Marrakech

Salam dearest friends and family,

I just wanted to start out this update by thanking you all so much for all your prayers and support. I know that the Lord is so blessed by you faithfulness to Him and by your love for the things of His heart! May He shower down blessings upon each one of you!

With that said the team is here is Marrakech and has been for the last 12 days or so. It’s been a sweet time here in this city...I don't really want to leave! We have been serving at an orphanage, painting and just hanging out with the kids! It was so great to just sit and play with these kids. All of the kids are Moroccan; many of them have been abandoned by their parents rather than being orphaned. One kid really pulled at all of our heart strings...we will call him M. since I have to be careful about details and all. M. is about 6 years, he was born with two arms that end at the elbow and one leg that ends at the knee with a foot attached at the end of it...its kind of hard to describe. But he has one healthy working leg which he puts to good use! I found out why he was born with these birth defects and the reason being because his mother (like many of the women do here) drank some type of poison during her pregnancy in an effort to abort the baby. But somehow M. survived and let me tell you though he has some major birth defects...his face is so beautiful and his mind as sharp as a tack!!! He is so sweet, smart and vibrant! It was amazing to watch him keep up with all the other kids...I mean for reals he keeps up...playing cards and everything just like the others! Our whole team was so moved by him...there was just such sweetness to him! Please be praying for these children though...it is illegal to introduce any other kind of religion to these kids apart from Islam. So please pray for their salvation!

Apart from working at the orphanage this past week we were also helping a couple out who are workers here in Marco. They had just recently moved into a new house, so we helped them fix it up...painting, sanding etc. It was such a blessing to get to hang out with them...they are a young couple. Been married about two years and both of them have been in country for about the 5-6 years. Such a rad couple, love the Lord and it was just so much fun hanging out with them!

We will be leaving the city of Marrakech on Friday heading to Ain Lou to work and live at the Village of Hope (Orphanage). I am excited to be going to VOH but I also feel sad to be leaving since our time here has been so great. We have made a lot of friends here on the street. One of my favorites is this little old beggar lady who sits outside of our hostel. Her name is Hadisha and she is the sweetest thing ever! Every morning when we come out to go to breakfast, there she is sitting with a smile on her face! We always go up to her and give her a kiss or two or three...the typical Moroccan greeting. After observing her I thought to myself that "if I ever was a old homeless lady I would want to be like Hadisha". So happy and sweet...and she has never once asked us for money! Pray for her as well...that she would see Jesus!

The Lord has been personally showing me so much! So much about my own heart and about His. It truly been a season of refinement, rooting up all these shaded areas of my heart that I am in the process of learning to surrender. Areas that the Lord desires to burn out of me whether it be fear, insecurities or even simply bad attitudes. These past few weeks have definitely been humbling...thats for sure! The Lord has been teaching me so much about His faithfulness and mercy. Also the importance He places on having the heart of an intercessor and being faithful in the little things He sets before me! It’s been a sweet time with the Lord...in the breaking and refinement process. I'm glad for it though because I desire to be the person He desires me to be. Being more conformed into the image of Jesus I am convinced is never a "feel good" experience but it is a necessary one for the believer to go through if we want our lives to radiate Him. If our de sire is for others to have an encounter with Jesus we ourselves must be willing to have one as well! Just something the Lord has been teaching me!

Well my friends...thats all for now! During our time at VOH we have limited to no Internet access so you all might not here from me for about a month or so! But know that I am alive and things are probably going good...just no Internet! I will send another update as soon I as can. Once again thank you all so much for all you love, prayers and support! You all bless my heart so much and know that you bless His even more!

Many blessings to you,

Becca