“The path of the just is as the shining sun, shining ever brighter until the coming day”
We serve a mighty God, and the God Who created our days before time, and what a comfort that has been these past few weeks. That season has come again which serves to refocus on our crucified Lord, encourageing Lenten knees and a penitent heart. In this time I have offered up prayers for direction and guidance, and I am assured that yours have mingled with mine before the Throne. In accordance with the counsel of my parents and some wise brothers and sisters, the Lord allowed me to see the wisdom in returning to school for a Nursing degree. With this in heart and mind, I began to prepare my fellow workers that my time here was coming to an end. This decision having been made, my departure date set for 04 May, I found my heart filled with sorrow. What a struggle to leave these little ones who have been given to me when their earthly parents rejected them. And now I was to leave them, preparing other workers to care for them. I was truly heavy-laden with grieved love.
It was during this time that I began considering spending a bit of time in England before returning home, to re-acclimate and have a good time of rest. I presented it to my parents, and after praying about it, we decided that I would throw out some lines and consider some options of working there for the summer months. What we didn’t see was that God was preparing us for His plan, which would involve me not returning to the States quite yet.
On the Sat/Sun I formally presented my plans to attend Nursing school in the Spring to my brothers and sisters around TLC. On Monday and Tuesday I found much time for prayer and contemplation, and had such a peace that if the Lord desired me to work in England for a while, He would prepare the way and teach me how to walk in it. On Wednesday I received emails from the president of my Mission Org. (Alan Mezger), and from a good friend, and fellow missionary, in Ireland. The former presented me with the option of a return mission trip to Kosovo, and new mission work in Bosnia and Croatia. The latter was a request that if I was in England, would I “please, please, please [go] visit” her, and have a prayer retreat with her in Northern Ireland for the purpose of encouragement and edification. Then I looked at a calendar, and the flow of the dates was amazing: Arrive England 05 May. Ireland 07 May. Leave for Kosovo/Bosnia/Croatia with fellow missionaries 18 May. After this I would still have a bit of time to spend in England before needing to return home. According to this plan I would probably arrive Stateside in early August.
This plan was so far beyond anything I was thinking that I was just amazed when it all came together on one day, I was filled with gratefulness and excitement, and after speaking to my parents, they shared in my excitement and saw that God had given clear direction and they would be behind me all the way. The timing was perfect. First, I think that God had used the idea of me staying in England for a while to soften my heart and the hearts of my parents for me being gone a while longer. Second, I was in need of confirmation that my time at TLC was finished according to the Lord’s plan, and this gave ample confirmation. And third, having the assurance that I was and would be doing that which the Lord had prepared for me relieved some of the burden of sorrow I had in leaving, filling me with trust that He would ready me for going, and provide TLC with someone to fill my place. God is truly good and gracious to His children.
On the financial side of things, all the trips up to England will cost around $2000 (including airfare), which has not yet been covered. Once I get to England, there are a few options, and I await the Lord’s direction there. The first option is to primarily work with some ministries there (both for children and adults) at a lower intensity than at present, and the other is to get a medial job to cover expenses while I am there and work with the ministries on the side. However my path has been laid, when I arrive in England I am praying for a restful time in meditation and prayer, receiving again the blessing of being in a Church, and re-acclimating to the first world.
It seems that so much has happened since my last update only a month ago! For those of you who didn’t hear, Ntombfuti had an healthy baby girl, and they are both well. Thank you for your prayers in that situation, what a relief I felt the night she delivered, and I had a deep sleep for the first time in two weeks. As for new prayer requests:
- Someone to fill my place at TLC
- Thanks and praise to our God for His clear direction and assurances in the past couple weeks.
- For my departure: preparation for me and the children.
Thank you for your prayers, and for sending me your prayer requests. Though We are many, We are one. In expectation of our risen Lord, Nicole de Martimprey
Friday, March 31, 2006
The Birth Certificate
Ntombifuti filled out her birth certificate this week, and the name of her child is "Mbali Nicole". Mbali is a traditional African name for "flower". I am delighted.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
It's a Girl!!
Ntombfuti delivered an healthy baby girl. Thank you so much for all your prayers, please continue to pray that she may have an open and soft heart to accept all that I can give her (the least of which is physical aid). Thanks be to God, the Father of the fatherless.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Autumn Update (Feb.)
The African sun is losing is exchanging it’s bite with the autumn air, which seems to go straight to the bones. The cold months are approaching around here, and the green is turning to brown, the winds are taking over, and the fires will begin to eat up the land. But inside the doors of the orphanage things are cozy, excepting the inescapable drafts that make their way through the walls. The children’s health, on the whole, has returned thanks to the hand of our Healer and the faithful prayers of His saints, both here and there. I know that the prayers we lifted up together for these little ones rose before the Throne in a sweet aroma, and God has heard our petitions.
