March Update

March 1, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis and the The Chronicles of Narnia as I (Adria) am, you will recall that in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe the creatures of Narnia are in great anticipation of Aslan’s rumored return. The return of Aslan meant the return of their long-awaited king and freedom from the tyranny of the White Witch. The children who stumbled upon this land at first do not understand the excitement, for they do not know Aslan. When they express their confusion the creatures tell them with hushed and reverent anticipation, “Aslan is on the move.”

Recently I have felt as if I have told myself the very same thing, “God is on the move.” Granted, God is always on the move and usually I am just too self-absorbed and stressed-out to see Him moving, but sometimes He is gracious enough to draw me in and let my heart feel the excitement of serving such a mighty God.

Those moments of hushed and reverent anticipation come often in the face of great adversity. I think this is in part what Paul is talking about in Philippians 4:7 when he writes, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It is the hope and peace we have in Christ that guards our hearts in times of difficulty, and sometimes, God uses those times of trial to open our eyes to His working hand.

My relationship with Laniecha, her son, and her family has been full of ups and downs, times of certain growth, and times when I do not even know what it is I am doing in their lives. Recently, however, God opened a door for me to step into a deeper relationship with Laniecha’s mother, Patricia, something I have been praying about for some time. As I shared a meal of French fries and hamburgers with her one day, her burdens spilled out onto a semi-clean McDonald’s table and she was real and vulnerable and looking for a solid foundation for her hopes. She shared her mistakes and her hopes for the future and I listened. She is beginning to take tentative steps to feel out a more certain path and I pray that it leads straight to Jesus, but in the mean time there are a great deal of obstacles ahead for her and her family.

Yet, I am certain that God is at work in this family. I do not know how it will look or what timing it will follow, but I can rest in the fact that God is moving and, amazingly, He has included me in the process. Your prayers are so appreciated for this family and for the ministry. We have some difficult challenges ahead of us, and yet we are certain that God is working and moving. The knowledge that we are in your continued prayers only strengthens our peace which transcends all understanding, for our surroundings are bleak and the battle is daunting but, “God is on the move.”

For His Kingdom,

Andrew & Adria Medlen