Well perhaps I feel that I finally have a minute to breathe and can post a comment for all of you regarding my first 12 days in Africa.\u00a0 We still do not have internet at our house.\u00a0 In short, I can say the adjustment (i.e. driving, cold showers, power outages, not enough blankets for the cold nights, very strange food, not being able to drink the water, etc) along with the amount of work has in some ways been more difficult than I could have ever anticipated.\u00a0 Yet, His grace has been truly sufficient as He promised me in His word.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Africa is a hard place to live.\u00a0 Almost all daily tasks take a while or sometimes just cannot be completed.\u00a0 Even Bonnie, who has lived here for 14 years now, comments that living here can take years off your life.\u00a0 I am often blown away at the sacrifice she has made and makes for the sake of the gospel in Zambia.\u00a0 I told the children as I walked them to the Trust School this morning that our mission of preparing the way for the rest of the family is complete.\u00a0 I told them again how proud I am of them.\u00a0 They have done an amazing job.<\/p>\n
The amount of hunger here has been hard for me to handle.\u00a0 It continues to break my heart.\u00a0 A few times while eating out, we have taken what might have been a “to go” amount of food and placed it on a napkin.\u00a0 Just outside the restaurant gate, we have given it to street people.\u00a0 Their eyes light up, and they are so grateful for the leftovers.\u00a0 The security guard for our two duplexes is hungry every night.\u00a0 I have not given him money, but we have fed him some.\u00a0 The first time, I was not sure what to give him.\u00a0 I gave him the rest of a loaf of bread, 3 bananas and some Pringle potato chips (sounds yummy huh?).\u00a0 After a few minutes, he practically came running to my door and said, “Thank you sir!\u00a0 Thank you sir!\u00a0 My hunger, it is no more here!”\u00a0 Jesus said that when we do this for the least of these, we are doing it to Him.\u00a0 It is a privilege to serve Christ in this small way.<\/p>\n
I will leave here with two CCM staff people in a few hours, and we will drive the 5 hour drive to Lusaka and spend the night so that we can be at the airport at 6:20AM when the rest of the Stearns family arrives.\u00a0 I miss them so much.\u00a0 It has been very hard to be apart and not be able to go through all of these experiences with Shelley.\u00a0 I miss her so much.\u00a0 This first week will be a massive adjustment for them.\u00a0 Please pray for the love of Christ and His strength and grace to abound in our home as we learn to live as a family together here in Africa.\u00a0 Please also pray that as I am around the hunger here, I would be reminded that I do not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.\u00a0 We need to pray that an extreme hunger for Christ and His Word would come over our lives and the life of the Church with the hopes that a Revival of His people would break out for the sake of His renown and His glory.\u00a0 Thank you for your prayers and giving.\u00a0 We are grateful for each of you.<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well perhaps I feel that I finally have a minute to breathe and can post a comment for all of you regarding my first 12 days in Africa.\u00a0 We still do not have internet at our house.\u00a0 In short, I … Continue reading