The Final Days

I never posted on the happenings of my last week in Sri Lanka, but wish to do so now. My last week in Sri Lanka was incredible partly because the week in itself was filled with more life lessons and partly because I was able to reflect back upon my time in Sri Lanka. As I wrote down in my journal that day, I wrote this: "As I write now, I'm a few hours from leaving the Ape Kedella farm for the final time. The last few days have been incredible. Playing Jenga with the sick kids in the boys home. Helping the kids with their English, and attempted to help them with their math, but that didn't work out so well! One of the things I wanted to do was to help the kids pronounce their r's. The R is one of the letters and sounds in the English alphabet that Sri Lankans have a particularly difficult time in pronunciation. Later in the day we went outside and played some more games with the kids, I continued teaching some of them how to throw the football, which we enjoyed. Last night was a significant highlight. I was able to have a time of good discussion with one of the Discipleship training guys at the farm. We shared our testimonies with each other, and I was really blessed in hearing his story.
Earlier in the day the team and I had prepared and been planning for our skit and the puppet show we were going to perform for the kids at night. In the evening the kids had prepared skits and dances for our team in appreciation for the time we spent with them. After we had finished with the skits we had planned, we all had a feast together. Some of the boys pulled me over to their table, I really enjoyed eating with them, and simply being able to see their joyful hearts. After our feast we had a time of dancing together. I'm really going to miss the kids here, the people here, the farm, Sri Lanka, the memories".
On Friday we said bye to all the girls and boys. There were tears, and we all left with heavy hearts. Pray that God would continue to be a refuge for these kids. Pray that He would restore them and heal them. That He would place godly people in their lives to disciple them, and love them consistently.
"Church was incredible this morning. Observing the Sri Lankans worship God filled and overwhelmed me with praise and gratitude to God for allowing me to witness members of the body of Christ faithfully praising Him. When I got up to share my testimony of experiences, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Sadness that we'd soon be leaving. Gratitude for such hospitality, love, care, and humility shown to us by our hosts. I scrapped what I had prepared to say and just spoke from what God had place upon my heart that morning. God is faithful. When I had finished, the pastor along with the elders and leaders of the church gathered around us and prayed for us. The pastor prayed for each on of us individually. I remember some of his prayer for me. He prayed that God would reveal His plans to me. That God would grant me dreams and visions. And that God would speak through me. When the pastor had announced that he would pray for our team, I could not hold back tears. Tears of gratitude and tears of joy that God would even allow me to receive His love through His people in ways that I had never before experienced. "
Later that night we attended a house church, which was also a great blessing. I was able to experience the structure of the house church and understand the significance and effectiveness of house church's. The pastor of the house church spoke on the importance of fellowship with God paired with responding to the transformation and renewing of the mind that happens when reflecting upon the heart and character of God. Response to the transformation God brings comes through actively loving people. The pastor brought a bicycle to illustrate his message. The front tire was fellowship and time with God, and the back tire represented living a life filled with actively loving people.
Our last day in Sri Lanka, Monday, we spent packing, last minute gift shopping, and we had lunch and dinner at the pastors house. The senior pastor invited over some of the church elders and leaders for our lunch, and they prayed for us.
God is incredible. And my thanks to Him and the people of Sri Lanka cannot be carried out through words. Words can never express my true thanks. I must live out faithful to God, transformed and renewed in my mind with new perspectives and stories of God's power coming through in countless lives. God is faithful