Hello!

Hello!
My name is Autumn Buzzell and I live and work in Ghana, West Africa with City of Refuge Ministries. Here, I run our school, Faith Roots International Academy, and get to be a part in rescuing and the healing of children who have been trafficked into the fishing trade, orphaned, abandoned, and those who just need a little extra loving. What an amazing gift this life is!

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

A Grateful Heart

So, the past two days have been absolutely miserable nights of sleep. Extremely hot and humid...no air flow...misquitos buzzing around head all night. For two nights in a row, I woke up in the middle of the night unable to sleep and hoping and praying for the slightest of breezes to cool down my body enough to fall back to sleep.

This morning, I woke up grumpy and complaining about the heat. I woke up praying that we would just get a little bit of rain today or that electricity could be promised to us this week. Anything...

And then, we got into our worship gathering at our house...our topic? A Grateful Heart.

We read from Psalm 103...from Psalm 42...and from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17...and I got the picture. The word says, "Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Wow! My job in God's great big world is NOT to teach these kids or to be doing the work that I am doing here. It's NOT to rescue children. It's NOT any of these things...though this is certainly the place and the things that God has called me to...his WILL is for me to give thanks in ALL circumstances...to PRAY continually...and to be JOYFUL always. Wow! That's hard!

In 100 degree heat with 100% humidity...it's really hard to be joyful and thankful. But, you know what, the more I thought about it, the more I was grateful!

We have a house...a beautiful house to stay in...and even for some of my own students, that is more than some have. I have running water. I have a toilet. I have SO MUCH!

And I think about these kids...they have more than they've ever had in their life. But, even more than that, they have freedom and an education and more love from more people. It's so beautiful to get to see what they have now.

So, when I look at all that I have, my only response is to be GRATEFUL! And to be filled with JOY! And to thank God in my daily prayers because what else can we do?

Thank you God for what you've given me and help me to walk in gratefulness in this season!

1 comment:

  1. Mosquitoes buzzing around your head all night!!! That would drive me crazy! I don't think I could handle it. Glad that God knows what we all can handle, with His strength!

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