Mills writes to everyone on August 3rd..........

Hey Ya'll,

You'll have to forgive me for not sending out a mass email in a while. I'm blessed to have my parents updating a Blog for me, so I hope you have been checking that out. I have been trying to figure out what exactly to say, more actually, what not to say. God really works in the simplicity of life, and here things are pretty simple. If you’re following me, God is working big time in my life. I'm going to try and explain something I can't even wrap my mind around, so please bear with me.

God has been humbling me on this so called journey. It doesn't seem so much like a journey, but I looked up journey and it is: an act of traveling from one place to another. Trying to avoid being cliché, I really find myself moving from one mindset to a completely different one. I told a story to my parents that got put on the blog about a group of boys who were so eager to get our trash, they were willing to work (in a non-American sense of the word) for it. I can't explain the joy these young
boys had for tin cans! It is something I will never forget. It really caused me to question the luxury you and I live in. Most missionaries or others who come onto the mission field might make a challenge like this, so I feel a little too much "by the books" in doing it. Please though think outside of our normal mindset; God has gifted you with the utmost comfort, how are you using it to bring Him honor? Philemon 1:6 comes to mind, (I'm going to assume that not all of you have Bibles beside you, and for the sake of understanding this, I will quote it), " I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ". God says, via Paul, that when you share your faith (out loud), that you actually may begin to understand the joy, contentment, eagerness, hope, earnestness, patience, love and freedom (just some of the good things) that we have in Christ! Share your Faith, and try with me to wrap our minds around something as big and awesome as God's plan for our lives. I trust that God isn't lying when he tells us that when we share our faith we begin to understand His goodness. I really could tell you a thousand stories about what is going on here, but they are all going to point to God's goodness, His greatness. Plus you can read the stories on my blog and there will be plenty of time when I get home. Ha-ha.

I'll throw in one story so you might actually read the next newsletter I send out.... Ha-ha only kidding..... I hope.

While in Lichinga (the nearest town) we ran into some car trouble with a borrowed 8 ton retired army truck, this truck had been retired for a reason. We had just picked up my passport which had to be left at the Immigration office for a week where I renewed my visa. The truck wouldn't start, which wasn't really a surprise seeing as how we had stopped at least 12 times in the 300k's to pick up the truck. By the Grace of God, we were parked across the street from a mechanic shop! We took off the
starter (you can stand under this truck while working on it, that is how big it really is) and carried it over. While sitting and talking with the Muslim mechanic Adao (or Adam) for a few hours we tried to share the Gospel with him. We asked if he had heard of Adam in the Bible, and he knew the story! That was really as far as we could get with him and we ended up paying the mechanic shop 900 meticas, which is a lot of money here, so that he could tell us we needed to start it manually(which we had
been doing). You could see though how Adao looked at us, we were laughing and joking and sharing food with him. I trust that he noticed we didn't see ourselves in a trial, or at least not as an inconvenience. That story wraps up our labors here. We plant some seeds and don't usually see much fruit, but God is working! People simply need to see the Gospel in action. We are just trying to love on people, the same way we would love on our family members or children. God is teaching me so well to be content in every situation.

My prayer for ya'll as you read this is that you would be, "Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction, and Faithful in Prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality". I really can't shout it as loud as I want to. Remember we aren't called to be hospitable only to the desirables.

Please be praying for:
-Gabriel and my friendship, that is would continue to grow and we would have patience with each other and seek to serve each other.
-I'll be preaching on the 12th of August, so for a clear leading on what to teach on, and that these people's hearts would already begin to be softened.
-The group of guys we play soccer with, just as we try and pour into their lives.
-My slow, but steady learning of Portuguese.
- That the baker in the village would start making bread again (he stopped after going to prison about 2 weeks ago).

Ya'll are in my prayers, feel free to email me if there is anyway I can be praying for you.

Until next time.......

for freedom,
Mills