Fruit of the Spirit- Day 3

- sorry this took so long everyone, the internet was down.

Day Three- Joy: Jesus Overflowing you You.

-If you were to list all the days of your life that were truly joyful, how many would that be?  Joy is something we associate with happy times in our lives buy joy is more than happy feelings.  A good way to remember what joy really is, is this: true joy is Jesus overflowing in you.  We seek joy in wealth possessions, our work, vacations, and family.  This idea of joy is better described as happiness, a word which has its root in- hap, meaning chance, as in happenstance.  The joy the Bible speaks of is the joy of the Lord.  Joy is not here today and gone tomorrow, it is a rock solid gift from God that does not depend on circumstances.

-Where does joy come from? Read First Peter 1:3-9.

-What is the source of pure joy?  Read John 15:9-11.

-Is being joyful always easy?  REad Philippians 4:4.

-Does joy in your life depend on circumstances?  Joy as a Fruit of the Spirit depends on your soul.  You can be sad but still understand the joy of the Lord within you.  Remember God's promise in Romans 8:28.  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".

-True joy is only found in God and is not dependent on circumstances.  What things might you do to help your joy grow?  Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a glimpse of the reality of joy and a desire to have such joy always no matter what.

Thursday afternoon

Hello, It is afternoon here after lunch again. We had ziti with a meat sauce and a corn salad. And we have been eating bread with every meal.

So far I have not seen the stars; there is too much smoke in the air from the wood fires and of course all the dust.

While Sue worked digging again this morning I had the adventure of going to change money. We did not get out of the car because we did it on the Grande Marche.(basically on the street) They do not charge a fee as the banks do. The car was swarmed with young men who had calculators. Jeremy opened his window haggled with them a bit until they agreed on a price. 490 francs for $1.00. He said that is the best price since they have been here almost 2 years. After all was counted and exchanged we went on our way. Driving around the city is like nothing I have ever seen or experienced before...it is so hard to describe the conditions. On the road we passed goats, people, camels, people,more goats, accidents, motorcycles, more people, and chickens and litter and garbage and of course more goats. All that being said, people are friendly, happy to meet us (and stare a bit). Tonight we are going to a restaurant for dinner....stay tuned!!
-- Kay

Niger- Day 3

When we arrived here the refrigerator was broken, as we mentioned before.  The unusual thing is that most people from Niger do not own refrigerators because they are very expensive to buy and run.  Most people just leave their food outside.  Today's temperature is the sun at 4:30 p.m. is 113 degrees so just imagine what that does to your food.

I don't know if I told you, but I was asked to bring 2- 2 gallon igloo water containers because in Niger, anything that keeps things cold, including ice, is very very expensive.  The water containers that I purchased were $6.99- here, they cost over $40 a piece.  Ice Chests or large coolers are well over $80 for the small ones.  The good news is that the fridge go fixed today, so we have cool water again.  They still need to purchase a new one, but now we are not in a crisis to purchase and they can try to find a used one.

With the temperature well over 100 degrees, we did not spend the afternoon digging.  We will start again after 5 p.m. and work until 8 p.m. or until dinner.  We did work on the rebar that needs to be used to form the walls, but mostly we took many breaks and naps.  

The food continues to be challenging for Kay and I.  Today we had mutten stew and I think that is what will be served for dinner.  There is some fresh fruit and the much cherished granola bars I brought from home.  Yesterday we also lost our water, but thank goodness it came back on just before bedtime, so we could shower (only cold water- although we heat up some in containers outside most days- so you can have a lukewarm shower).

This place continues to amaze us and life here is so very hard for those who call Niger home.  We are not even here during that hot season- that begins in March/April- I can't even imagine what that would be like.

I thank God that Kay came with me on the trip, because I can't even begin to describe it to you.  You just can't put it into words.  The Christian community here is so small, maybe only 10% of the population, but they are trying so hard to bring the Good News to their broken world.

