As we begin to go through things and get rid of stuff and pack up our lives to move I am for the first time not having huge anxiety about moving. I have to say this non anxiety state is only by the grace of God. God has brought me here by many events in my life as well as His word.
After God delivered His people from Egypt and they are in the wilderness, and very unsettled I might add, God leads them by a cloud by day and fire by night. Exodus 13:21, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. " (and you thought us moving to Uganda was ridiculous....how about following a cloud.....) I wonder what I would have been like following this cloud. I can imagine myself complaining and thinking, "Why are we following this cloud ?" Moses probably would have reminded me that God just delivered me from slavery in a miraculous way, and that I should trust and obey. I probably would have even said something like, "easy for you to say Moses, God spoke to you through a burning bush" (hopefully you see the humor in that......it's a joke).
Over the past week God has placed different scripture in my life and different people who have been reading the same scripture to bring an even deeper idea of following the cloud. In Numbers 9:15 the Israelites are still in the wilderness and following the cloud by day, fire by night that sets over the tabernacle that was built in Exodus. "And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped" Numbers 9:17. Can you imagine what it was like to follow the cloud? To have total dependence and not know where God was going to take you but relying on the promises He had made? To be ready to pick up everything and move in such a short notice. To wonder if today was the day the cloud was going to move and you were going to have to move AGAIN to follow it? To always be ready and watching for the cloud to move. Wondering how long it would stay this time. I think that I find myself in a similar position. I often wonder why we just can't just settle down somewhere. But God continues to teach me that He wants me to have total reliance on him. Not on things I hold onto in this world. That is what He wanted from the Israelites. TOTAL DEPENDENCE.
For most of my life I have lived rather unsettled although all of it was not under God authority. I think God has used this in my life to teach me about letting go of control. You see if I can control a situation then I don't have to fear as much, especially from the unknowns. And when I am fearful I am not trusting in God. I am learning that I don't need to be in control in order to be happy. I just need to trust in God standing on His promises and knowing He knows what is best for my life, and for my kids lives. I just need to stay close to Him through word and prayer and be okay with the unknowns.
Letting Go and Following the Cloud,
Michaela
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
An Update
We are encouraged by some things that have happened in the last week regarding our move. The latest and exciting news is that we have a new member to add to our team. She really feels led to Karamoja, as we all do, and it is very clear to her she is to go with us. This is a HUGE answer to prayer!
Another exciting thing that happened a couple days ago is that I got an email from an American who is in Kotido. She just wanted to touch base with us and introduce herself to us and to let us know she is praying for us. It was exciting to know we have another person in Kotido that is a follower of Christ and who we can relate to.
On a different note we have had a lot of attack from the enemy which according to scripture is expected. It reminds us though that we must be in the word daily, even hourly and staying very close to Christ.
I would also just like to ask as a courtesy that if you really felt led to be a part of our prayer or financial support team that you would fill out the forms that were sent with the letter (or go to our website and fill out the "how you can help form). We are trying to get things organized and had a lot of response from people to receive a letter and are waiting for responses back. If you would like you can just send it all to us and then we can forward checks to Advance Him if that is easier for you. Also feel free to contact me with questions or concerns, michaela.fulk@gmail.com Thank you.
Michaela
Another exciting thing that happened a couple days ago is that I got an email from an American who is in Kotido. She just wanted to touch base with us and introduce herself to us and to let us know she is praying for us. It was exciting to know we have another person in Kotido that is a follower of Christ and who we can relate to.
On a different note we have had a lot of attack from the enemy which according to scripture is expected. It reminds us though that we must be in the word daily, even hourly and staying very close to Christ.
I would also just like to ask as a courtesy that if you really felt led to be a part of our prayer or financial support team that you would fill out the forms that were sent with the letter (or go to our website and fill out the "how you can help form). We are trying to get things organized and had a lot of response from people to receive a letter and are waiting for responses back. If you would like you can just send it all to us and then we can forward checks to Advance Him if that is easier for you. Also feel free to contact me with questions or concerns, michaela.fulk@gmail.com Thank you.
Michaela
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Still Waiting
Well not too much new has happened although we did get pictures of our house in Kotido. It was exciting to see where we are going to be living and to see our yard is big enough for a garden.
The reality of moving there is starting to sink in more and more. Every time I take a shower, flush the toilet, or turn a light on I think about how wonderful these inventions are and how much I will miss them, but they are definitely worth giving up for the sake of spreading the love and good news of Jesus to the Karamojong.
We are still waiting on some things and as my flesh began to get impatient I remembered what God had taught me a couple weeks in my lesson of waiting on Him and not getting impatient like Saul. I remembered how I felt good being in a total dependence on God. So easily my mind had forgotten and my flesh started to creep in. Then God brings me to Jeremiah 17:5-8
Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man
who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord,
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."
