In order to pick up our much anticipated personal car we had to drive to SA to do the paper work.  The bonus was we were given a house by the beach while we waited.  We had been running very hard, individually and as a family.  This was a time to regroup and renew our minds.  South Africa is much more modern than Swaziland, and the area we visited was very safe, and very free.  It was a relief to sleep so peacefully, the sound of waves instead of barking dogs and roosters.   The break was necessary; however it made the reality of our third world life harder to come back to.

      I saw the look on the kids faces this morning, as we all gathered for tea and coffee and prayer.  They have made great sacrifices to be here, and after a week of almost "normal American life", they feel the sting.  My first gut reaction is to fix it, make it better, and get them what they want, make them happy again.  However, I do not believe it is my job as their mother to make them HAPPY; it is my job to make them GREAT.  God did not just call Gary and I to Africa, he called each one of us as individuals, as well as a family.  So, after Gary prayed with us all and left for the office, I felt the need to refocus the tribe.  I asked each of them two questions, # 1. Are you STILL called to Africa? # 2.  Who called you to Africa? They each answered, #1. Yes, and # 2. God….and so I followed that up with a challenge…They all took their Bibles and journals and spent two hours of quiet and solitude with the Lord.  They were to ask the Lord what He wanted them to do with the next 2 weeks of break and then write out a plan of how to do it.  He is the one that called them here; it is up to Him to keep them focused.  I prayed for God to show up and reign in their hearts and minds. I took a deep breath and helped Noah with his quiet time.  We all reconvened at noon. 

    As the tribe entered the living room, I could feel the change in their spirits.  Each one of the kids had a completely different countenance about them as they told us of their time with the Father.  Each had a word from the Lord about more intimacy, fasting and prayer.  They also each had a vision of what kind of ministry they were each to implement these next two weeks that will carry over even after school starts.  They are focused, excited and ready to be working vessels for the Kingdom, using the unique gifts and talents they each have.

For the moment, when we see our children hurting, we think it is our job to stop the pain, no matter what, but that is not real life, and it teaches them nothing, except that their rights, desires and wants supersede everything else.  When we keep directing them back to the Father, their faith grows, and they begin to think beyond themselves and into their purpose for existing….Plus…God actually KNOWS what He is doing….I am just a Mom.