Last night I had the privilege of celebrating the engagement of one of the most extraordinary women I know. She'd demur...she'd say she's incredibly ordinary and perhaps that's true. However, she's an ordinary woman who answered God's call on her life, has lived that life serving Him and the indigenous tribes of Brazil. For over a decade (it might even be a decade & a half by now...I have lost count), she has been a missionary in Brazil and her job? To translate the Word of God into the languages of the tribes she serves.
How does that get accomplished? Through stories. Stories recorded in the Tribe's native language and then made available to the Tribe.
How does that get accomplished? Through stories. Stories recorded in the Tribe's native language and then made available to the Tribe.
Over a decade. In the jungle. Don't get me wrong - she lives with electricity, running water, etc. but some of the Tribes she serves? They don't. It can take her three weeks to travel TO some of these tribes. By plane, then car, then canoe, then hike... in. Then... hike, canoe, car and fly back out.
Day in, day out. Year in, year out. In obedience to God.
Day in, day out. Year in, year out. In obedience to God.
Amazing.
In doing that, she has always trusted God to provide for every one of her needs. She has never been married, always trusting and resting in the fact that God brings in His time. Not in ours.
And oh has He brought... The man she will marry in July, whom I have only had the pleasure of meeting for about 3 minutes yesterday, is by all accounts and from what I saw yesterday, a humble, kind and generous servant of God. He loves God and he loves my friend and because of that I am overjoyed for her. When I received the invitation to their engagement party I sat in my car and shouted for joy and clapped my hands in excitement. I haven't been this happy since my husband proposed to me.
Did I mention that this woman, who barely knows me, has prayed faithfully for my oldest son for six years? Who keeps him on her heart even though we rarely get to talk to one another? For that she holds a special place in my heart. I have prayed for her for those six years and will continue to prayer for her and I know - even with this major change in her life - she will continue to pray for my son and I. I love her for that, amongst other things, but for that she will always remain special to me.
My camera does not take the best pictures. Between that and how many people were there last night, this is the only picture I was able to take of the two of them together that isn't blurry. Are they not the most beautiful couple you have ever seen? I know they are to me...
In doing that, she has always trusted God to provide for every one of her needs. She has never been married, always trusting and resting in the fact that God brings in His time. Not in ours.
And oh has He brought... The man she will marry in July, whom I have only had the pleasure of meeting for about 3 minutes yesterday, is by all accounts and from what I saw yesterday, a humble, kind and generous servant of God. He loves God and he loves my friend and because of that I am overjoyed for her. When I received the invitation to their engagement party I sat in my car and shouted for joy and clapped my hands in excitement. I haven't been this happy since my husband proposed to me.
Did I mention that this woman, who barely knows me, has prayed faithfully for my oldest son for six years? Who keeps him on her heart even though we rarely get to talk to one another? For that she holds a special place in my heart. I have prayed for her for those six years and will continue to prayer for her and I know - even with this major change in her life - she will continue to pray for my son and I. I love her for that, amongst other things, but for that she will always remain special to me.
My camera does not take the best pictures. Between that and how many people were there last night, this is the only picture I was able to take of the two of them together that isn't blurry. Are they not the most beautiful couple you have ever seen? I know they are to me...
Pray for them with me, will you? Pray God continues to bless their lives, fill it with His joy. She said last night she is "euphoric." I know - real life will step in and they'll get down to the business of every day living but pray that "euphoric" is a feeling that, when it comes to her husband, she never loses... and he never stops feeling the same for her.
More from the party in a later post...
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