I have meditated over this now for a couple of days and it has been amazing. I don't know about you but I want to be the tree that is planted by the water rather than the dried up shrub. God continually reminds me to trust in Him and HIM ONLY. It becomes easy to trust in other things at different times in my life rather than God. Seems to be pretty easy in America too where I have access to everything at all times, and so I tend to stop trusting God and start trusting man. But the end result in me trusting in man is disappointment. This is what I want to look like in my life now while I wait and especially when I move to the dry and arid land of Karamoja:
The reality of moving there is starting to sink in more and more. Every time I take a shower, flush the toilet, or turn a light on I think about how wonderful these inventions are and how much I will miss them, but they are definitely worth giving up for the sake of spreading the love and good news of Jesus to the Karamojong.
We are still waiting on some things and as my flesh began to get impatient I remembered what God had taught me a couple weeks in my lesson of waiting on Him and not getting impatient like Saul. I remembered how I felt good being in a total dependence on God. So easily my mind had forgotten and my flesh started to creep in. Then God brings me to Jeremiah 17:5-8
Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man
who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord,
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."
I have meditated over this now for a couple of days and it has been amazing. I don't know about you but I want to be the tree that is planted by the water rather than the dried up shrub. God continually reminds me to trust in Him and HIM ONLY. It becomes easy to trust in other things at different times in my life rather than God. Seems to be pretty easy in America too where I have access to everything at all times, and so I tend to stop trusting God and start trusting man. But the end result in me trusting in man is disappointment. This is what I want to look like in my life now while I wait and especially when I move to the dry and arid land of Karamoja:
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
"If You Save One Person You Save The World."
Unfortunately I have heard very rude remarks and criticism from people when they see that I have adopted, that I want to keep adopting or that I want to help starving helpless children in another country. Someone close to me said, “Do you really think you can make a difference in Karamoja.” My response: “No, but God can. I just want to be His hands and feet.” I think God will use our family for the Karamoja people but I think more importantly is that I have 5 beautiful kids that I can make a huge difference in their lives everyday. I have lots of feelings about this topic, and I ran across an article in “The Complete Guide to Celebrating the Messiah in the Festivals.” I love this article and it says exactly what I am feeling so I would like to share it with you. It is a little lengthy so I apologize. I encourage you that if you do not have time to read it now, to read it when you have 5-10 minutes:
--------------
Saving One Saves the World
Sometimes we don’t want to help because we think, “What can helping on individual do when there are so many in need? So we end up doing nothing. But a Jewish Proverb states: “If you save one person, you save the world.”
How can that be? This proverb came from the story of the Egyptian princess who saved one baby from death in the Nile. Little did she know that baby would grow up to be Moses, the man God used to save the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, to receive God’s Law, and to make His people into a Nation. In turn, Jesus the Messiah came from that Nation to save all mankind from slavery to sin. So in reality the princess, by saving one person saved the world.
The following story by Ester Normand shows how this proverb can work today.
My husband and I had been married only one year when we flew to Nigeria to teach high school English and bible. We were glad to move in near my parents who were still missionaries after thirty-seven years.
Three months later Alimo (Ah-LEE-moh) came into our lives.. She was a starving, brain injured, physically handicapped six-year-old. She couldn’t stand up or talk. Her mother had kept them both alive by gathering palm nuts in the wild and selling them in the market, but was no longer able to carry Alimo around with her as she worked. Naked and emaciated, Alimo sat all day in the dirt.
My husband and I immediately took Alimo into our home. She was so thin that I did not think she would live through the night. But she did, and with food and affection, grew quickly into a cute, giggly little girl.
We sought help for her. Our goal was to get her to be able to take care of her own basic needs and to communicate in some way. We tried physical therapies such as massage, stretching, and patterning as well as many educational activities. Nothing we did seemed to help.
Meanwhile my husband suffered recurring illnesses: allergies, sinus infections, and frequent long bouts with debilitation malaria, then parasites and hepatitis on top of everything. He became bedridden and after a lengthy illness showed no signs of improvement. We had no choice but to leave the tropics.
We could not get a visa for Alimo. My parents could not take care of her for they were already on medical leave In the States. We had to leave Alimo with a volunteer we had barely met. I tried to block out feelings of anxiety, confusion, and helplessness. I had tried to save one person and could not even do that!
Later that year, my dad passed away, and my mom went back to Nigeria and took in Alimo. Since Alimo’s care and therapy was a full-time joy, Mom decided to admit other children to the program. She soon had six children and as many caretakers in her home.
