Strike Sparks

I saw this gorgeous baby with her mother who was selling pears by the road and had to take a picture...of course she closed her eyes at that excact moment :)









It is night now, the curtains half-parted and the screen open to African evening air, which is cool and smoke-filled. On the wind is the singing of a prayer in Arabic. The high and low-pitched murmurings of a sing-song prayer. It is the most beautiful sound and I take it in for that, still knowing that Arabic in this country is a language of force. A bridle used for conversion. Perhaps the most distasteful part of imperialism in all histories is the language of the oppressor that the oppressed must learn. I recognize that English too, in its own way, has been that despised tongue, and I hope to redeem that in some way by letting my words be kind and my speech have grace. And hope. And some belief that we can transcend our histories.

“Webale Nyo” (I think that’s how it’s spelled) means “thank you very much” in Luganda. I’ve been practicing
I’m not very good, I’ll be honest…even though Pst. Mike says I speak very well…I think it’s the Puerto Rican background. Yeah, I can roll my rr’s. I feel fairly African now with my long skirts and eating their food. If only I were black!



Seriously though I’m not so hot on no electricity…I don’t know how they survive in so much darkness. Lantern-light is romantic and all for a little while and I feel very Little House on the Prairie-ish but it loses it’s appeal when you go into the bathroom and see some crawly-thing on the floor. I’m pretty tough but I screamed when I saw this lizard looking animal on the wall…I almost set myself on fire. He wasn’t as cute or as friendly as the little gecko in the geico commercials…yeah you know what I’m talking about.

But there have been some truly amazing things happening. Jonathan, one of the staff here, had a dream in which he could see a people walking who were lame, and pregnant and he could hear my voice prophesying peace and rescue for them. I think it was because of our conversation about my heart for the Acholi people, and the child mothers. And then he read Jeremiah 31 in which God made some crazy links between Jonathan’s dream and God’s promise to the North.

”O Lord save your people, the remnant of Israel. Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, and the pregnant women and her who is in labor, together…for the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.”

It was so incredible to see how that connected with a word the Lord had given me while I was praying in the night about God laying siege on Jerusalem first in admonishment and then in protection....in Isaiah 29,30 and in Ezekial 4:

“But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like a small dust and the multitude of the ruthless like a passing chaff. And in an instant, suddenly, you will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. And the multitude of the nations that fight against Ariel (lion of God, hero) all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her shall be like a dream, a vision of the night.” (Is. 29:5-7)

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you…for the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion; in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry.” (Is. 30:18,19)



Some of what God is saying is still hidden from me, but I am seeing how actively involved God is here in Africa as he is raising up people not only to minister and bring rescue, but also the African people themselves through missionaries who are pouring into leaders and then telling them to go forward, not as a victim any longer, but as an ambassador for their country.




Today was a really encouraging day. Some missionaries who were ministering to Sudanese pastors through offering them a retreat, came to have lunch with us. We had an amazing meal made by the wonderful Harrietand Sara (who I wish I could take home with me; no, not just to cook) and then we prayed together and they gave us some amazing prophecies. (I just read that last paragraph and I feel like I'm starting to speak like an African sort of proper and slow ahh!

They believe that God has imparted to them a vision of his father and mother heart for all of us and that weneed spiritual mother's and father's (mentors in ourlives) in order to really connect that broken link weneed in order to feel God's love. Because some of us come from broken backgrounds and abusive families, or even if we came from loving homes, there is adisconnect in the family and through that many of usfeel separated from feeling that God truly loves us,or truly has our best interests at heart. They believe that we are here to be spiritual mothers to the girlsand women of Africa so that they can begin tounderstand the deep love God has for them. One of thewomen, Lisa Hartell, has written a great book whichI've just started entitled The Mom Ministry, which is all about the powerful calling women have as mothersin what she calls, "the last days.!" She is truly an amazing woman with such presence, and I felt embracedby her as she prayed for us to receive our place as God's daughters but also as mothers in the spiritual realm to a nation of orphans.

It seems so simple, and yet is such truth and ground breaking here in Africa where sometimes the physical mothers and fathers are not present. Even in the church in America, I have often times felt alone, or not sure of my place, andhow wonderful it would be if the body of Christ caught this call to be spiritual mothers and fathers to thosewho are seeking for their purpose. My dear Nicole has imparted much of this to me, but it is so confirming to see others who are doing what is obviously God's work because they are not just doing another seminar,but really ushering people into a face to face encounter with God.I feel like God is revealing so much about myself here. The team said I have a spiritual authority and yet because I am gentle (some of you are thinking, sarita? Gentle? But I guess here I am) that I often don't recognize the authority I have.
But they said I have a comforting presence and that they saw me with as warm of women around me wanting to touch thatpresence and that I would tell them it was the HolySpirit. They also said that God would give me wisdom beyond my years and revelations of scripture wouldjump off the page in lights towards me that I would be able to give others. It was crazy really how right they were about so many things and so encouraging to believe that God really has purpose for me here. Really, the thing I covet most, is time with God to have Him speak direction to me. (and a glass of wine on this beautiful porch!) Time with God has been sweet, but I know I need thosetimes to continue on.

Apparently I've gotten really long-winded here -Maybe its just all this creative energy and not beingable to talk to anyone really. The phone keeps going in and out so my conversations are pretty much like
this: "hi!¨ "I can't hear you!¨
"I just said hi!¨ "Oh hi¨
"It's sort of lonely¨
"You want a pony?¨
"No, I said it is sort of lonely!¨
And so on! And Dr. Lynn does most of the talking here (pray for me) It is a Saturday night and I'm sitting at a computer. How boring! I am definitely now missing my boyfriend and my friends and family. We take for granted how fortunate we are to be able to connect. Last night I was talking to a tape recorder. So love each other and enjoy each other and save a place for me.