Kay has spent two entertaining the Beebouts 3-year-old daughter while they attended Hausa lessons.  Kay is a little sunburned and bruised from this mornings work.  That is what she gest for being blonde- who says blondes have more fun?

We are having a difficulty logging on to post info to the blog so Kelsey is posting our emails to her.  I don't think that we will be able to upload pictures, so you will have to wait until we get home.

Sue and Kay

Fruit of the Spirit- Devotion Day 2

Day Two- Love: The Most Excellent Way

-When you read Galatians 5:22-23, did you notice that the word "fruit" is used, not fruits?  Why do you think that is?  Love is the Fruit of the Spirit.  All the other qualities are contained in or are expressions of love or how loves makes itself known.  As we study the Fruit of the Spirit, we need to remember that all the fruits we'll talk about are a lesson about the heart of God, which is love, expressed through and revealed through God's sacrifice of his only son.  Read First Corinthians 13:1-13.

-Why do you think Paul begins this passage the way he does?  Why do you think that Paul says that love is the greatest?  I would have thought faith is the greatest, it's what connects us with God.  The answer is in First Corinthians 13:1-3.  If we don't have love, we are nothing- that's why love is so important.

-So now that we know that love is the greatest virtue, what does that mean for us?  How are we to love?  God calls us to love in four areas.

1) Love God. Matthew 22:36-38

2) Love Yourself. Psalm 139:13-16, Matthew 22:39

3) Love Others. 1 John 3:11-20

4) Love your Enemies. Luke 6:27-36

-How can we truly love our enemies?  View things from God's point of view.  Luke 23:34

-Love is the Fruit of the Spirit.  How can you grow to be more loving?  Who is God challenging you to love today?  Regardless of how you feel about someone, you can chose to show love.  Ask God for help.

from Kay Wednesday am

We are here safely, no flight complications at all. It is all a bit overwhelming at the moment....hot, dry and dusty. No foundation yet, that is what we will be doing. The refrigerator broke yesterday and this morning the cooks father died, so it will be interesting!!! There are 3 men another woman and Hawleys. Thanks for your prayers!

We are not in Kansas anymore

Kay and I spent this morning attending the Beebouts' 3- year-old daughters class trip to the Niger museum and zoo.  It was 80 degrees this morning and the children were dressed in winter coats and hats.  

Naimey is indescribable.  It is so dirty.  50% of the population is under the age of 15 there are and there are children begging everywhere we go.  

To answer the question of my saw- we both made it here without any trouble.

After we went to the zoo, we had the amazing experience of shopping for a new refrigerator.  The one here died yesterday.  We will be using part of the communion offering money to cover the cost.  This is an unbelievable place.  Hard to describe what we see.  The poverty is overwhelming and I wonder what difference we will make.  Too big to get my mind around.

We are safe in our compound which is surrounded by walls with glass embedded in the top.  There is a guard and a locked gate.  We feel safe within the compound, but outside it is a whole new experience.  

We had African ground peanut stew and rice for lunch and we are having tuna and salad for dinner- no refrig remember.

Kay and I were the object of much laughter in the street market as we tried to purchase lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers for our dinner.  At one time there were more than 35 children watching and laughing- it could have been Kay's pink floppy hat, skirt, sneakers, and t-shirt.  I of course looked amazing.

We spent the afternoon digging the foundation of the building.  I think that will be what we do here for the entire time we are here.  Can't say it's fun, but it sure is an experience so far.

Fruit of the Spirit Devotion- Day 1

Bearing Fruit!

Discovering the Fruit of the Spirit

"But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23a.

Day one- Bearing Fruit

-From the beginning God calls his creation to bear fruit.  Read Genesis 1:11-12, 21-22, and 27-28.

-From the beginning God has shared with us our purpose- bearing fruit.  His entire creation is to be fruitful.  It is creations way of honoring God.  So what do you think God means when He says, "Be Fruitful"?

-Scripture tells us the secret to a fruitful life is a purposeful life that brings blessings to others; a life filled with qualities that draw people to us like love, gentleness, and kindness.  The problem is that we cannot produce fruit on our own.  We are like branches on a vine, wholly dependent on the vine to supply us what we need to bear fruit.  Read John 15:1-8.  What does it mean when Christ says, "Remain in me'?

