Comfort from the Father

This past week was an especially fun one for me because the group here was from my own church at home, River City Church. I got to spend the whole week worshiping, praying, and communing with some of my best friends that I have missed so much while being here. Needless to say it was really difficult to say goodbye when the end of the week approached and they headed back home as a group united in Christ and on fire for GOD. I am so excited for everything that GOD did and is doing in that group of people. It was so apparent that GOD handpicked the team and carefully knit them together as a single body to serve here in Alajuelita. I pray that they will continue to be unified in purpose even in the midst of the daily craziness at home and encourage one another in the transition from weeklong mission experience to perpetual Christ centered life in their schools, at work, and within their communities.
I also had to say goodbye to my fellow intern and one of my best friends, Rachel, as she finished her month and a half internship with 6:8. To say that her friendship has been a blessing would only begin to describe the impact she has made on my life. Although we were only together a month and a half, GOD supernaturally brought us together and allowed us to share things openly like we had known each other for years. We were able to encourage and challenge one another in so many aspects of our faith. Although she is going back home, I know that we will continue to pray for one another constantly, keep up with what is going on in our respective lives, and remain best friends.
To say that these past few days have been sad for me would be an understatement. However, I have been amazed with the comfort that GOD has provided me. I sometimes feel so guilty crying over missing my family and friends when the people around me are worried about making their next house payment or finding enough food to sustain themselves on a daily basis. When GOD has all that comforting to do my small problems seem so insignificant and unworthy. But our GOD doesn’t work that way. “Blessed be the Father of mercies, the GOD of all comfort, who comforts us in our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort that we ourselves are comforted by GOD” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Even though on the affliction scale mine fall way to the bottom GOD desires to bring me comfort so that I may proclaim his faithfulness and his mercy in the midst of my struggles. So I want to thank you, Lord, for the encouragement of RCC’s prayers. I want to thank you for the fact that your “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9) and that I am allowed to need comforting and help. I want to thank you for the simple things through which you bring me joy: the little girls that hold my hand all through church, the feeling of your presence during a worship song, the impact of a simple smile from a former drug addict. Thank you, Lord, for choosing me, for allowing me to further your kingdom here in Alajuelita for this season. And thank you for comforting me all the way through it. Thank you to everyone reading this for keeping up with me and supporting me. I pray that you would feel GOD’s comforting presence in a tangible way today and that you would in turn proclaim his name so that others could likewise know his comforting touch.

Becca