I took a year off after high school and went to the African country of Namibia to help with two missionary families with their kids and volunteer in the community.  My time there was unbelievable; I have fond memories of trekking through the sand streets into town to get groceries, seeing countless wild elephants in the Caprivi Strip, waking up at 5:00 am to watch the glorious African sunrise, and witnessing lightning-filled rainstorms that were unlike anything I had ever experienced.  I developed a close friendship with my housemate Sarah, and the two of us would teach the missionary kids, volunteer at the Red Cross shelter, visit local preschools, and lead Saturday Club for the local kids in the neighbourhood.

However we were faced with some disappointments and challenges. One day, all our clothes were stolen off the line outside and we were left with bare necessities for the rest of our time there.  A deadly meningitis outbreak hit Rundu, the town we lived in, and the government declared a state of emergency right as we discovered that our immunizations for meningitis had long expired.  We came close to being attacked by a guy with a shovel one night, and once at the Red Cross shelter Sarah escaped from a man who tried to forcefully pull her into an isolated room.  Needless to say, we were exhausted and started to worry about our safety.

Every week the small missionary community would have a prayer meeting and Bible study.  It was at one of these that we discussed Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the other girls pointed out that in traditional human warfare, we use walls, tanks, and guns to guard ourselves.  But God always flips everything on its head. His peace is what guards our hearts and minds.  This peace transcends circumstance, and it keeps us going through the hard times.  I found this to be very encouraging for the remainder of my time in Rundu.

Do you worry?  What are you worried about?  Why are you worried about it? If we obey God and use all the energy we usually spend worrying on praying instead, God promises to guard our hearts and minds with his peace.  I know I need that today, do you?

Michelle