Unexpected.

Tucked away in the breathtaking mountains of Lesotho, we embraced a month filled with ministries. We preached at the prison, the hospital, soup kitchens and village churches. We pulled weeds and wired a fence. We helped at the local bakery and picked up a never-ending sea of trash.

 

But all of these ministries were the obvious. What about the not so obvious?

 

We had an amazing staff of ladies that cooked for us morning, noon and night. They made us delicious meals and looked after our things when we were off doing ministry throughout the day.

 

Toward the beginning of the month we brainstormed about how we could serve the ladies of the staff. Listening prayer and notes of encouragement were just some of the things mentioned.

 

I sat under the shack that looked out over the mountain range from our side yard. I had my journal and paper out, ready to jot down whatever the Lord brought to mind.

 

“Don’t be discouraged” I wrote.

 

Then God gave me a verse.

 

I looked up the verse and the meaning was similar to His message. I wrote it down. Then I just let whatever the Holy Spirit wanted to speak down onto the page. Before I knew it I had filled the page with words that did not come from my own thoughts.

 

I had no clue which one of the staff members this was supposed to go to. So I decided that I would walk in the house and the first woman I saw would receive it.

 

I walked in the house and there she was. I didn’t know her name at that moment, but Lebo looked at me confused when I handed her the paper.

 

“I listened to the Lord’s voice and these are the words He gave me for you,” I said smiling at her. She has a smooth dark chocolate complexion, shorter-than-a-buzz-cut hair with her amazing bone structure. She flashed me a brilliantly white smile and nodded her head.

 

“Thank you I will read it later,” she said.

Well I did what the Lord told me to do, I thought to myself. I was obedience. What more could I expect?

 

Two days later as my team was walking to church Lebo ran up from behind, excitement all over her face.

 

“Erica, Erica!”

 

I turned to see her catching her breath as she came to my side.

 

“The note you wrote me. The words. I was down down down, but your letter was …mmmm” she said as she put her hand over her heart to express her happiness. She told me that it was exactly what she needed to hear.

 

Then she started to ask me a question.

 

“You know, I see you every day with a journal and pen when you read your Bible. Tell me how do you do this. What do you write? Here it is not common to write while you have your journal. How do you feel close to God?”

 

I laughed to myself because seven months ago I didn’t read my Bible everyday. I didn’t know what Bible journaling looked like for me personally. It was not that long ago that I was craving to know how these things impacted my relationship with God.

 

I explained to her how journaling scripture helps me reflect on God’s faithfulness. Sometimes He tells me things that don’t make sense in the moment but that He reveals later on. I explained that scripture will stand out to me and I feel God giving me a personal message through it. I told her it’s an essential part of my relationship with God.

 

Then I asked her “Do you have a journal that you use when you read your Bible?”

 

She said that she did but that she doesn’t use it.

 

After church I felt like God wanted me to give her a blank journal I had been saving since month two of the Race. I thought that maybe if she received a journal as a gift from a friend that was personalized she would be more inclined to use it.

 

Later on, I grabbed the journal and wrote “My Bible Journal” on the front and then wrote her name in script on the inside cover.

 

I gave her the journal and she was beyond thrilled. I was touched that the Lord was using me to renew the faith of this young lady who was probably not even twenty years old.

 

As the month went on I greeted Lebo every chance she was around. She came out early one morning and even helped me with my laundry! (side note: us Americans are extremely slow at hand washing our clothes since it’s not something we grew up doing. These natives fly through hand washing laundry like its second nature).

 

On one of the last days we were in Lesotho, Lebo hands me a hand-made envelope. It was all decorated on the outside labeled “I love you Erica!”

 

I opened it up and Lebo wrote me a note of encouragement back! In her letter she thanked me and quoted scripture. But beyond that she had prophesied over me and I’m sure she didn’t even know it! The note brought tears to my eyes.

 

I never imagined that all of this would come out of a listening prayer that was meant for someone who I didn’t even know it would go to.

 

But God had that planned out even before I got there. He knew she needed the encouragement and He knew I did too.

 

Lebo, I will never forget you. Thank you for your meek and gentle spirit. God is going to do wonders for others through your faith!