This was my first week working with him, and I am pleased to say that it was a success. At the end of each day I feel like I have accomplished something and wasn’t wasting my time. I’m having so much fun learning how to use all these new editing programs and setting up cameras and lights!
I’m also going to sign up for Ulpan, a Hebrew course. I have been living in Israel for four years now and it’s getting embarrassing how little Hebrew I know. It’s time to prepare for the army, so I definitely need to get a foundation in the language if I want to survive. If all goes accordingly, I should be starting in March, which is very exciting.
Another thing I’ve started doing, is becoming Facebook friends with Christian authors. During the last couple of weeks, I’ve been enthralled in the series River of Time by Lisa T. Bergren (you can check out my review on her amazing books in my book review section). When I told my mom about these books, she recognized Lisa’s name. Turns out, my mom is friends with her on Facebook! I was very shocked at this, and even more stunned when my mom wrote to Lisa, and then got a reply! Going on a limb, I decided to send her a friend request. To my surprise, she accepted a couple minutes later!
Later in the week, I noticed a familiar name in the comments section of one of Lisa’s post. I quickly went to my iBooks, and sure enough two of the new books I had recently downloaded were written by this person, Melanie Dickerson. Unable to hold myself back, I sent her a friend request and was amazed when I got a notification saying that she had accepted. To share my gratitude, I decided to write to Melanie and tell her thanks for accepting my request. From there, a conversation sprouted and we’ve been talking all week!!
I am still a bit starstruck that I’m talking to a well known author. It really is amazing that she’s taking the time to reply to me, and carry the conversation on. Our conversation has been really interesting, she’s even given me a list of links to help my writing!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, we started talking about her new book, A Spy’s Devotion, which is coming out February 9th. After asking her about what inspired her to write about England, she sent me the link to her book to read before it comes out so I can tell her what I think!! When the link came through, I couldn’t believe my eyes! At first, I thought that it must have been some kind of dream, but after opening it and starting the first page, it became a reality. I’m very excited to start reading it, and can’t wait to write my review on it. Just from reading the first sentence, I can already tell it is going to be an awesome book.
Other things that have transpired in the last couple of weeks have been: my grandparents getting their citizenship, them signing the contract for their new apartment, lots of warfare, and coming to terms with the fact that I can’t help everyone.
The day my grandparents were given their Israeli citizenship was very exciting, no one was expecting it. They have been very blessed as everything is happening so quickly for them. From the moment my papa decided that they were going to move over here, they have been given favor after favor. For instance, their house sold the first week it was put on the market, the first place they looked to live is the one they have chosen, and their citizenship, though it took a couple weeks, technically only took two days to be approved! I have never seen two people be so blessed in the small period of three months. God is good!
Unfortunately though, there have been a few bumps in the road. As much as I’d love for my life to run smoothly, it is impossible when your family are missionaries for God. The day after my dad posted his message on “Blessed are the Persecuted,” we received court documents.
It seems that the Enemy is trying to infiltrate any way he can. Throughout the week, we have noticed his strategy to divide us, but it’s not going to work. Because we are rooted in God and are trusting in Him to help us in this difficult situation, we will not falter. Everyday brings a new form of attack, but we’re ready for it. I’m just praying for a miracle, because there is no way we can win this case without the Lord’s helping hand.
I also learned that I can’t help everyone, which has been a very hard lesson to learn. From last week’s blog, you all know how much I care about my friends. I hate to see them go through something painful and be useless to them, as I am thousands of miles away.
For quite a while now, a friend of mine has been struggling with life. I have tried to help the best I can, but there is only so much I can do on this side of the world. Sadly, his pain has only increased this last week, it has been really hard to watch. I get so angry when he tells me that he doesn’t care if he lives or dies.
Yesterday, he wrote to me to tell me how much pain he was in and about the spiritual warfare he was going through. Though I was thankful he told me, I felt useless because all I could do was pray that the evil spirit could get out of his body and that he would find peace, instead of running to his house to help him in person.
I got so nervous when he didn’t answer the ten calls I had made to him, that I paced around the house waiting for him to call me back. My heart was almost pumping out my chest when his call finally came through. I’m really praying that he gets better and starts to take care of himself more, since he is the only one who can do it. I used to think I could help him get better, but after seeing that I can’t, I’ve had to take a step back since it was making me worry when it wasn’t my place to.
The hardest message I have ever had to write was the one I wrote to him last night. I know that he needs friends around him right now, but if he won’t accept our help and listen to our advice, what more can we do? So, I wrote to him and told him that he needed to start taking care of himself and that I can no longer worry about him when he doesn’t care about what happens to him. Hitting that send button was heart wrenching, but I knew I had to do it. Please pray that he starts to look after himself and comes to the realisation that he should be treating his body as a temple of God.
I’m know that this next week is going to bring many more events, good and bad, so I’m already praying for God’s wisdom and strength to get through it. As the days get more heated, with the lawyers requesting a huge amount of money and our thirty days deadline getting closer, we need to make sure that our armor is fastened on tight so we will get through it standing on our two feet. I am trusting in Him to tell us the right decisions that need to be made. I also pray that whoever is reading this right now is encouraged and standing firm through the hardships you might be facing.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:2-6