To South America...And Beyond!!
The countdown has begun. I leave next Monday. I am spending the last week getting everything in order for this trip and the next several months of living overseas. I appreciate your prayers for tranquility and protection. Thanks!
Updates, poems, and stories of Rachel's missionary journey.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
A Gift from God: Being a Street Child
By Webster Nhlanhla Nxele
Johannesburg, South Africa
What is this gift doing on the street?
Where does this gift sleep?
He sleeps on the street or on the bed like you?
What does this child eat?
This child has a dream but because he is on the street,
He cannot make his dream come true.
He is now using drugs to forget who he is.
What is he doing with his life?
What future does his life on the street have for him?
When the nights come,
He has to see where he is going to sleep.
He must drug himself so that he can pretend
He is inside the house like you,
Going to sleep on his bed with his warm blankets.
That’s only imagination
In truth he is going to sleep on the street
And all that strong wind and rain will end up on him.
When he suffers from all these pains,
Who is looking after him?
Who is taking care of him or to the doctor?
He has to wait until he gets better on his own.
These children are people like us.
Let us help them.
They are a gift from God.
Put them first.
~from No Turning Back: a novel of South Africa by Beverly Naidoo
By Webster Nhlanhla Nxele
Johannesburg, South Africa
What is this gift doing on the street?
Where does this gift sleep?
He sleeps on the street or on the bed like you?
What does this child eat?
This child has a dream but because he is on the street,
He cannot make his dream come true.
He is now using drugs to forget who he is.
What is he doing with his life?
What future does his life on the street have for him?
When the nights come,
He has to see where he is going to sleep.
He must drug himself so that he can pretend
He is inside the house like you,
Going to sleep on his bed with his warm blankets.
That’s only imagination
In truth he is going to sleep on the street
And all that strong wind and rain will end up on him.
When he suffers from all these pains,
Who is looking after him?
Who is taking care of him or to the doctor?
He has to wait until he gets better on his own.
These children are people like us.
Let us help them.
They are a gift from God.
Put them first.
~from No Turning Back: a novel of South Africa by Beverly Naidoo
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Dear Iquitos, Hidden Jewel
Dear Iquitos, beautiful city
You have welcomed me with open arms
Never have I known such intensity
You, who lie alongside the world’s longest river, have shown me true love and great need
A maze of streets, with fruit-sellers and sleeping children
You, with your glorious sunsets, hospitality, and sloths and snakes, captivate my heart
You, with your abandoned children, begging for food, searching through the dump, walking barefooted, make my heart cry
Dear Iquitos, hidden jewel
I will search for and find the precious children if it takes a life-time
Together we can give them a better future, free from the need of begging, working for nothing, prostitution, abuse, drugs, and fighting
Dear Iquitos, who has given me a place to call home
Take care of my babies, those who are old too soon, even those not yet born
Let’s give them a chance at life, hope, peace, and joy
Let’s give them a chance of safety, education, and self-worth
Let’s give them a chance to know Jesus’ love
According to the UN, children are supposed to be: “innocent, vulnerable and dependent, curious, active and full of hope, lives of joy, peace, playing, learning, and growing, with a future of harmony and cooperation, maturing as they broaden their perspectives and gain new experiences.”
Dear children of Iquitos
You who are made in God’s image and tenderly loved by Him
That is what I desire for you
Dear Iquitos, beautiful city
You have welcomed me with open arms
Never have I known such intensity
You, who lie alongside the world’s longest river, have shown me true love and great need
A maze of streets, with fruit-sellers and sleeping children
You, with your glorious sunsets, hospitality, and sloths and snakes, captivate my heart
You, with your abandoned children, begging for food, searching through the dump, walking barefooted, make my heart cry
Dear Iquitos, hidden jewel
I will search for and find the precious children if it takes a life-time
Together we can give them a better future, free from the need of begging, working for nothing, prostitution, abuse, drugs, and fighting
Dear Iquitos, who has given me a place to call home
Take care of my babies, those who are old too soon, even those not yet born
Let’s give them a chance at life, hope, peace, and joy
Let’s give them a chance of safety, education, and self-worth
Let’s give them a chance to know Jesus’ love
According to the UN, children are supposed to be: “innocent, vulnerable and dependent, curious, active and full of hope, lives of joy, peace, playing, learning, and growing, with a future of harmony and cooperation, maturing as they broaden their perspectives and gain new experiences.”