The Verse of the Day:

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and it never fails to bear fruit" Jeremiah 17:7-8.  Do you know someone whose leaves are always green- even in a drought?

-Is your relationship with Christ like a mature tree, always green and bearing fruit?  Ask God to reveal to you areas of your life that might not be fruitful and ask him to begin to prune those areas, granting you wisdom, knowledge, and grace to have your branches become an abundant harvest.

-Read John 15:16

-If we ant the Fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his.  We must know him, love him, and remember him.  As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law- to love God and our neighbors.

Arrived!!!

Hi Everyone,

Just so you all know Kay and Sue have arrived safe and sound in Niger- no word on the fate of my mom's saw yet.  Unfortunately they are having some issues with the blog as it is coming up in French but apparently they are going to work on figuring it all out and should be posting in no time.

Thank you all for your prayers and please keep them in your thoughts for the rest of the trip.  Devotions will start tomorrow so keep your eyes open.

Kelsey

The cross cut saw adventure

Friday I received an e-mail from the Niger Team already in Africa. They requested that I bring a few things with me. Among the requested items were 2 -2 gallon water jugs, ice cube trays, large Rubbermaid containers (as many as I could fit) and a Stanley cross cut saw. I had planned to only have one checked bag, well that has changed. I purchased the requested items and began to pack my bags when it accrued to me that packing a very large hand saw might just be a problem in this post 9/11 world.

So as I leave today, I request prayers not only for safe travels, but also for my new traveling companion - The Stanley cross cut saw.

Love, Sue

nervous excitement for Niger -- by Kay

My bags are all packed -- two suitcases, each just a few pounds below the 50 pound limit! if you know me, that's not surprising... but much of the weight is due to bringing supplies, and gifts for the missionaries and their children... construction paper (thanks CN nursery school!) and fingerpaints and some computer accessories. It's amazing to think that computers and e-mail are part of the culture in that far-away, impoverished country. Truly our world is becoming more and more interconnected -- and interdependent.

And yes, I'm nervous... did I bring all the necessary things? Dressing for 100 degree weather for over two weeks in a culture that doesn't allow women to show much skin with no laundry facilities... hmmm.... Yet I'm excited. I could never do this without my mission-partner Sue. Her faith-perspective and sense of adventure are amazing!

So tomorrow Scott and I will meet with Sue and her husband Gary for lunch at "Stuff 'yer face" for one last American meal. Then Scott will drive us to JFK. We'll fly Air France to Paris overnight and then the flight due south to Niamey, Niger. Faith is put into practice as we anticipate someone on the other side of the world in an airport to meet us with a sign that says "RCA"! What will our accomodations be like? I'm not sure. What will we eat? I don't know. (although goat is the main meat staple so says information from the web.) What will our days bring? I can't quite know. I do know that mission-trips such as this requires flexibility! What I do know is that I love you and will miss you all.

So much adventure ahead and so much to learn. So much love and so many prayers go with me. I've been overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out with their care and comments. So few people travel to Africa, especially to a country like Niger, it becomes an adventure to share. And so I go, grateful for your interest, asking for your continued prayers, dependent on God, filled with faith, guided by grace and asking Christ to let whatever I can offer to be used to His glory. And I humbly ask to learn and receive as well. I anticipate coming home with a new perspective on the world.

A Special Gift by Sue

I woke this morning to the beauty of a new snow fall. As I shoveled the meager amount of snow from the sidewalk and drive way, it was so quiet. The wonder of God’s creation is awesome. Why snow? Sometimes I think that snow is a gift that God gives to help us slow down. It makes us drive slower or not at all. We have to take time to clear a path to travel safely. And for some odd reason it makes the world quieter, giving us time for reflection. I have to admit that over the last week with temperatures in the single digits the thought of 95 degree weather in Africa has been so inviting, but I am grateful for the snow as well. As a shoveled, I thought about many of you. The excitement that my church family and friends have shared with me has given me courage, support and comfort. The acts of kindness and offers of help for my family have been overwhelming. The support for the Niger guest house through your gifts to the communion offering has been amazing. But one gift sticks out above all others.

