Today is Monday, September 30th, 2013; Karen's Korner #2661
Last week, I was reminded how rich I am. And how blessed!
In case you have forgotten, you too are very rich and blessed!
Fanny and Martha, missionaries from Zimbabwe, spent the week at our church and with our Clarion community.
Maybe without knowing it, they reminded all of us.
A week ago Sunday at worship service, we were asked, as we are every week, if we had anything for which we wanted to praise God.
Martha raised her hand and said, "I want to thank God for electricity which is not interrupted and for running water!" They stayed from Saturday to Saturday in the lower level of our newer church office building. Their accommodations were in our youth room area, nice but certainly not the Hilton Hotel.
When was the last time we thanked God for electricity and running water?
Zimbabwe currently has 80% unemployment, down for a higher number of nearly 90%!
During the week, I heard Martha more than once thank God for our country, which she referred to as the "Mother Country of All the Nations". "What your do around the world matters to a third world county like ours," she said. "What your country stands for or does in a country like Syria makes a difference to us in Zimbabwe."
Early in the week, she told a small group of women about the need for new and used underwear for the women and girls in Zimbabwe. "We sometimes have nice clothing to wear but not the bras and panties," Martha said. "A young girl might wear a dress or skirt to church and not sit correctly and we can see that she isn't wearing panties. She doesn't know that her inexperience may help to cause someone to rape her."
We could mail/ship items to them, but there would be shipping costs from here, but in Zimbabwe there is also a fee imposed when they pick them up. One time a container cost them more than $500 in shipping/receiving fees; more than the value of contents of the box they were receiving!
When they are in the U.S., the couple takes as many things home with them as they can - for themselves and for their mission work. We put out the S.O.S. to Marys & Marthas (ecumenical group of women) for underwear (aka 'Under Wonder' drive), beginning on Tuesday but things had to be to the church office by Friday/Saturday when they would be leaving). Our goal: 50 items.
We collected well over 500!
A handful of gals rolled and packed two large suitcases with all of the 'wonderful undies', some were new; others not. As we worked, Fanny told us that we needed to take the new ones out of their plastic wrappers. If we did not, the officials, as they'd come back into their country, would believe that they were bringing them back to sell and there would be fees to pay. As we worked, we learned that before they return to Africa, Fanny and Martha will repack the items and intermingle them with their clothing to help authorities know that they are not for sale, but for use in their ministry.
Please pray they will be able to convince government employees these items and others, which they will be bringing to their home and delivering to people, are not for sale and need not have additional delivery fees when they return home in November.
God has richly blessed America over two centuries. Collectively, we must continue to worship Him and share what He has done and can do in the lives of all of us and the lives of others.
Martha thanked us for continuing to bring Christ to her country. "Your ancestors, people from New Zealand and Australia and others brought Christianity to Zimbabwe. And for that we continue to thank and bless you."
We are not perfect people. Our country is not perfect. We know that we are an 'exceptional' people, not because of anything we have done. Everyone is equal under God's watchful eye. We are exceptional, because the framers of our country did something no other country on earth had ever done before: set us free as individuals, to each develop our talents and God-given abilities. They did not want us governed by a King, Dictator, or some other ruler from on high. In turn, we use, and have used, that individual freedom to help others, like our unknown friends in Zimbabwe.
Today is a good day to celebrate how 'rich' we all are. To celebrate the United States of America: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And to celebrate and bless God for His goodness and mercy, not only on us, but peoples from around the world.
Thank You, God, for all You have done and will continue to do through each one of us! Continue to bless us, regardless of where we live, the color of our skin, or the dollars in our bank account! We thank You for our enormous blessings which we too often take for granted! Thank You for reminding us of our vast wealth, through Fanny and Martha. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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