Though the challenge of health seems to have passed for the moment, others have appeared. Lately I have felt like the large weeping willow that is outside my window: my trunk is firm planted in the strong ground of faith, but the rest of me is blown around in the winds of life. For one of these winds I request your urgent prayers:
* There is a 17 year old girl named Ntombifuti who God has allowed me to establish a relationship with, provide her with food and clothes, and taught her how to support herself. She became pregnant nine months ago, and was due somewhere around the end of February. She lives with her mother and seven siblings in a shack about fifteen minutes from where I am, and she and her mother have never had a conversation about her being pregnant. I talked to her mom about it, and she just doesn’t care and doesn’t want to know about it, she’s not bitter, it’s just no big thing in her life, so she’s not concerned about it. About six weeks ago, after much prayer, the Lord opened Ntombifuti up to me, and she asked for help. Last week she asked me if I would still come for the birth if it was in the night, and I can still hear the tremor in her voice that betrayed her hidden fear. Then on this past Friday her mother just said, “there must be something wrong, she must go see the witch doctor”. I tried to dissuade them from the idea, saying I would just take her to the hospital, but they are sure there is a “block” on the child that is keeping it from coming. With sorrow and a broken heart I left it, knowing the only way to change their minds would be on my knees. The baby has not come as of today. Please keep us in your prayers.
On a different note, I want to thank all of you who either sent things with my mother for the orphanage, or aided her in her journeys. Her visit was a blessing and a needed encouragement after nine months of not seeing a familiar face. She arrived safely and she just jumped in changing nappies and feeding bottles and holding and cuddling (the babies, not me….). Everyone here was blessed by her, and quite a few of the workers found her a good replacement for their mothers. Quite comically, a couple days after she was here I started getting these small bumps all over my arms and torso. They kept spreading over the next four days or so, and I wasn’t quite sure what it was, and then we realized that I had borrowed a mattress to lie on while she was in my bed and the mattress just happened to have fleas. So I was covered in flea bites, and we eventually just shared a twin bed – I’m sure it deepened our relationship… But overall the trip was amazing, and I know that it will continue to be a blessing as I visit my parents because they will have such a clearer picture of where and what I have been doing. Thank you so much for your support and prayers in helping her get here.
I will never be able to show all of you my gratefulness for your continued prayers, they continue to minister greatly to me. Please send me any specific prayer requests from all of you, and I will join you in them.
In the same fight & bound together in the Spirit, Nicole
Though the challenge of health seems to have passed for the moment, others have appeared. Lately I have felt like the large weeping willow that is outside my window: my trunk is firm planted in the strong ground of faith, but the rest of me is blown around in the winds of life. For one of these winds I request your urgent prayers:
* There is a 17 year old girl named Ntombifuti who God has allowed me to establish a relationship with, provide her with food and clothes, and taught her how to support herself. She became pregnant nine months ago, and was due somewhere around the end of February. She lives with her mother and seven siblings in a shack about fifteen minutes from where I am, and she and her mother have never had a conversation about her being pregnant. I talked to her mom about it, and she just doesn’t care and doesn’t want to know about it, she’s not bitter, it’s just no big thing in her life, so she’s not concerned about it. About six weeks ago, after much prayer, the Lord opened Ntombifuti up to me, and she asked for help. Last week she asked me if I would still come for the birth if it was in the night, and I can still hear the tremor in her voice that betrayed her hidden fear. Then on this past Friday her mother just said, “there must be something wrong, she must go see the witch doctor”. I tried to dissuade them from the idea, saying I would just take her to the hospital, but they are sure there is a “block” on the child that is keeping it from coming. With sorrow and a broken heart I left it, knowing the only way to change their minds would be on my knees. The baby has not come as of today. Please keep us in your prayers.
On a different note, I want to thank all of you who either sent things with my mother for the orphanage, or aided her in her journeys. Her visit was a blessing and a needed encouragement after nine months of not seeing a familiar face. She arrived safely and she just jumped in changing nappies and feeding bottles and holding and cuddling (the babies, not me….). Everyone here was blessed by her, and quite a few of the workers found her a good replacement for their mothers. Quite comically, a couple days after she was here I started getting these small bumps all over my arms and torso. They kept spreading over the next four days or so, and I wasn’t quite sure what it was, and then we realized that I had borrowed a mattress to lie on while she was in my bed and the mattress just happened to have fleas. So I was covered in flea bites, and we eventually just shared a twin bed – I’m sure it deepened our relationship… But overall the trip was amazing, and I know that it will continue to be a blessing as I visit my parents because they will have such a clearer picture of where and what I have been doing. Thank you so much for your support and prayers in helping her get here.
I will never be able to show all of you my gratefulness for your continued prayers, they continue to minister greatly to me. Please send me any specific prayer requests from all of you, and I will join you in them.
In the same fight & bound together in the Spirit, Nicole
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