Last year around this time I was having one of those day with Luke in school. You know the kind ... not sure he would make it til the end of the day! Well, we had a young man in the church here who would stop by a few times a week and work with Luke on his math facts. Carol, his mom, (they are an American family who have been serving as missionaries to the Seminary for almost 10 years) stopped by to pick her son up and asked how I was doing. I told her fine but it was just one of those days with school. As always, trying to get school done with both kids and take care of stuff I needed to with the mission, it can be a little overwhelming if I don't use my time wisely.
Anyway, I mentioned to her that it would be nice to have a missionary to a missionary. Someone to help with the kids schooling and just become a part of our family. She said, "well, that is not so impossible." In the past she had help a few times from college students who want to take a gap year and serve in a foreign country. She left that day and I didn't think much else about it. A few weeks later she called and asked me if we would still like someone to come help. Dave, her husband was in the States speaking at churches and ran into Julia's dad. They were talking and he said his daughter had been praying about serving in Africa for a year and asked if there was any need for her where they lived.
So long story short, Dave told her dad to contact Carol. They did and Carol immediately thought of our family and put her in touch with us. Needless to say when Carol called and told me she found someone, I was surprised and then I really began asking the Lord if this is what we are supposed to do.
We began communicating with Julia and told her about our family and Samaria Mission. Since she wanted to come in May and stay for a year, we suggested that she raise the funds to come and serve with Samaria Mission as an outreach missionary, one who serves in Mozambique for our full outreach season. She was excited about that opportunity.
One day in January while we were in the States, I was sitting on the couch wondering if this was something we were really supposed to do ... have someone come help us for a year. I had thoughts like ... who am I that I can have someone help with school? There are so many homeschooling parents who would love the help. Is this right for our kids, our family. On and on my mind went. (Let me say this had NOTHING to do with Julia - just needed to make sure we were making the right decision having the help). Anyway, I began to pray and ask God for peace and for HIS will to be done. I knew that she had to raise a lot of money in order to come. We would cover room and board since she was coming to help us but she still needed a plane ticket, health insurance, a Visa, ground cost for her time as an OM in Mozambique and money each month for personal things etc. This cost for a year for her was $8200. That is a lot of money to raise.
I prayed that day that if it was the Lord's will for Julia to come then God would provide the needed funds and if it was not His will that He would close the door completely. I finished my time with the Lord with a peace that can only come from Him. I knew if He provided the money for her to come then it was His will and I would be ok knowing he provided and if not I would be ok with that too. Well, by the end of March she was close to her goal of fundraising, had purchased her plane tickets, insurance and Visa. She arrive here on May 22nd.
Meet Julia
She often has the nickname "AO" (adopted offspring)
She ...
is 23 years old and from Southern California
loves to swim, play soccer and workout
loves to have fun
loves the Lord and has a heart to grow and serve Him
Our outreach season is finished and we are 6 weeks into our school year. It has been nice to have Julia here. She gets along great with both our kids. She is so willing to learn and help when needed. She has settled into her own room and is making friends at CBC. She serves with the Jr and Sr youth on Fridays and sings on the worship team when needed. We have worked it out where she spends the school day with Luke. She has made it fun and Luke is doing great.
Having Julia here has allowed me to be able to go to our staff meetings and language learning and not feel like Luke is getting behind. I have been able to spend more time helping Brit when she needs help. I was also able to go with Mark to Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. Another bonus has been that she wants to learn how to cook more and often comes and says "Can I cook tonight?" My answer is "YES!"
It has been great getting to Julia and living life with her. She wants to use this time here to grow in her walk with the Lord and we are going through A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George. I haven't been through this book since I was 24 and I remember how much the Lord used it my life. It has been great going back through it and seeing what the Lord is showing and teaching Julia along the way.
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| Julia and Brit in Mabuzane, Mozambique |
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| Brit and Julia at the Limpopo River in Mozambique |
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| Luke and Julia playing a little Mario Cart |
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| Learning to drive |
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| Stuffed baked potatoes! |
She LOVES Mexican food ... think we will keep her ...
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| Enchilada Casserole |
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| Patience and Julia at Family Camp |
We praise the Lord for bringing Julia into our lives. Again, we are experiencing something only the Lord can do ... take total strangers and make them like family.
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