My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I greet you all in the name of Jesus. I write to you on a breezy and cool Saturday morning in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. The past three weeks have been a constant whirlwind of events, and I ponder how to somehow put into words all that has happened and how God has moved and changed me.
I will take you all back to January, since then so often in church or during my prayer times the cry out of my lips to Jesus Christ would be, “whatever happens in this life I will follow you.” I truly meant those words, but wondered to myself why I cried that out repeatedly to Christ and why it just seemed to flow from my lips. Well, now almost four months later I understand that God had been preparing me for one of the hardest times in my life. He put that prayer in my heart so it could really sink deep into my heart and being and really become true in my life. On April 5th, my good friend Sarah that came alongside me here to Africa was killed in a car accident. Sarah and I had been friends since we were young and shared a strong common bond through missions and our love for children. Since January she had been stationed with her smaller team in Port Elizabeth about 45miles from my station in Jeffreys Bay. But even then we stayed in contact and prayed with each other. If I would have known getting on that plane with Sarah in September and that when I got off the plane in May to come home that she wasn’t going to be beside me, I don’t think I could have handled it. But God has taught me so much through Sarah’s death.
He has taught me that he doesn’t give me grace for what happens tomorrow, or ten years for now, but grace for today. I had the privilege to speak at Sarah’s memorial service here in Africa. Never in my life have I felt God’s grace upon me like I did that afternoon. I literally could not have done it on my own, but God’s grace was sufficient for me. As I look back I can see how God was preparing me in a way for Sarah’s death, teaching me a lot about having an eternity mindset. I could have easily become angry at God asking him why, but I have learned that God is good. That is his character. He is faithful. It is who He is. His character never changes. Period. He cannot do us harm, because his very character is good and kind.
I have seen this come into real life even more this week as my teammate and I have had to deal with a very difficult circumstance. Our very good friend that we visit weekly has discovered her husband has several girlfriends (xhosa culture=affairs) and she is now in danger of her violent husband that has a gun and knife that he will most likely pull on her once she mentions divorce or separation. God has given me and my teammates the wisdom to not get involved anymore then we have, because of danger to ourselves as well. I PLEAD with you to pray for protection over her and her two children and also for a change in her husband.
As I write this I can’t believe that in only three weeks I will be back in America. I ask for all your prayers as I finish my time here in Jeffereys Bay.
Loving His people,
-Ellen A. Amdahl
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”- Job 1:21