Dear children of Iquitos
You who are made in God’s image and tenderly loved by Him
That is what I desire for you
Prayers for Children
By Amy Carmichael
Father, hear us, we are praying
Hear the words of our hearts saying
We are praying for our children
Keep them from the powers of evil
From the secret, hidden peril
Father, hear us for our children
From the whirlpool that would suck them
From the treacherous quicksand pluck them
Father, hear us for our children
From the worldling’s hollow gladness
From the sting of faithless sadness
Father, Father, keep our children
Through life’s troubled waters steer them
Through life’s’ bitter battles cheer them
Father, Father, be Thou near them
Read the language of our longing
Read the wordless pleadings thronging
Holy Father, for our children
And wherever they may bide
Lead them home at eventide.
By Amy Carmichael
Father, hear us, we are praying
Hear the words of our hearts saying
We are praying for our children
Keep them from the powers of evil
From the secret, hidden peril
Father, hear us for our children
From the whirlpool that would suck them
From the treacherous quicksand pluck them
Father, hear us for our children
From the worldling’s hollow gladness
From the sting of faithless sadness
Father, Father, keep our children
Through life’s troubled waters steer them
Through life’s’ bitter battles cheer them
Father, Father, be Thou near them
Read the language of our longing
Read the wordless pleadings thronging
Holy Father, for our children
And wherever they may bide
Lead them home at eventide.
I am endangered
I am voiceless
I am invisible
I am of low esteem
I am a waste of time
I am hidden under poverty
I am hungry
I am alone
I am a silent emergency
My name does not matter
I am every child
Did you know?? *
•there are 2.2. billion children in the world, one billion of whom live in poverty?
•more than 11 million of us children die each year before reaching the age of five—that’s 210,000 every week?
•8 million of us die yearly from one or more of five diseases that move in on our bodies that have been weakened by hunger: pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, malaria, and malnutrition, most of which are preventable or treatable?
•we kids lose 443 million school days each year from water-related illness, a lack of water or a lack of sanitation and 1.8 million of our deaths result from diarrhea—that’s 3 children per minute?
•3000 of us die every day—that’s one kid every 30 seconds—from malaria in Africa alone due to a lack of programs to prevent and antimalarial to treat malaria?
•30,000 of us children die each day due to poverty? According to UNICEF, we “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
•16,000 of us die from hunger-related causes every day—that’s one kid every five seconds?
•15 million of us were orphaned this year due to our parents’ dying from AIDS?
•200 of us are dying every day in Iraq, a number that has been increasing since the war started in 2003, from malnutrition, a lack of clean water, and a lack of medical equipment and drugs to cure easily treatable diseases?
•most of us are illiterate because we are fighting to survive (mostly working for a pittance in deplorable situations)—121 million of us have never been to school?
•more money is spent on ice cream every year than education and water sanitation together?
•in Brasil, killing children is a pastime for police: 4 to 5 adolescents are murdered daily, a child is beaten every 12 minutes, 4.5 million children under 12 are working, and 500,000 children are engaged in domestic labor?
•there are 150 million street kids, most of whom do not have a home to go to at night?
•in the United States, a million of us are abused yearly and four die daily?
•we are often sold into slavery or prostitution to pay off a family debt or because our family can’t afford to feed us?
•we are often forced to beg on the streets to buy drugs for our parents?
•most of us have never heard about Jesus’ love?
*Due to a lack of available information, not all stats are up-to-date.
I am voiceless
I am invisible
I am of low esteem
I am a waste of time
I am hidden under poverty
I am hungry
I am alone
I am a silent emergency
My name does not matter
I am every child
Did you know?? *
•there are 2.2. billion children in the world, one billion of whom live in poverty?
•more than 11 million of us children die each year before reaching the age of five—that’s 210,000 every week?
•8 million of us die yearly from one or more of five diseases that move in on our bodies that have been weakened by hunger: pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, malaria, and malnutrition, most of which are preventable or treatable?
•we kids lose 443 million school days each year from water-related illness, a lack of water or a lack of sanitation and 1.8 million of our deaths result from diarrhea—that’s 3 children per minute?
•3000 of us die every day—that’s one kid every 30 seconds—from malaria in Africa alone due to a lack of programs to prevent and antimalarial to treat malaria?
•30,000 of us children die each day due to poverty? According to UNICEF, we “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
•16,000 of us die from hunger-related causes every day—that’s one kid every five seconds?
•15 million of us were orphaned this year due to our parents’ dying from AIDS?
•200 of us are dying every day in Iraq, a number that has been increasing since the war started in 2003, from malnutrition, a lack of clean water, and a lack of medical equipment and drugs to cure easily treatable diseases?
•most of us are illiterate because we are fighting to survive (mostly working for a pittance in deplorable situations)—121 million of us have never been to school?
•more money is spent on ice cream every year than education and water sanitation together?
•in Brasil, killing children is a pastime for police: 4 to 5 adolescents are murdered daily, a child is beaten every 12 minutes, 4.5 million children under 12 are working, and 500,000 children are engaged in domestic labor?
