I've Got a Jar of Dirt!!!

For those of you who have been following the Pirates of the Caribbean craze that has recently resurfaced with the release of the 4th movie you will probably remember from the 2nd movie when Captain Jack Sparrow is trying to escape the dreaded Davy Jones who can only come on land once every 10 years so he finds his comfort in carrying around a jar of dirt thinking it will protect him. If you remember the movie I'm sure you'll remember the sing song way that he runs around saying "I've got a jar of diiirt!" There are many analogies and parallels that can be made from this story but the other day as we were having a teaching time with our M he was talking to us about the seasons of sharing the Gspl. and we were talking about Sowing. He made the point that you can't Harvest if you don't do the tedious work of Plowing and Sowing first and one of our guys said it reminded him of the Jar of Dirt scene. After we all got a good laugh at that he explained that it was because just like Jack was foolish for carrying a jar of dirt around thinking it would magically produce the same kind of protection he would have on dry land, we are foolish for thinking that if we plow the ground that we will magically reap a harvest without sowing. We have been discussing the whole Plowing, Sowing, and Reaping seasons and talking about how they are all pointless without the others and how they need to be done in the right order. It has been so encouraging for me to think about the importance of the plowing stage we are in now. Especially when it gets difficult to keep PRing and it starts to feel like we are getting nowhere. Father has been reminding me that Plowing is an essential step in the process and that we can't reap a harvest without first plowing and softening the ground and then sowing seeds and tending them.... only then can a harvest be reaped.

One of the coolest things for me so far has been the day we went to the Mosque. A couple of days ago we went to a local Mosque and got to talk to an Imam as he explained the Islamic faith. I admittedly have been rather ignorant of the Islamic faith up until now so it was extremely enlightening for me to realize just how much our faiths have in common. Almost all of their prophets are our old testament stories and prophets. The enemy only has to twist the one fact about JC and he creates an entirely different religion based on works instead of grace and that makes all the difference. Father has really been laying the Muslim people on my heart over the last week and I am very excited at the possibility of getting to establish relationships with some and learning even more about their religion.

Over the last few days we have continued going around to our 5 different Trek sights and PR walking and exploring the areas a little bit more. It has been great to get to PR over the different areas and finding the place that we feel Father wants us to be focusing on over the summer. Hopefully sometime this weekend our Team Leader will announce which area each of us is going to be in and I will try to update again once we find out so y'all can be in PR about that area specifically. For now if you could be PRing that Father would be softening the hearts of the people who He will put into our paths over the course of the summer.

Another big thing you can be PRing about has just come up here this evening. One of the guys on our team called home and found out that his grandfather that has cancer is in the hospital and things are not looking good. Please PR for my teammate, Ryan, and his family that he will be able to stay focused and not be distracted by what's going on at home and stay strong in what Father is wanting to do through him this summer.

Father has really been teaching and growing me and my team in so many ways already in the week and a half we have been here but the enemy is trying so hard to distract and discourage each of us. In some ways that is encouraging because I know that means that we are a threat to him but we still need to dig in to the word and trust in Father to be our strength right now.

Thank you all for your Prs and support. I have loved getting emails and encouragement from so many of y'all... it makes my day every time I get on and see emails from back home. The next passage I would ask you to look up and Pr for me and my team is Ephesians 6:18-20. I love that these verses follow the passage about the armor of Father because that passage has whole new meaning for me now as I have experience spiritual warfare on this trip in ways that I never have before. So knowing that I am attempting to clothe myself every day with the armor of the Father, Pr that Pr for me. Love and miss you all! :)