Meanwhile, because Alimo had drawn public attention to the existence of handicapped children in the area, the local churches established a “special” school just fifteen miles from my mom’s home. And six miles from the school, the Edeh family founded Ministry of Mercy, an orphanage for motherless babies, physically handicapped and brain-injured children.
In Nigeria widows usually become destitute, especially if they have no children to support them. The Edehs hired widows and other disadvantaged people to care for three to ten children each. Thus the children and adults formed family units where both were loved and wanted.
We tried to save just one child, but God had bigger plans in mind. Even though our stay in Nigeria was short and difficult, our love for on child set in motion two groups which are now saving more than six hundred!
-------------
Hope you enjoy that article. Just a reminder of how big our God is.
--------------
Saving One Saves the World
Sometimes we don’t want to help because we think, “What can helping on individual do when there are so many in need? So we end up doing nothing. But a Jewish Proverb states: “If you save one person, you save the world.”
How can that be? This proverb came from the story of the Egyptian princess who saved one baby from death in the Nile. Little did she know that baby would grow up to be Moses, the man God used to save the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, to receive God’s Law, and to make His people into a Nation. In turn, Jesus the Messiah came from that Nation to save all mankind from slavery to sin. So in reality the princess, by saving one person saved the world.
The following story by Ester Normand shows how this proverb can work today.
My husband and I had been married only one year when we flew to Nigeria to teach high school English and bible. We were glad to move in near my parents who were still missionaries after thirty-seven years.
Three months later Alimo (Ah-LEE-moh) came into our lives.. She was a starving, brain injured, physically handicapped six-year-old. She couldn’t stand up or talk. Her mother had kept them both alive by gathering palm nuts in the wild and selling them in the market, but was no longer able to carry Alimo around with her as she worked. Naked and emaciated, Alimo sat all day in the dirt.
My husband and I immediately took Alimo into our home. She was so thin that I did not think she would live through the night. But she did, and with food and affection, grew quickly into a cute, giggly little girl.
We sought help for her. Our goal was to get her to be able to take care of her own basic needs and to communicate in some way. We tried physical therapies such as massage, stretching, and patterning as well as many educational activities. Nothing we did seemed to help.
Meanwhile my husband suffered recurring illnesses: allergies, sinus infections, and frequent long bouts with debilitation malaria, then parasites and hepatitis on top of everything. He became bedridden and after a lengthy illness showed no signs of improvement. We had no choice but to leave the tropics.
We could not get a visa for Alimo. My parents could not take care of her for they were already on medical leave In the States. We had to leave Alimo with a volunteer we had barely met. I tried to block out feelings of anxiety, confusion, and helplessness. I had tried to save one person and could not even do that!
Later that year, my dad passed away, and my mom went back to Nigeria and took in Alimo. Since Alimo’s care and therapy was a full-time joy, Mom decided to admit other children to the program. She soon had six children and as many caretakers in her home.
Meanwhile, because Alimo had drawn public attention to the existence of handicapped children in the area, the local churches established a “special” school just fifteen miles from my mom’s home. And six miles from the school, the Edeh family founded Ministry of Mercy, an orphanage for motherless babies, physically handicapped and brain-injured children.
In Nigeria widows usually become destitute, especially if they have no children to support them. The Edehs hired widows and other disadvantaged people to care for three to ten children each. Thus the children and adults formed family units where both were loved and wanted.
We tried to save just one child, but God had bigger plans in mind. Even though our stay in Nigeria was short and difficult, our love for on child set in motion two groups which are now saving more than six hundred!
-------------
Hope you enjoy that article. Just a reminder of how big our God is.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Waiting, patience, and trusting.
Waiting......ever been there? Probably a stupid question. We have all been there. Seems to be the place I find myself right now; waiting on a lot of things. This can be a place where our faith is tested. God seems to make people wait in the Bible to trust in him. Countless times in Psalms is says "Wait on the Lord." In Exodus God used waiting on Him as a test for the Israelites. They didn't do so well. It seems to be so much against our human nature to trust and wait on God; to have full reliance on him. If you are like me you like to take things into your own hands when things don't seem to be going the way you had planned. This is the case with Saul in Samuel chapter 13. You should go read it but for right now I will paraphrase the story. Chapter 13 takes place after Saul has been appointed king over Israel (the people) because they so badly wanted a king over them rather than letting God be their king. God gives them what they want and Saul is appointed king. Well in chapter 13 the Philistines are getting ready to fight with Israel. The Israelites are intimidated by the size and power of the Philistine army so they begin to flee and hide any place they can. Saul being their leader sees what is going on and knows that Samuel will be there soon to give a sacrifice to God and ask Him for deliverance and victory over the Philistines. When Samuel doesn't show up when he said he would (or when Saul thought he should) Saul takes things into his own hands and decides to make the sacrifice to God himself. BIG MISTAKE!! God had made it clear in the law (Exodus, Deut. and Lev.), that only the priests were suppose to do such a thing. Ironically, Samuel comes right after Saul completes the burnt offering. Samuel of course is very upset and explains to him that his kingdom will not continue because he disobeyed God.
