April 1 - Mary-Frances

SOUTH ASIA! After months of anticipation, preparation, prayer, and patience, we have finally made it! Oh, how faithful is the God we serve! This country is beautiful. From the moment we stepped off the plane, we all felt that we had wandered into The Jungle Book. The air is thick and warm, and the people are colorful and beautiful.Today was our first day teaching at an orphanage that Charity connected us with. We were greeted by 65 smiling faces of children ranging in age from six to sixteen years old. They surrounded us quietly, took our hands, bowed their heads, and said,”Mingowlahbah.” It was the most precious greeting I’ve ever experienced.We then separated the kids into five teams according to age and each team was given to one of us team members. The first group I had was the green team (because green is the best color ever, obviously), and I shared with them The Firefighter Story, which is a wonderful salvation analogy. My translator, Pooh Pooh, was shy at first, but we quickly got into the rhythm of me speaking in English, waiting for her to translate it into Burmese, and going back and forth.After the day was over and we had taught the lesson to all five groups, Pooh Pooh and I started talking. She began to share with me about her life. She told me she is 24 years old and is getting ready to move to the Philippines to go to seminary. She asked me to pray for her as she prepares to go. She told me how nervous she is about understanding the classes that will be taught in English, and raising money to pay for her schooling. It was so precious to hear her share her heart, and after we had walked back to the main room, I asked Pooh Pooh to share with the entire team what she had shared with me. Then we gathered around her and prayed for her.Pooh Pooh’s goal is to equip herself to be able to clearly teach the gospel so she can return to her country and share with her people the love of Christ. She has been such an example to me of what it means to have complete trust and reliance on the Lord. She knows Whom it is she serves and is fearlessly following His leading.The body of Christ is alive and well here in South Asia, and as we gather together as family in the Beloved, we are watching God move and work in the Burmese people and in one another.-Mary-Frances