Last Saturday I hit the ground running. On the way from the airport we learned that our girls at the high school won city champions at Net Ball which is like basketball but no dribbling, just passing. The rim has no net and is very small, almost like the carnival basketball game. No clue why the call it “net” ball? They were still on the field celebrating when we stopped to congratulate them. Then we learned that our Iris Ministries Dream Primary School boys won the city champion soccer game, so more celebration the same day. Our kids are very athletic for sure. Sure wish I could get the Olympic Committee to come and visit – lol!

As I have shared in past updates, our school compound has been hit by lightning three times in the past and our buildings have been damaged. No children have ever been hurt, we praise Jesus always for this. The rains have been steady here as we are in our nine months of rainy season with small spurt breaks in July. While in Mozambique, I received a very nice financial gift so I immediately contracted for this lightning arrestor to be installed. Today, mission accomplished. No more lightning damage! I was also able to purchase five bales of children’s clothes. Our younger kids play so hard and really can go through some clothes. So I gave out clothes throughout the week and am seeing so many happy faces around the camp. The sizes weren’t always perfect but we can work through those small details.

Earlier this week we were headed into town when we were flagged down by some prisoners who were working by the roadside. It was the hottest day this week and they were sweating as they were digging ditches and had no water. They asked us for money so they could send a guard to go get water. We told them not to worry as we would bring it to them. They were so happy when we came back with a case of water and they shook our hands and blessed us. These are our brothers whom we minister to in the prison. It is so nice to be able to stop and shake their hands and talk to them and the guards are so very nice about it all. So casual, almost as if they weren’t prisoners. It’s like they have their dignity and that makes a huge difference when we get to go and visit them.

Before I left to Mozambique I was wondering how I was going to get 100 mosquito nets for our kids, the expensive ones that are chemically treated. I never told a soul and never asked for anything. This is how I always do when inquiring of the Lord about what we need. I just “wonder” how it will be accomplished. Then I decided to quit taking my malaria pills and it all of a sudden became doubly important for me to get the nets. Wednesday I inquired of one of our NGO friends as to how to go about getting them as they aren’t readily available in the market and she told me where to get them. I then called the store and asked the price. It would be $600 USD for 100 of them. That next day this same friend rang me back and told me that her and her husband had decided to give us a financial gift to cover most of the cost of the nets. She told me that they had $575 USD, not knowing the final cost.

I tell you, God is so amazingly good to us. I think of the things I need and I tell God what I need and I never give it a “worry” or nagging thought. I just wonder where it will come from, not if it will come. God has shown me time after time after time that HE has this, all of this. I have never had such faith in my entire life for things, big things. This week I talked to my kids and staff in two separate meetings about big faith and little faith. I told them the story of the mustard seed and how it grew into a tree. Faith has to grow. I have been through so many trials and tests these last five years to last a lifetime. But when I see God show me bigger and bigger things, requiring bigger and bigger faith, I welcome the tests and trials because I know they will INCREASE my faith even more. God showed me something amazing this week.

Twice this week I have seen the literal glory of God, the cloudy light that covers an area or place. I first saw it in church last Sunday and even rubbed my eyes as I thought it was my eyes. It happened again on Wednesday in our prayer hut and I thought it was my glasses as I was sharing a message with our staff. I was teaching on big faith and I shared Romans 1:17

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last (from faith to faith)…”

Then 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness (righteousness) with ever increasing glory ((from glory to glory)…”

The Lord was showing me that we go from faith to faith and from glory to glory. We will know and see the glory of God in our life only in proportion to the development of faith in our life. Big faith will bring an increase of God’s glory to our life and ministry. This year has been a huge year of faith for us, our children, me, just believing for all our needs to be met and even exceeded. God has shown us at every turn, through the faithfulness of His servants who help us by giving and praying, that He will accomplish His word, He watches over it to make sure it comes to pass. Wow!

My kids and my team, we want tree sized faith and so we ask for more of a measure from God, whatever change in our hearts and minds is required, we want it! During our Friday night encounter the children were almost screaming the words to all the songs because of their zeal for the Lord. I am so serious. Almost every single song they clapped and yelled in pure joy because they love singing those particular words to Jesus. This went on for almost the entire three hours. I was so overtaken by the spirit of joy, major joy, and I could only imagine how Jesus felt and laughed and delighted in the zeal of these kids. That’s how worship should be, permeated with joy, dripping with joy. God is happy, He is full of joy, and he loves to laugh and smile and sing with us.

Danielle, one of our missionaries, works at the hospital we take our kids to twice a week. She volunteers of course. This week a lady brought in her child who had such bad infection in her ears that she was deaf. The doctor said that her inner ear parts were literally eaten away because the infection had been in there for about a year before she was ever brought in. So Danielle asked if she could pray because Jesus could fix this. She said a “simple” prayer and very short because she wanted to honor the doctor’s time as the waiting room was full. She said amen and the doctor continued with his exam. When the doctor and the mother were then discussing the girl, Danielle whispered the girl’s name while she wasn’t looking and the girl immediately turned to Danielle. Her ears had opened! The doctor and the mom were stunned. They didn’t know what to do. Jesus doesn’t care how much we know or what we say, He just needs someone who is available and believes enough to pray. He has this!