I have to say that I can really identify with Saul. There have been so many times in my life when I was waiting as Saul was and I would start to get fearful about what would happen right now. Rather than waiting on God for his appointed time I felt I needed to take things into my own hands. I have realized that when I don't wait on God then I don't get to experience His power, and provision. I can miss out on seeing God work in wonderful ways.
Why is it so hard to trust in God? Why can't I just rest in His timing and purpose? Guess I am a fearful control freak. The great thing about this all is that God in his grace lets me live to see the next chapter in my life where my faith grows and I can see that I need to trust rather than fear. Where I need to rest in his timing and not what I think should be happening on my time table. Right now I have a peace about the waiting. I am trying to rest in God and not in myself, my emotions, or my circumstances. In God's infinite grace I am realizing that waiting is not such a bad place to be. I really used to always say I hated waiting but this time I am learning that it is a great place to be. Relying on God for everything and trusting in the unseen.
It sure is hard to learn from our mistakes but it can be such a sweet thing how God continues to give us grace as we grow and continue to trust Him in the waiting and walking by faith.
I have to say that I can really identify with Saul. There have been so many times in my life when I was waiting as Saul was and I would start to get fearful about what would happen right now. Rather than waiting on God for his appointed time I felt I needed to take things into my own hands. I have realized that when I don't wait on God then I don't get to experience His power, and provision. I can miss out on seeing God work in wonderful ways.
Why is it so hard to trust in God? Why can't I just rest in His timing and purpose? Guess I am a fearful control freak. The great thing about this all is that God in his grace lets me live to see the next chapter in my life where my faith grows and I can see that I need to trust rather than fear. Where I need to rest in his timing and not what I think should be happening on my time table. Right now I have a peace about the waiting. I am trying to rest in God and not in myself, my emotions, or my circumstances. In God's infinite grace I am realizing that waiting is not such a bad place to be. I really used to always say I hated waiting but this time I am learning that it is a great place to be. Relying on God for everything and trusting in the unseen.
It sure is hard to learn from our mistakes but it can be such a sweet thing how God continues to give us grace as we grow and continue to trust Him in the waiting and walking by faith.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Update
I know I haven't really been updating how things are going. I don't really have much to say and not a lot of new news to share. We are still working on leaving by the middle of June and I know I have a lot to get done before then. We have sent out our letters and prayer cards so that was a big mile stone! Hooray! We have gotten all of our medical stuff done with the kids....so again hooray!! Immunizations next....
We did have a meeting with all the people going and that was super exciting so be together as a team and talk about our move there.
I also would like to share with you that God has been doing some amazing things in my life and in our family's life. We feel He is preparing us for this move and to minister to these people, and it has been very comforting and reassuring. It has also come with fiery darts, but this has made us grow stronger and for that we are grateful. Our faith continues to grow in His grace and we are overjoyed.
On a side note: In effort to get in a routine I am going to try to blog on Wednesdays.
Thanks for all of your prayers!!
Michaela
We did have a meeting with all the people going and that was super exciting so be together as a team and talk about our move there.
I also would like to share with you that God has been doing some amazing things in my life and in our family's life. We feel He is preparing us for this move and to minister to these people, and it has been very comforting and reassuring. It has also come with fiery darts, but this has made us grow stronger and for that we are grateful. Our faith continues to grow in His grace and we are overjoyed.
On a side note: In effort to get in a routine I am going to try to blog on Wednesdays.
Thanks for all of your prayers!!
Michaela
Monday, March 1, 2010
Where I am at
After 3 different non related people suggested a sermon series to me I decided I should stop using the excuse I was too busy and listen to them. I must say that God used these sermons and these particular scriptures to confirm a lot for me and to challenge me with not only my life, but with how we will be making decisions for Karamoja. I encourage you to listen to them and meditate on how you can respond to these radical statements Jesus calls us to.
Hope you are all doing well, and I will be getting the long anticipated letters out soon!
We do have a website in the making if anyone would like to check it out. It is still in construction, but I am excited that people will be able to get all information in one place!
Hope you are all doing well, and I will be getting the long anticipated letters out soon!
We do have a website in the making if anyone would like to check it out. It is still in construction, but I am excited that people will be able to get all information in one place!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)