I opened a note today that had come from one of the college students from our church. She had been home when I spoke about my trip in church for January Mission of the Month. With her note of encouragement and prayers for my trip was a check. This gift brought tears to my eyes (I know – not that big of a deal). I know because I have college age students of my own that money is something in short supply, so her gift means all the much more knowing the sacrifice she is making to support me.

I go to Africa not on my own, but as your representative. Each of you are part of me and I take you with me through your prayers and gifts. You might not be physically in Niger, but know that you are part of the mission team traveling and serving with me. It is because of your spiritual encouragement, teaching and support that I am able to go and serve. Thank you all.

Why Niger by Sue

If you had asked me a year ago if Niger was a country, I would have said yes. The unfortunate thing is I would have been referring to Nigeria. I came to know about Niger as part of the 2008 mission program at Three Bridges. May’s Mission of the Month was Words of Hope, a international Christian radio ministry. We had decided to highlight a different country that they served each Sunday of the month. After speaking with David Bast (our guest speaker) he suggested the countries of Niger, Benin and Sudan. With the help of the Music and More children, we spent a few weeks learning together about the countries and trying out recipes from the different regions to serve during coffee hour. We made millet cookies, millet muffins, coconut balls and other items. I am afraid that millet might be a staple in my diet in Niger and I have discovered that I am not that fond of the taste. Most of the children agreed that the items we made were disgusting.

May 2, 2008 was the start of my Niger adventure. This is what I wrote that day in my journal:
Today is the start of my adventure – I think! I just finished the bulletin board for Word’s of Hope highlighting the countries of Niger, Sudan and Benin. When I returned home I opened an e-mail from the RCA listing volunteer opportunities, I was looking to see if there was something for Kelsey since she does not have a job for the summer, when I truly felt that the computer was yelling at me. My eyes saw and my ears heard the call. Is it coincidence that I have just spent 3 weeks talking about Niger to the kids? Was God preparing me? What will Gary think? Can I do this? God, are you really calling me? WOW – I think so….

That night I shared my feelings with Gary and he said that I have to go. He said that it would be a family endeavor and that although I will be the only one traveling the entire family will be part of the experience and that we wouldn’t worry about the money, it would take care of itself. And it did! We had been saving up our points for something special and there was more than enough to cover the entire cost of my flight ($1900).

On May 4, I sent an e-mail to Kay, my mission buddy and just said I had travel plans. On June 2nd Kay said she was in!

As I continue to prepare for the trip, I am totally at peace (and if you knew my international travel past you would not believe this – just ask my parents and sisters). I know that this is an adventure that I am to take. I have no idea what it will be like, but I am up for the challenge.

Fruit of the Spirit Devotion- Day 2

Day Two- Love: The Most Excellent Way
- When you read Galatians 5:22-23, did you notice that the word “fruit” is used, not fruits? Why do you think that is? Love is the Fruit of the Spirit. All the other qualities are contained in or are expressions of love or how love makes itself known. As we study the Fruit of the Spirit, we need to remember that all the fruits we’ll talk about are a lesson about the heart of God, which is love, expressed through and revealed through God’s sacrifice of his only son. Read First Corinthians 13:1-13.
- Why do you think Paul begins this passage the way he does? Why do you think that Paul says that love is the greatest? I would have thought faith is the greatest, it’s what connects us with God. The answer is in First Corinthians 13:1-3. If we don’t have love, we are nothing- that’s why love is so important.
- So now that we know that love is the greatest virtue, what does that mean for us? How are we to love? God calls us to love in four areas.
o 1. Love God. Matthew 22:36-38
o 2. Love Yourself. Psalm 139:13-16, Matthew 22:39
o 3. Love Others. 1 John 3:11-20
o 4. Love your Enemies. Luke 6:27-36.
- How can we truly love our enemies? View things from God’s point of view. Luke 23:34
- Love is the Fruit of the Spirit. How can you grow to be more loving? Who is God challenging you to love today? Regardless of how you feel about someone, you can chose to show love. Ask God for help.

back to sue!

ready, willing and able!

