faith & fellowship

The following is a journal entry I made while in Mozambique in '97. I had not posted it along with the four-part mission post, but recently I am realizing more and more this need for fellowship among believers and how at times Christ-focused fellowships can become a very critical turning point in a believer's life.

So here it goes...

(Of course this needs to be read in the light of the other posts I had entered here -the lack of shower water on any given day...and we were often forced to take what we called "baby-wipe shower." Use your imagination; I won't belabor an explanation.)

Fourth one to take the shower, I didn't expect hot water, but I hoped for at least water! None! Almost frustrating...

"No water? Face it! It's a fact of life!" said Matt [a long-term missionary who had been there over a year] as a matter-of-factly.

That didn't help.

I stepped outside. So few stars out tonight...

Am I angry at God? No. Not really - just frustrated by my own lack of faith.

Holding back tears, I came back inside still feeling uptight.

"Where were you?" Eunice [a Hispanic girl who came with me on this mission trip] asked, worried.

I mumbled a reply. I wanted to cry, but my foolishness would not permit it.

"Do you want to pray for water?" she asked.

I was astounded but didn't show it. "It's okay," was my lame reply.

She sat by me on my bed anyway and began to pray. I still held back my tears. When Eunice finished, Eren [another girl who came with us] and said "There's water!"

Eunice jumped and screamed and shouted in joy! She was truly rejoicing! "God answers prayers! Hallelujah! Come on, Song! Take the shower; if you don't, I will!" she sang, literally jumping up and down, clapping in joy.

She knelt beside me and hugged me, thanking God. My tears released then. It was incredible. Literally.

But it turned out, Eren used the last bit of reservoir to brush her teeth, and well, no water.

Eunice kept on believing saying, "God, let the water just overflow!" She didn't doubt a moment.

I was astonished by her faith.

Eren kept turning on and off all the faucets trying and trying. It was beautiful to see as I stood leaning against the threshold to the bathroom, watching them in wonder.

I felt peace. I had wonderful sisters in the Lord.

"It's okay, guys. I'm fine. Even if no shower, I'm still happy," was my honest reply.

An important note, it had been a long, dusty, exhausting day, and Eunice had not had any shower either...