Dear Family and Friends,
Grace, hope, and peace to you.
Life is good here in Freetown. God is gracious with us as we stumble forward. Ever patient, He is working everything together for good. We are grateful for many things:
1. The Lighthouse board of directors is showing renewed compassion and commitment to at-risk youth. One of our local partners, Scripture Union, is even hoping to start a drop-in center. Please pray that these relationships be strengthened, and that unified, we serve the teens of Freetown with bonds of love, understanding, and respect.
2. Our Freetown Word Made Flesh community is deepening and growing. We are learning how to resolve conflict, make decisions, and support one another.
3. The Lighthouse tailoring graduates are continuing to play an active role in Lighthouse. One young man is even leading a small Bible study and accountability group at the moment.
4. After struggling with corrupt schools and teachers that don’t teach for five years, we have finally found an academic institution that has high standards and is pursuing excellence. Seven of our youth have recently started attending EducAid. They are learning a lot and loving it! Please pray for them as they adjust to the heavy workload and high expectations. (One of our young men was already kicked out for skipping school for two days.) Pray for our budget as well. The school is free, but the added transportation costs to and from the campus will nearly triple our education expenses annually.
Personally, I am doing well. I am healthy. For the past month I have been caring for Keyara Jane, a beautiful newborn my friends Chris and Erin are adopting. Chris and Erin in the U.S. visiting family and friends, and the legal paperwork is not complete yet.
I am reading Brennan Manning’s Abba’s Child at the moment. Funny how, after walking with God over half my life, I still need to be reminded that Jesus Loves Me! Sometimes I still get so caught up in being efficient or productive. At other times I am overly concerned about what other people think. And often I let my roller coaster feelings have more control than I ought. Manning reminds me that what I really need to be focusing on is God’s love and acceptance.
May you
Beloved,
(How are you reacting to that word?)
as you read this
pause
BE STILL
just for a moment
and let your guard down
open the hands of your soul
humbly receive
breathe in
Daddy God’s love for you
completely undeserved
unearned
boundless
smiling and joyful
gentle, tender, kind acceptance
In this
Divine
NOW
May you rest in, and live out of your Belovedness now and always.
Thank you for continued encouragement, support, and prayers. I would love to hear how you are doing and what you are learning these days (hopehopper@hotmail.com).
Love,
Cami