There has been electricity and water since we arrived in the USA, the Internet is lightening fast (at least compared to what we are used to), there seems to be a bazillion choices as to food, clothing, entertainment and stuff that we purchase, the roads are fantastic, all our transactions have been in English, we have not see one malnourished child, we have not pasted a single fetish or talisman and we do not feel the constant spiritual oppression that we feel in Benin. We are grateful for these blessings.
However, life in the USA has presented its challenges. All the choices can be numbing if not outright overwhelming. All the comforts and niceties can give complacency strongholds in our hearts. All the entertainment options are fierce competitors for our time and attention. Distraction from the things that are eternal seem to be at an all time high in our lives. It is all too easy to let prayer and the study of the scriptures have a second seat, or worse.
The realities of Africa and the USA are reminders that this world is not our home and in this world there are problems. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Africa who face a very different set of challenges than those of us in the USA. Pray for us and the other believers that make their home in USA. Pray that God would provide self discipline with all the distractions and entertainment competitors. Pray for compassion to grip our hearts in the midst of the comforts and niceties. Pray that Donna and I can help those in the USA better understand the challenges those in Africa face and what God is doing in that part of the world.