•there are 150 million street kids, most of whom do not have a home to go to at night?
•in the United States, a million of us are abused yearly and four die daily?
•we are often sold into slavery or prostitution to pay off a family debt or because our family can’t afford to feed us?
•we are often forced to beg on the streets to buy drugs for our parents?
•most of us have never heard about Jesus’ love?
*Due to a lack of available information, not all stats are up-to-date.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Only
By Rachel C. Deal
I only love God 7 days of the week
I only serve Him 24 hours a day
I only enjoy His beauty 60 seconds per hour
And only all the time do I—in the Spirit—pray
I’m only fully given to my Father in heaven
I only am His child 100%
I only know I’ll be with Him always and forever
And only do I trust in a love that’s permanent
I only find God’s grace a gift that never ceases
I only put my faith in a salvation that endures
I only worship Him the moments I am breathing
And only when my heart beats do I obey His Word
Solo
Solo amo a Dios 7 días de la semana
Solo le sirvo 24 horas por día
Solo disfruto su belleza 60 segundos por hora
Y solo siempre—en el Espíritu—oro
Solo completamente soy de mi Padre en el cielo
Solo soy su hija 100%
Solo sé que estaré con El para la eternidad
Y solo confío en un amor permanente
Solo encuentro la gracia de Dios un regalo que nunca cesa
Solo pongo mi fe en una salvación que endura
Solo le adoro los momentos que respiro
Y solo cuando late el corazón obedezco la Palabra
By Rachel C. Deal
I only love God 7 days of the week
I only serve Him 24 hours a day
I only enjoy His beauty 60 seconds per hour
And only all the time do I—in the Spirit—pray
I’m only fully given to my Father in heaven
I only am His child 100%
I only know I’ll be with Him always and forever
And only do I trust in a love that’s permanent
I only find God’s grace a gift that never ceases
I only put my faith in a salvation that endures
I only worship Him the moments I am breathing
And only when my heart beats do I obey His Word
Solo
Solo amo a Dios 7 días de la semana
Solo le sirvo 24 horas por día
Solo disfruto su belleza 60 segundos por hora
Y solo siempre—en el Espíritu—oro
Solo completamente soy de mi Padre en el cielo
Solo soy su hija 100%
Solo sé que estaré con El para la eternidad
Y solo confío en un amor permanente
Solo encuentro la gracia de Dios un regalo que nunca cesa
Solo pongo mi fe en una salvación que endura
Solo le adoro los momentos que respiro
Y solo cuando late el corazón obedezco la Palabra
Monday, January 15, 2007
the get together went well. thanks to bob for opening his house and to all who came and donated money toward my ministry in the amazon--to make the voice of the invisible children heard--to teach them the Truth. it's great to know i have a team behind me, supporting and praying for me. don't forget to consider being part of a building fund raiser in the fall (so we can begin to construct the children's home) and upcoming mission trips (construction/ medical/ service) starting summer 2008. many blessings.
WRITTEN IN FLESH
By Rachel C. Deal
The Word of God, Jesus Himself
Written on my heart
Etched in flesh, His revelations
From me will never depart
Meditating day and night
I delight to have Him close
The Great I AM, the sacrificial Lamb
He's what I want the most
The Word of God signed His Name in blood
The Life, the Truth, the Way
Hidden within so I might not sin
He lives on in my heart today
John 1:1-4, 14:6
Psalm 1:1-2, 119:11
By Rachel C. Deal
The Word of God, Jesus Himself
Written on my heart
Etched in flesh, His revelations
From me will never depart
Meditating day and night
I delight to have Him close
The Great I AM, the sacrificial Lamb
He's what I want the most
The Word of God signed His Name in blood
The Life, the Truth, the Way
Hidden within so I might not sin
He lives on in my heart today
John 1:1-4, 14:6
Psalm 1:1-2, 119:11
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Get Together at Bob's
This Friday evening, January 12, from 7-8:30, is the get-together, an opportunity for us to hang out, chat, and pray before I go back to the Amazon early February. I hope you come--it will really bless me. This is not per se a fund raiser, but there will be a basket available for any offerings you choose to give toward the street children ministry the Lord is building up in Iquitos. Directions are at the bottom of this page.
Thanks for viewing this blog. I hope you will continue to check in regularly and also leave comments, which is also a blessing to me.
This Friday evening, January 12, from 7-8:30, is the get-together, an opportunity for us to hang out, chat, and pray before I go back to the Amazon early February. I hope you come--it will really bless me. This is not per se a fund raiser, but there will be a basket available for any offerings you choose to give toward the street children ministry the Lord is building up in Iquitos. Directions are at the bottom of this page.
Thanks for viewing this blog. I hope you will continue to check in regularly and also leave comments, which is also a blessing to me.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
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