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God's Marvelous Ways |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What
wonderful verses! I wished I had time and room to expound on the verses
surrounding them also, to leave them in context! However
these verses reflect the praises rising up from my heart towards our
wonderful Creator God, the most beautiful and glorious King of Kings,
Bridegroom full of splendor, ever-faithful Friend and Brother, Lover of my
heart! No eye
has seen, no ear has heard, and very certainly no mind has conceived - I have
seen nothing yet, have heard nothing yet, and cannot even comprehend the
great things God has planned since before the creation of the world for the
people of Mali And yet, I praise the Lord for the little things, firstfruits,
I'm seeing now. Faith is seeing the invisible as if it was here, the future
as if it was now, and acting accordingly. It is looking at a BIG God, and not
the opposite direction - i.e. at myself with all my weaknesses and
shortcomings. Oh my Lord, help me keep my eyes on you! Help me keep my eyes
on your vision! Two
praise reports that illustrate today's Bible verse: Emmanuel A few
weeks ago Emma asked for a private conversation. I had had a burden for him
and could tell he was in distress. He started sharing about three years in
bondage to a habit he couldn't get rid of. He longed to be free again, clean
and free from sin before His Lord. He also shared about a traumatic childhood
experience, when a classmate died after he had witnessed to him. The boy
wanted to give his life to the Lord, yet didn't do it because of his Muslim
family. Only hours later he had a fatal accident. Emma had always blamed
himself for that and stopped sharing the gospel - though he has a gift of
sharing/preaching, always captivating his audience. I talked to him about
these things, and told him we'd pray the following night at our weekly
meeting, when Simeon would also be there. A few
days later Emma came raditing. The habit was totally gone, without any
problems, and joy had returned. Just today he told me how different he felt
now in every way, and how great it was! He also shared about a girl he has
witnessed to. This summer, Emma is planning on coming to Kansas City for my
last month there. The flights are reserved, the passport is in progress, and
the visa process has to be started. Emma needs a letter of invitation from
Kansas City where he could also stay for the time there. Would one of you be
able to write that letter? Simeon Simeon
is still radiating and full of joy. Just the other day he again talked about
his birthday, how special it was, praising God all the time. Please
pray also for the Moonies - they are wonderful people I'd like to see come
into the Kingdom of our God! Friday
Night Meeting Our
Friday night meetings have been going well. We always start with a time of
worship - either using my computer to play a few French worship songs, or I
lead worship with my guitar. Thankfully I've got a handful of French worship
songs. By the time worship is over, Emma usually gets here (he has class at
university) and we go into the teaching. My goal is always to meet with God,
and our worship times have been wonderfully glorious at times. * Abdoul
and Abraham, Simeon's Muslim colleagues - Simeon has talked to them a
lot, and they want to come. Simeon said he'd invite them for next Friday. Alice My
French colleague/neighbor Alice has been opening up more and more. We have
dinner together every few days, and see each other every day. Alice has read
all my Christian novels and liked them. We've had a few good conversations. When
I received Todd Bentley's biography and the video on our missions trip to
Malawi last year, she was very interested. She wants to see the miracles on
the video. And now she has started reading Todd's powerful biography. Just
today she told me it sounds to her like fiction. School My
German classes at the High School are going well. The second trimester is
nearly over. By now I know 80% of the students' names (160 students), which
helps. However, students haven't changed in that they still don't do any work
at home - hard to speak (or write) a language without knowing any vocabulary.
But there are a few who are gifted and enjoy learning German. In any case,
I've come to love my students dearly, even the ones that are disruptive all
the time. Yet that love is not considered a positive thing but a weakness. Students
take advantage of it, look down at me, and think they can do anything they
like. There are a few that seem to have the time of their lives by coming all
the time humbly apologizing, and afterwards laughing because I accepted their
apology, and they never change. Malian teachers treat their students very
harshly - shocking for us. Summer Now the
second reason I chose the opening passage. Two weeks ago I received an email
from a friend in Vienna I hadn't heard from in years! At first I was very
happy to hear from her, then I was stunned and finally tears overwhelmed me,
as I was filled with awe at the goodness of the Lord. That friend wrote that
the Lord had spoken to her to pay to my tickets to Kansas City and Vienna in
the summer - 2500EUR (3000USD)!! In November 2002 God showed me a vision and
said, as long as I'd be giving it away, there would always be plenty in my
pockets (look into the archives for details). I love giving it away, and the
seed always bring fruit (there was a time in my life when it was not like
that at all - ask me if you wanna know how that changed). Calendar:
March
25-April 4 "Easter" break
- traveling north I'm
praying somebody reliable to be in my apartment during the four months I'm gone. My Your
heart beat with His heartbeat, may you hear with His ears, may you see with
His eyes, and may you feel the way He does - you'll never be the same again. Wonderful
Jesus, none like You! Yours
alone, Claudia
P.S.
The weekly English class is going well, the students who came to watch the
Austrian movie loved it, and the rising heat is making life harder and
harder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tel. (+223) 220 0311 Cell (+223) 636 6727 IMPORTANT: Don't write my name on
the check, but add a note that it's for me. In Europe: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=office%40glorywebservices.com&item_name=Claudia+Wintoch&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=USD |