Rain, rain and more rain

Rainy season is in full swing right now. In one sense we are so grateful for the break in the heat and humidity, but on the other we know the sense of destruction this season causes. When the storms hit the sound of the rain on the roof is deafening, with lighting flashes every few minutes and the steady sound of dripping as it leaks through the bathroom ceiling or through the back windows. But we are so blessed with the accommodation we have as the force of this rain tears down homes, rips off roofs and disrupts the lives of many right outside our doors.

Rachel and Rebecca enjoying the rain on the compound

Rainy season brings so many contrasts to life. We have green grass in abundance with pink, white and yellow flowers in the garden. Muddy puddles can be played in and enjoyed and the girls can wear welly boots and use umbrellas. There is moisture in the air and relatively cooler temperatures which provide a break from the heat. But with the good also comes the not so good... there are many mosquitoes which are few and far between for much of the rest of the year, but with that comes malaria which kills far to many. Many people suffer flooding with water pouring into their homes during a storm, and open sewages along the sides of the road flood and spread numerous diseases.

Sam's daily drive to the Hangar

The blessings of the rain also bring challenges for our work in trying to reach remote communities who get completely cut off during this season. Many airstrips that we regularly fly to become quite boggy as they become waterlogged with the rain. This can make landing and take off extremely difficult or impossible. For some of our partners, they have to completely leave their bases during this season as the communities they are working with cannot be reached by road or plane.

One thing that has really struck me these last few weeks though is just how dry land can become so alive in such a short space of time. Things you don't even want to grow manage to grow! Parched land becomes vibrant and colourful. Imagine how vibrant and colourful our walk with God would be if we flooded our time and fed our hearts with Gods word, resting in His love and presence and seeking His will. I so often feel spiritually dry, pulled down by life around us, but yet Jesus says...



The barren desert comes alive!

'Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.' (John 15:4 The Message Bible).

Or in the words of Billy Graham... 'Oh that we would hunger to be filled with the word of God; for there is no greater armour, no greater strength, no greater assurance that he is with us, and in us, when we go forth in battle equipped and nourished by his instruction and determined to stand firm on His promises'.