People that have eternally impacted my life today...

Dick Jarvis
Dick arrived here at the mission yesterday…jet lagged but smiling. Dick and his wife are coming to Zambia to be missionaries to the deaf. His wife plans to join him here in September…he has bought a one way ticket. That to me is so cool. I didn’t get to talk to him much yesterday as he was settling in and catching up with his Zambian friends. Tonight he joined Dennis, Sue, Cody, Sarah and I for a time of prayer. He first shared his story with us. WOW! This man is 68 and has yes to God to give his life to be a missionary….SIXTY EIGHT. Most people at this stage in their life are thinking only of themselves and what retirement holds for them. He is so passionate about obeying God and answering His call…even when that means giving up retirement and enjoying the comforts that it brings. Nope…instead…he is going to have some huge rewards in Heaven…his eyes are on eternity, and not on the temporal…I want so bad to be like him. He has taught sign language for over 20 years and 3 years ago said yes to God’s call to come to Zambia to minister to the deaf community that are forgotten and neglected at times. I asked him what his wife said when he told her…she was willing and ready to come. To hear him talk about the deaf people and pray over them was huge. His heart is huge, selfless and committed to the One Who gave His all for him. SIXTY EIGHT…I just can’t get over that….I pray that if I am still alive then, that I would be found serving God in whatever capacity He has called me to…wherever…whatever…no matter what the cost. Dick and his wife area the example of what it means to say yes to God. Just visiting with him tonight impacted me so greatly….I am so sick and tired of focusing on the temporal…it’s time that the focus of my heart must be on Eternity and eternity alone. Time is short…Jesus return is very soon…what will be said of my life in the end?
Percos
I was cleaning my room today in preparation for the team coming in tomorrow…and someone knocked on the door…then I heard whistling…I thought it was maybe one of the other Americans…Zambians don’t usually whistle. Nope…it was my dear friend Percos…and I handed him a pretty big surprise by answering the door. He was so shocked to see me here….this guy is so Christ like. I look at Him and I see Jesus…all over him. His smile will brighten any day. He sure brightened mine! He asked all about my family and friends back home. After he left I got to thinking about the state of his heart. The reason for his coming to the mission today…to get his support money…the journey to get there…either walked from Luanshya…about 15 minutes by car ride…or had to pay for transport….just to get his support…which I can assure you is not much by our standards…and then there he stands at the door…whistling while he was patiently waiting. These people get it….real joy. We definitely don’t get it…I don’t anyway….I am slowly learning.
Dennis
I have seen from Dennis on this trip that actions speak louder than words….this man serves from the bottom of his heart and does it without words…He has found ways every day to bring a smile…joy…a blessing to all of our lives. Today…he once more went to town 3rd day in a row now…just to get items we keep running out of…and today…he got us girls a special prize. I had told him that I loved this bag that Sarah had gotten in the market in Kitwe…he showed back up with 10 of them…so proud that he had gotten a better deal than Sarah had….he knew how much I liked them…and wanted as many as he could talk the guy out of for the least amount of money. He is always there for a hug…a smile…a prayer…an encouraging word…I am so thankful to walk this journey with him and his wife Sue…
Sue
This woman…she amazes me…her strength in the midst of her physical weakness. Today…I saw her hurting physically and yet she stopped what she was doing to sing and dance with Catherine and Felicia…the joy that was written all over her face was contagious. She doesn’t let her physical illness keep her down….I never hear her complain…she never stops…and she serves with a smile on her face. She has taught me how to serve Jesus with a happy heart. I am so thankful I get to serve Jesus with her. She is a sweet dear friend to me and she has taught me today that there are no limitations when Jesus is in your life…He overcomes them all. If we let Him!
Catherine
Mama Catherine…so much to say. She faithfully serves and works at the mission…once again…all these people that have impacted my life….well…I’ll just be nice and say that they are all over 50 except for Cody and Sarah.…and they are on the mission field…serving. Catherine….she walks to the mission every day…I have walked to her home before…it’s not just a couple blocks away…she walks to and from every day…works her bum off all day…singing…smiling…so happy to have a job to be able to provide for her family….and she goes home and serves her family. She amazes me. She was singing all day today. Praising Jesus in the midst of the smallest chore. She was so tickled that I gave her a beater to lick from the brownies I was making…when was the last time you got excited about licking the brownie batter??? Her joy is so simple…I want that. I felt so humbled…she is so grateful for the smallest thing…a glass of water. She impacted me today…just as she does every day…I pray God uses me to be Jesus to her…the same way she is to me.
Felicia
Wow…where to begin. Her son was bit by a dog yesterday…was taken to the hospital…and due to no transport…she hadn’t even been able to see him yet…and yet today she is singing as she is too working on the simplest task...ironing….it was very obvious where her faith stood…in her Savior…and that He was doing His job in her life…being her Comforter. I was able to pray with the two of them at lunch…and I just lost it…crying like a baby…I was so broken…I want to be a servant of Christ just like these ladies are. I can’t even put into words right now how they impacted me today…
Cody
Jesus found Cody this year here in Zambia, he accepted Christ…and is not looking back…his life has been changed…he is so full of zeal…I love to hear him pray…he just talks straight to God…no filter…no pre thought up prayer…just him and God…and he keeps thanking Him for His big right hand…how it smacks him down when he needs it…and then It picks him back up all in the same time. I can’t get that out of my head. And tonight I experienced what he’s been saying….I needed to be smacked down a bit…I let some things frustrate me…and was just in a funk…I got away from the group…spent some alone time with God…and His great right hand…brought me down…and then later tonight…Dick, Dennis, Sue, Cody and I spent some awesome time in prayer together…and I felt it…His Great Right Hand picked me right back up…brushed me off…forgave me…and set me back on the path. It was awesome…amazing…what a Mighty God we serve! God keeps using Cody to impact my life. He loves Jesus…with ALL his heart. I want to love and pursue God in the same way Cody has been demonstrating to all of us.
Sarah
Her main passion right now…she wants to write out Scripture and make sure that everyone has a new one on their bed every day….that’s 30 verses a day for 10 days…and she is determined to do it…and has asked me to help her. I want to be that passionate about spreading God’s Word to all I come in contact with. Do I get that excited about the Word? And about sharing it with others? She has taught me so much…she has impacted me.

If you can’t tell…this day has been impactful….One thing I have learned…we impact people every day with what we say…what we do…how we represent or don’t represent Christ….who will you impact today….and what kind of impression will you leave on their life?? Will their life be eternally changed because you made a difference….I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes…

”Live in such a way that those who know you but don’t know Christ will come to know Christ because they know you.”