This month my squad is all together and we are doing ATL. I have gone more in-depth about it here if you are unfamiliar with this. ATL stands for ask the Lord; we pray every day asking God what we should do, and in obedience follow what he tells us. This doesn’t change on an Adventure Day.
If you read my last blog you know I had the opportunity to go to Petra. If you didn’t know, this is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was an amazing trip and my favorite part of my entire Race.
While we were walking around Petra, my group met a little girl. She showed us around and was our guide for the day. Petra is a tourist destination so there are many vendors and guides who are eager to make money, especially after covid. We chose to let her show us around, we didn’t want anyone else.
I tried to understand how challenging it would be to work there all day as a child. It was hard to put myself in her shoes, so we decided to love her well knowing this wasn’t her typical interaction with tourists.
We hiked up the rocks to get an overhead view of the treasury, she showed us the temple, and she took us to see ruins and the tombs. All of us had a great time walking around and seeing the beauty of the ruins, but a highlight was playing with this little girl and showing her God’s love.
Ministry is life and life is ministry. We don’t push people away because we’re on an adventure. But this year has taught us to always listen to the Lord, always being interruptible, even if you want to hang out with your closest friends. We’ve learned to be open to inviting a stranger to join the conversations. We’ve learned to pray without ceasing and to be in tune with what the Lord wants to share with that person through us. Or the importance of just having fun with a girl who is treated as a tool to get money, to give her space to be a child.
I challenge you to be bold even in your day-to-day life. If you feel the Lord highlighting someone to you go ask how they’re doing. Be obedient even if it might feel uncomfortable or strange.
As we are in our final two weeks of the World Race please be praying for my squad and our last week of ministry. This is a crazy busy time so I will do my best to update all of you. I’m excited to tell you what the Lord is doing now and what is in the future!
Yes and Amen Abbey,
While lingering at one of the seven wonders of the world, the Holy Spirit decided to prompt and move upon your hearts to obediently step in to a more amazing Wonder, the drawing to himself of a little girl who needed to be seen, heard, known and loved.
Buy him yes, but through his bride and his body. The priesthood of all believers, ministers of reconciliation, ambassadors for Christ himself. What an awesome story and I know you’ll be shocked not to find her with you in heaven someday. Nothing is wasted in Christ. A cup of cold water and a kind word in his name that is empowered and anointed by the Holy Spirit himself, certainly landed on the good soil of this precious girls heart. Thanks for telling this story Abbey
Dear precious Abbey, Thank you for your wonderful blogs. It is so exciting to find out what God is doing in, and through, you. We miss you so much and we’re looking forward to seeing you very SOON! Much love and MANY prayers, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Karen
SO GOOD!! And this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff that we get to do all the time, no matter where we are. Thanks for demonstrating a Kingdom way of life. We’re all the better for it!!
AND MY GOODNESSSSSSS…. THESE PHOTOS!! Always in awe of you, sis.