A Child of Christ

I should be in bed right now but for some strange reason I can't seem to fall asleep.  Part of it could be the fact that it is kareoke night for the bar right next to me and the other reason could be that I had three glasses of coke at seven in the evening.  For whatever reason here I am writting in my blog trying to catch up for the last few weeks of not hearing a peep out of me. 

I know my last blog was on quite a serious note and might even worried some but the fact is I felt like I had to write it.  I wanted people to know that those feeling were real and a daily struggle for most missionaries dispite how long they have been on the field.  I have been fighting with my identity since I have gotten here because I everything I believed to be right was questioned.  I did not want to think that the way Malagasy people were doing things were wrong so instead I starting reversing everything in my head and questioning my own culture, maybe everything I grew up to thing was right was actually wrong.  I started to wonder if my identity was at any value at all other than being the foriene one.  I mentioned this to my mother and these were the wised words I had heard since i have been here.  This is what she said to me, "Leah your identity is in Christ".  I got so mad at her at the time because I felt like she just did not understand how hard it was. The reality however was that she was right, no matter where I am in the world, no matter how much I have changed from my experiences externallly or internally I know that one thing will never change I will always be a child belonging to Christ. The thing is that I was right about my Mom, she cannot fully understand what I am going through because she's not here to experience it with me.  It is wong of me to put that kind of expectation upon her. I can give her credit for intrusting God with her only daugher to be doing missions halfway around the world while she is at the same time dealing with an illness.  I admire her faith and streagth.

I think I am finally getting a little more tired or maybe I am just tired of writting well either one gives me good enough reason to close with some prayer requests.

Prayer Request #1
Pray for my continual language study as I am getting further in my lessons but not so much on my progress which can be frustating but also humbling.

Prayer Request # 2
Pray for my continual growth in the Lord.  With all the busniss with my studies and ministry sometimes you get distracted with worrying and husling that you forget gving God time to spiritually prepare my heart for service for him.

Prayer Request #3
Pray for my new relationships with Malagasy people.  I praise God that he gave me malagasy people that I can have friendships with; now it is just maintaining them in the mist of my busy scheduale with langauge, ministry, and my Ethnography study (study of the culture for school). 

Prayer Request #4
Please pray that I will not get burnt out as I take on a lot of responsibilities at the school I help out at and as I continue my studies at Briercrest through many assignments that take up my time.  I would say that between ministry and assignments I do not give myself much time to myself.  For the most part I do not mind that because I feel I do not need to just do nothing or sit on the computer for the day.  I am just afraid that all the work will catch up with me and not get done by the time I leave in four months.

Prayer Request #5
Please pray for my family because I know they are going through a lot and I just pray that God will help me to try to be of good support to them dispite not being present with them.

Thank you for your continual prayer and support for me.  I love all of you very much.