-12; Matthew 21:1-12). I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be with Jesus on this day, so many praising and worshiping God as he rode by them. I wish I could have been in that crowd. I wish I could have been one to shout, “Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

But what blows my mind is a mere 4 days later, on the day of Passover, Jesus would be arrested and handed over to Pilate. And there before the crowd of Jews gathered there, they all denied that He was a rightful King. 4 days. 4 days and they went from one extreme to another.

So this week, especially, my prayer is simply “give me Jesus.” I am so humbled by the events that unfold 2 thousands years ago that have so much affect on my life today. My God willingly allowed such a horrible act to happen to his Son, so that I may have salvation and life everlasting. My Jesus, perfect and blameless died the death of a sinner and a criminal so I can be called worthy in the kingdom of Heaven.

Thank you Jesus.

Give me Jesus.

I want to tell you all about what happened this past week here at Zion, regardless of how small it all seems compared to the weight of the words written above.

This past week was one full of school, children’s laughter, and unfortunately pleading prayers for healing and recovery.

School this week absolutely flew by! I can’t believe how quickly a day can go! I love my Kindergarten class! They are so full of energy and say the most hilarious things! Also they are starting to understand and learn more and more which is so fun to watch!

Thankfully this week I have been sickness free. Thank you Jesus for healing me! And thank you to everyone who prayed prayers of healing over me! They were felt a world away. It was so nice to be back with the children! I missed them so much! I spent a lot of time with the little girls this week, and it gave me so much joy to just play with them! They love to sing our Daniel and the Lions den song. It is the most precious thing ever!

Sadly, this week has been full of hospital visits. Monday our sweet but ferocious Liselli went in to get treated for sickness, and thankfully she has made such a recovery and is on the road to being her normal self. But our sweet twin baby boys have both been in the hospital. As I wrote last week, they were both admitted on Saturday for severe dehydration, diarrhea and vomiting. Over the weekend and first part of the week, Mafenyeho showed major signs of improvement, while Manyando continued to get sicker. On Tuesday, Mafenyeho got to come home, which was a huge praise. He is still home and doing much better, and getting much bigger I must add! Manyando had us all scared while he was in the hospital. On his head, his soft spot showed drastically that he was dehydrated by how deep it was sunken in. It took a bad turn though when his head began to “split” which, as I understand it, he skull and tiny little brain were literally beginning to pull apart. His head was completely sunken in like a ravine down the middle of it. The hospital called in a traditional healer to offer help in the healing of his head. Luckily his head went back to normal and he was showing major signs of improvement. Manyando came home on Friday, which was a huge praise. That night, as Jessie sat there and held him to feed him, she removed his hat to see that his poor head was beginning to split again. Now to see that first hand I must say made me sick to my stomach. I can’t even imagine how painful it must be. That night his diarrhea came back and was very bad so they ended up taking him back to the hospital. This morning the report is that he is doing much better and will hopefully be home tomorrow. But please join us in praying for his health and recovery. Pray that Jesus heals his little body so he can continue to grow.

This wasn’t the only area of praying for divine healing. As some of you know, my Nana, my dads mom, has been suffering with heart problems the last few weeks. Hearing reports of this and being so far away has made it very hard. So time here at Zion this last week, from staff devotions, to our directors, to my pleading in my bedroom late at night, there have been countless prayers for healing prayed for her. And I have to say, from the latest word from family, it sounds as if the Lord has heard our pleading and offered healing and restoration of health. I continue to pray for her and her health, and I ask that you all pray with me.

My God is quick to hear our requests and quick to open the door when we knock. I praise Him for being a God who answers the prayers and pleading of His people!

Now of course this week didn’t skimp out on its share of fun, laughter, and fair share of frustrations and exhaustion! Luckily the weather has been on our side, and it has been cool and cloudy lately. Wednesday especially I was COLD. I can’t believe it. Saturday morning it was so gorgeous, so Laura and I threw the little girls in our shetangis and took them for a walk. It was fantastic. That afternoon the girls and I took a little time to head into town and have some time on our own. I was able to Skype my family and sweet Chelsea! It was great to see all of them! And we had pizza at our favorite pizza place! It was nice! And a little side note, we watched the movie “The Young Black Stallion” last night and little known fact is that it was made right here in Namibia and parts of Southern Africa! It was pretty awesome!!!

Well I can’t wait for this week and I know it will be special with Easter coming up and just the beauty that this week promises us as believers.

Continue to write emails and pray. Loving hearing from you all!