To Kay:

So what do you think? Are you up for blogging? It is just one more thing that will be a new experince in Niger. See you Wednesday.

Sue

The countdown begins

From Sue: My daughter, Kelsey is pushing me kicking and screaming into the world of technology. She wants me to have a blog for my trip because I don't think that she can stand not knowing what is happening for two weeks. I hope that my friends will join with me as I share the joy of the opportunity to travel to Africa by reading and posting on the blog as well. I am not sure how often we will be able to access the internet, but we will do our best to share as much as we can.

Currently, I have two weeks from tomorrow until I leave. I have finished all the shots and am currently taking the malaria medication (not really agreeing with me). I will share with you more as the count down continues.

Sue

Fruit of the Spirit Devotion- Day 1

Bearing Fruit!
Discovering the Fruit of the Spirit
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23a.


Day One- Bearing Fruit
- From the beginning God calls his creation to bear fruit. Read Genesis 1:11-12, 21-22, and 27-28.
- From the beginning God has shared with us our purpose- bearing fruit. His entire creation is to be fruitful. It is creations way of honoring God. So what do you think God means when He says, “Be Fruitful”?
- Scripture tells us the secret to a fruitful life is a purposeful life that brings blessings to others; a life filled with qualities that draw people to us like love, gentleness, and kindness. The problem is that we cannot produce fruit on our own. We are like branches on a vine, wholly dependent on the vine to supply us what we need to bear fruit. Read John 15:1-8. What does it mean when Christ says, “Remain in me”?

The Verse of the Day:
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and it never fails to bear fruit” Jeremiah 17:7-8. Do you know someone whose leaves are always green- even in a drought?
- Is your relationship with Christ like a mature tree, always green and bearing fruit? Ask God to reveal to you areas of your life that might not be fruitful and ask him to begin to prune those areas, granting you wisdom, knowledge, and grace to have your branches become an abundant harvest.
- Read John 15:16
- If we want the Fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his. We must know him, love him, and remember him. As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law- to love God and our neighbors.

Fruit of the Spirit Devotion- Day 8

Day Eight- Goodness and Self Control

-What is self-control?  Read Romans 8:1-17.  What really has control over our lives?  Read Romans 7:14-25.  How often do you feel like Paul, not doing the things that you want to do, but doing those things you don't.  How can we gain control of our lives?

-Self-control is not about you at all, but about giving control of ones heart and thoughts to the Holy Spirit.  The more we yield control of our lives to God, the more self-control will grow in us; helping us to live by the Spirit producing good fruit.  What do we get when we give control to God?  We become co-heirs with Christ(Romans 8:15-17a).  Can you think of someone who is truly good?  What makes them that way?  The Bible talks a lot about goodness and evil, light vs. darkness, good fruit vs. bad fruit, the right path vs. the wrong.  Read Luke 6:43-45, Matthew 7:15-29.  What do these passages say about goodness?  Is it possible for a good tree to bear occasionally bad fruit?  Can we hope to ever be good?  Read Romans 5:5, Psalm 37.  The Bible links goodness and light, why?  Because light chases away darkness.  Read John 1:1-5.  In Psalm 37, it says that your righteousness will shine like the dawn.  Read Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:14-16.  You are the light of the world and the more brightly you shine the easier it is for others to find their way.

Each year as I drive home from our Christmas Eve service, I always search the sky for the Star of Bethlehem.  It is a reminder to me to always be searching just as the wise men did long ago, but this year I realized that until Jesus returns we are to be that Star.  We need to shine more brightly so that others will see.  Light chases away darkness, goodness overcomes evil and love abides forever.  Go and bear fruit- GOOD FRUIT!!  

May your life become an abundant harvest.