Letters from GA Camp

A couple of weeks ago we were surprised to receive some mail from the U.S. It was a large bundle of letters from children and I didn’t have time to sit down and read them so I laid them on my desk to read them later. This week I was not feeling well, and since I didn’t feel like doing much more than reading I decided to read the letters.

At first I just enjoyed laughing at the comments like:

I hope you are “filling well”. (Actually I’m filling a little too well these days!)

I’m glad you are planning churches. (I think she meant planting churches)

I hope you will be safe and enjoy your mission trip. (We do too!)

Where is Zembobwira anyway? (We aren’t exactly sure, but we’ll let you know when we find out.)

My favorite was from a 7th grader who is the eldest in her family. She wrote this advice to us: “About the church planting; I would suggest you at least start churches a little bit closer to the homes, maybe even right next to the schools. Do your best to convert ALL the people in Zimbabwe.” Good advice Martha, we’ll try to do that! (She almost sounds like the apostle Paul! I hope the IMB grabs her quick!)

Reading the letters was a truly humbling experience. Not only were there lots of letters from the girls at the GA camp, but surprisingly a number of letters from camp staff and counselors as well. Some of the staff and counselors mentioned their own calling to missions and a desire to serve God wherever He placed them. The letters expressed prayers for our health and safety. They were filled with words of encouragement, words of thanks and words of affirmation. It has been a long time since we received letters like this and God used it to fill my cup to overflowing!

Those precious letters led me to take 2 actions. First of all I want to make a point of sending more handwritten notes of thanks, encouragement and affirmation to others. It seems like that is nearly a lost art, but one I think should be revived!

Second, instead of throwing the letters away as I usually do, I burned them in my fireplace one by one. As I did I prayed over the staff, counselors, and girls that God would encourage them, affirm them, lead and guide them in the way He has for each of them. I hope their written prayers for Gregg and I and my verbal prayers for them will ascend together as a sweet fragrance that is pleasing to the LORD.

Donna Fort