Skip to main content

Friendship is the purpose.

This evening we went to hear a YWAMer speak at one of the churches here in Riga. It was such a breath of fresh air! After hearing and learning so much about trafficking and how to fight it and the complexity of it (which was what we tackled in our teaching time this morning), it was so refreshing to stop and just hear about Jesus. The speaker shared from his life and I am so in awe at how amazing God is.

So much good stuff was shared, but my two highlights were:

- You can lean into the character of God, and even if you’re not sure what He’s saying, you can be sure of who He is.

- The purpose for why God has you where He has you is that it’s the place where you can grow the closest in friendship with Jesus.

It was speaking my language! It’s all unto friendship with Jesus. It’s so simple, yet so profound.

I am praying and thinking a lot these days about my purpose and role and what I’m going to be “doing” in Amsterdam after Shine ends. And so today it was so refreshing to be reminded that at the end of the day, what it really boils down to is walking in friendship with Jesus.

And as I sit here writing this I feel so hopeful about what lies ahead. I am encouraged by how amazing it is that in this very nation where there is so little hope, my heart is encountering the God of hope. And my prayer is that it wouldn’t just be me who finds hope and encounters hope in this place, but that the people of this city would connect with their Creator and the One whose plans for them are plans of hope.

Tomorrow we have more teaching in the morning, and in the evening we’re supporting the team going out to minister to the girls on the streets through intercession. It’s going to be an intense, but good day I expect.

My mug of tea is finished. I’m listening to Brandon Hampton on the webstream and the flat is quiet. The others are sleeping, but I am enjoying a moment of savoring friendship with Jesus and feeling my heart come alive. What a privilege to love Him here and love those He loves here.

Popular posts from this blog

Taking in the familiar and a heart connected.

Amsterdam. It still has that muggy feeling in Summer, and a constant flow of people which if you stop to think about it, it's quite amazing that there would even be space to accommodate them all. But then I guess they are not all staying. Just passing through on their way to or from somewhere. It's always good for the heart to visit somewhere that was once home. The familiarity of streets and customs makes it easier to embrace what might be new as well as the joy of being reacquainted with old friends. Friends. So many of them to be found in this city, ready with hugs and good words that are uttered when seeing someone who was away again. Friendship. A treasure that cannot be bought. Cobblestones trodden by many, including myself. Sitting on a bench. Praying. Remembering the first time I stumbled upon this area lined with windows with red lights and curtains. An area which has come to represent no longer windows, but people to me. Some still behind a window. Others who have ...
Read more

Getting to know the local culture.

Life is a strange thing. Last week went…not much happened, and then it was over. The weekend was quite calm without too many wild and exciting things happening. Except, of course, a wee outing to watch the National Championship for Veteran Ploughing. Now, like me, you might be sadly lacking an understanding of what this actually means. So I am delighted to be able to enlighten you in this respect. It’s basically (for the “farm-language-illiterate” like myself) a competition where you use old (hence the name “veteran”) tractors and ploughs, and plough up a stretch of field which is then evaluated and the one scoring the highest sum (accuracy, depth, how well the soil is turned is all given points) wins. I must admit that this information I got by eavesdropping on a conversation next to me where a man was explaining to some of my friends how it all works. So that was a fun adventure….although we only stayed for a bit. What is sort of occupying my mind at present is my upcoming travel abr...
Read more

What was your dream?- scraping the surface of the heart of Albania

“What was your dream when you were 20?” That was a question our guide asked us as we were standing outside a huge derelict cement monument in Tirana, the capital of Albania. We’d spent the day touring and hearing a lot about the history and journey of Albania, a young country with more Albanians living in other countries than in Albania itself. A country where tourism has only really been built up the past 30 years. It was eye opening to hear more of the history, and it made me realise that this country is so much more than meets the eye. A country where the beaches and tourist area of Durres Riviera was packed with tourists, mostly from the Balcan area. A country where hospitality is ingrained in the culture, and where the friendliness of the people was noticeable. After a pause to let us reflect over the question of dreams, for some thinking further back than others, our guide told us that for him it had been to own a pair of jeans. That simple fact said so much. Both of what he...
Read more