The Blessings

Everyday I am more and more blessed by my time with Chandel. When I returned from R&R it seemed as if something happened. We had that few days where we were distant from each other. I had allowed my feelings, the fact that I was having struggles returning to Country and lack of sleep play with my mind and cause me to not be as Christ asks me to be. We were able to move past that and now our Discipleship has been fantastic.

See, it is more confirmation that before we move forward for the Lord, Satan attempts to derail us from His plan. We may see the immediate storm thinking that we have to avoid it, or worse yet ignore it and thus turn away from the path that the Lord has put us on. If we weather the storm, ask for forgivness, say we are sorry and step forward in the same direction in Faith then we see what was to be in store for us.

All of a sudden this week, the student has begun to teach a little. I am seeing inspiration and hope in Chandel that I had not seen before. The other night when Hassan came to us,. Chandel stated his confidence in the Gospel. He knows that he is a Christian and is devoted to Jesus Christ regardless of the pressure. I was blessed by knowing that his Faith is steadfast.

He also asked me if there were schools that he could attend just to study the Bible. He had no idea that there were Bible Colleges and Seminary schools. I explained to him about how Pastor Samuel had gone to Seminary School. He wondered if there were any in India also and it seemed as if something was stirring in His heart. I was blessed by knowing that he was thinking about growing in the Lord.

Last night we he asked alot about how other people felt about Jesus. Why the Jewish poeple rejected Him. What they thought about Him now. He even asked about Jerusalem, about the spot where Christ was crucified, where it was. Then he asked me if I knew about the Muslim Mosque that is there and where it is, and why. He began then to explain in detail, the history of the Crusades. HE knew the dates and names, when the battles were and what happened. I sat just listening to him for a while. I was blessed by his knowledge and his teaching. About his inquisitive nature.

At the end of our meeting Chandel expressed that he was really begining to see how the Bible fits together. He reads on his own the Old Testament and together we study the New Testimament. He is being fed and this is producing fresh wisdom. We spoke last night about the covering of sin through blood. How that started after the fall as God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve as their own attempts were not satisfactory. The spilling of Blood through the entire Bible up to Jesus to attone for sin. He was understanding this, he saw the connection. I am blessed how the Spirit is drawing him closer and how he is gaining wisdom as he fellowships with God.

He asked me in the end of our time, when I will be leaving Afghanistan. I thought at first he meant for my next R&R. He did not. He asked when I was leaving him. (I cry as I write this) I expressed to him that my contract would end in June and I would then return to my Church. My heart sank, I knew why he was asking. He stated "what about me, Sir". His heart was heavy as mine is now. I told him that he needed to trust in God as I had trusted in God when I came here. I also told him that God would keep us together if He wanted, either physically or Spiritually, we had to trust that. I will miss my Brother. I am blessed by this mans friendship and the fact that God has seen fit to bring us together here.

We prayed.

I see Gods hand on this man, Chandel. He is quietly reserved. Almost apears timid at times. Unlike me, he started His walk with Christ as a good man, not a drukard or angry. He is slow to anger and slow, really slow to speak. He is intelligent, and has an internal passion to know God, to know His Word. I believe He will be a powerful enemy to Satan. I believe Satan knows this and will attempt to place roadblock in front of Him in many ways. I believe hhe has tried recently but Chandel will overcome and prevail, I pray that I will also.

Watch for the storms in front of you. Believe that you can pass through them. Like a ship, put bow to the wind and move into the heart of it. The Light will be shining on the other side and we will see the blessings that were hidden by the clouds.

God is with us all. Thank you God.