Endurance: (noun) the ability to endure an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.
I am so thankful. Thankful for this opportunity and the call of the Lord. It is an amazing privilege to live for Him and to do His will. But, sometimes, you have to endure a lot of hardships, difficult circumstances, or things you never knew would happen. The first day of this trip, I woke up unable to hear out of my left ear. With excruciating pain, I decided to attend my flight to ATL and prayed that I would go to the doctor. Well, praise the Lord! Right when I got off the plane, a church family member of mine, Larry Kaskel, was on the exact same flight as me. He was in ATL for business and was willing to take me to the doctor. With a flight, ear ache, and the ATL airport, anyone would have an emotional breakdown. So, Larry was a blessing! He helped me find my team and helped me get pain medicine. I met my team and they all were so supportive and prayerful of me. They all have constantly held me accountable of my medicine, that I received from the doctor, and have made sure I am comfortable. My team is incredible. The diversity of life and personalities is quite beautiful. Already, we have shared moments that were God filled and love consuming; I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with our team this month!! The 15 hour flight to Johannesburg, Africa went by so fast. Thankfully, I was comforted by some of my favorite movies and music on the plane. We landed in Jo’burg yesterday afternoon and caught our first African sunset. Honestly, it looked exactly like the sun in the Lion King movies but in a city. We then caught up with our Uber drivers who knew so much about their countries history. I also, loved the driving. (Left side and no obedience to the traffic laws except red lights). We ended up at a hostile called, Curiocity, and it is the COOLEST. I have made friends with Israelis, Germans, and South Africans. I would describe this place as a hipster hotel and the managers already offered me a job here. (Which, I wouldn’t mind taking.) Already, Africa has won my heart. The culture, the people, the music, is all quite amazing. I can’t wait to dive into village life.
Diving into culture and adapting to new places isn’t hard for me at all. It is actually normal for me. But, I never thought that such a small thing, like an ear ache, would discourage me as much as it has. Not being able to fully hear other people talk feels as if I am not able to fully appreciate them. I really try to devote myself to being intentional with people and it is quite hard when you can barely hear them. I know and affirm that Father God is THE Healer but, I know that this is a significant part of His mighty plan. If I didn’t have this ear ache, my team and I wouldn’t have sat together and prayed for the Lord’s healing in the first couple hours of knowing one another. If I didn’t have this ear ache, I wouldn’t have been forced to really listen to a person when he or she talks. With this ear ache, I have learned and am learning all about patience, trusting, and being still in the presence of Almighty God.
This morning, as I cried out to the Lord to take away this inability to hear, I heard His response. “Endure, my dear Haley, you do not know what I am doing. Just endure.”
So, I encourage all of you, no matter what circumstance or hardship you are facing, Father God knows what He is doing. An ear ache is worth enduring if that is what it takes to completely trust in Him who is worthy.
With much love,
Hales
