HOMESICK...for HIM

                             


Ohhhhhh HELLO!

My dear family and friends! I'm Back!

After the best, and I mean the CATS MEOW cha-wow-wa-best visit home sweet Grunthal home, here I sit in my little new green room in the South African morning sunshine, breathing and ridiculously thankful for that precious time.
 

Home was everything it could have been showing off my beloved ones to Mawande. To you whom introduced yourselves, you have no idea how you overwhelmed him with your welcome and love. I wasn't the only weepy willow at the airport waving goodbye to this beautiful world of family and friends...he has received a whole new place of belonging in you as well. Thank you!                                                        

And then NOT thank you, ha as it was by far more bitter than sweet crossing over borders and landing here in this land separated again from my people, harder than ever by far in fact. It has taken some time to grieve and release deep rivers of tears, and accept this change again, allowing my heavenly Father to Father me deeply and desperately. And He is. To the point of opening my heart to the Ultimate Reality that in the end, everything, all beloved earthly family, homes, ways of life...and even super handsome boyfriends, will fade, with only HIM remaining, our Perfect Faithful Father in whom we will be utterly and euphorically satisfied and overjoyed in for eternity.


But as many of you know, this reality is foggy to find in the thick of pain and loneliness. Being at home with a few of my dearest friends, walking with them and their journeys of great heartache and depression, coming back here listening to some more of my sisters share stories of recent murder in the family and unjust death caused by an unfaithful husband passing onto his wife the HIV virus... I'm with you my friends...life can be severe, being present to Him is hardest in these moments. But lets just risk it, what do we have to loose when we pull back the curtain of our hearts to Him? His presence has been open to you all along, He is home, and there is "no place like home".

He is safe.

My Papa

He created you to love you, for you to enjoy Him, for Him to enjoy you.

Not for you to work for Him.

Not for Him to use you.

Not for Him to see how much you can take or how strong you can get on your own.

Sons and daughters, you are Sheer Pleasure to your Papa!


The only shadow of manipulation in him is he constantly tries to figure out new ways for you to notice and know and be anchored, in even the longest suffering storms, his lavish love for you.

"Hang up your hat" in his heart, endure here when it hurts most, this is what it means to abide. God himself has been "hanging his hat" in us all along. Since all of this life will return to dust physically, why not get a head start on the journey now and return to our Papa's house, his heart as we speak?

Its not our vocation or ministry or paper on the wall, it's His greatest destiny and purpose for us all along, to be with him, to be loved by him, to enjoy his beautifulness. The Father is the goal and purpose of our lives. John 14.

 Phewww my heart has been stewing here since arrival on these shores, welcome in!

Claudia's and my new little nest!

Alright as i mentioned at the beginning, we have moved at last from our happy Hansen House just a few streets over to a lovely new home on Albertyn Street! It has two sinks!, two toilets!, and two times two roomates! There is a small private space behind where we can grow a few veggies and get a tan and a cute little coal fireplace to warm ourselves off-tanning season!

Alas a few days to settle in and Ill be starting a course called Living by the Spirit, which focuses on spending time training my eyes and ears and heart to hear and see and follow the Holy Spirit more intensely in day to day living. This is one of the valued component of my counseling training that I really want to invest in during this time in between gearing up for full time ministry again, ministry being, merely an expression of life that comes out of the daily dwelling with our Father... I'm excited to share with you what comes from this!

Unfortunately I'm not advanced enough to get the video actually working!, but here is our new kitchen a little Congolese birthday dancing for my friend Betty's special day!

The lovely birthday woman herself who carries a story of absolute tradgedy of war, and then courage beyond what I can attest to but for the grace of God. She holds the smile of a victor!

What would a party be without my altogether entertaining brothers!?! 

 So until then, abide in Him as Jesus Himself is abiding in you, sit down and have a piece of cake and a laugh with Him today will you?! Even in the unknowns This life is good because of who He is, lets have a little more fun a little more often I'm thinkin'?!

                                                                    
                                                                          All My Love,

                                                                            Charlene