Rachel's Reflections

Erica, a young lady from my church that I've been building a friendship with, turned 20 on Tuesday. When she asked me if I would be willing to make her birthday cakes... I had no idea what I was agreeing to. Thankfully she wanted to learn and was able to help bake one of the cakes. A double-layer, chocolate cake with chocolate icing. A single-layer, chocolate cake with white frosting. What a great way to celebrate the life of a beautiful, young lady willing to serve God with her life. Erica desires to serve in ministry in the future. Pray that God will strengthen her walk with Him, drawing her deeper into His heart. Pray that God would lead and direct her in the way He would have her go.

Life comes in phases. Sometimes it's really hard. Sometimes it's really good. In the midst of it all, God is always there. This past week felt extra busy helping get the new family settled in. It's a joy to have them here and to feel like a more complete team.  That being said, in all honesty, this week was also really challenging. It slowly sunk in that I am the only non-Brazilian, non-married, non-parent on the team right now. And I've been living alone in this big house for 6 months. It's hard to cook for one person. It's hard to have to eat alone. Yet God can use anything for His glory.  My language helper and friend, Mama R, knows everything I have faced this year (cyclone, house issues, typhoid, etc). As we were having a conversation about this week and how I was feeling I mentioned that I'm still happy with my life. She was surprised.  How could I be happy with everything that has happened and feeling lonely? I responded that's it'

Our new Brazilian teammates arrived on Thursday! When their little girl saw the ocean her big, brown eyes widened, framed by her long, thick lashes and dark, curly hair. She grabbed my pointer finger and headed towards the water, stopping right at the edge of where the waves were lapping. She pointed at the waves, at the boats, at the birds flying above, at the sand, at the seaweed, and babbled on in her cute, childish way. My heart warmed to meet this precious little girl and I'm glad she's joined our team along with her parents. Obviously they are tired from the long trip from Brazil and a bit overwhelmed. I remember how I felt when I first arrived and all the emotions that swirled around me. Our team We are all helping them through the first few days with meals, shopping trips, answering questions, and offering encouragement. Please pray for our team as we expand that our love and unity will expand beyond measure and pull us closer to God's heart

7 months ago, at a conference in Kenya, I sat down for lunch and said hi to the others at the table. Almost everyone at the conference were missionaries with Africa Inland Mission, but I discovered that the two young ladies sitting next to me were just visiting the conference. They were Kenyans that lived nearby and were interested in missions.  The one next to me asked where I was serving as a missionary. I replied that I was going to Pemba, Mozambique to work among the Mwani people. The other Kenyan leaned forward and exclaimed "the Mwani?! I've been praying for them for three years!" I was floored.  Only God could have arranged that meeting. A fter that conference she applied to AIM, was accepted, and has been doing a few short term trips to gain experience and training. I started praying that God would open the doors for her to join my team, but told no one in AIM that I was praying for this. Fast forward to last month - my team leader started telling me a