Sunday, April 29, 2012

A New Heart



The Heart. The place where love and sorrow meet  - where the breaking of the painful past, can be restored by the rebuilding of a hopeful future. The place where brokenness can be made beautiful.



These children above, are praying for new hearts. They are invested in deep prayer and asking for their hearts of stone to melt, and that their new restored hearts, will beat again.  They are praying for forgiveness, seeking grace, and finding that they are loved in this desolate and broken place.

This photo, taken by Exile International during one of their art therapy sessions, is an example of the healing that comes when these former Children of War ask for God redeem their hearts in order to become Children of Peace. The children literally place this cut out red paper heart against their chest, and ask for a new heart.

Amazing Grace. 

My own heart weakens at the sight of this, but at the same time I motivated to LOVE. I want to listen to their stories, to hold them in my arms and tell them that they are forgiven and so loved. I want to tell these precious angels of God that they are safe and sound forevermore. I tremble with awe at the thought that I will have the opportunity to be in the presence of these Children of Peace this summer.

By His love, Jesus removes their hearts of stone and gives these children new hearts, fully alive and overflowing with dreams, passions, potential and PURPOSE. By His love, these children are healed.

and now I ask...
What brokenness can we overcome, when we read and hear the stories of these children? If they can overcome a war, what wars can we overcome in our life? How can we let their stories of redemption change us?

I know that this story, of Children of War becoming Children of Peace, challenges me to love better every day. It challenges me, in the depths of my soul to cultivate a compassion that is changing how I view the world.

These Children are the ones who are teaching me how to be a Child of Peace. I cannot wait to hold their little hands in less than two months and tell them how thankful I am, that they helped me see this new beauty in the world.

-- devon


"A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 36: 26

Thursday, April 26, 2012

At a Crossroads


             
               "Crossroads" - was a piece I designed earlier this month to mimic a bullet holster 
     wrapping around Africa and crossing at the heart of Uganda, little did I know a few weeks
     later I would be on these tracks heading to Africa this summer; arriving where these roads meet...
             

I'm at a CROSSROADS. A turning point, a place, where my passion is colliding with my plan and producing an impact greater than I could have known. Reality is meeting face-to-face with dreams I had planted years ago.  I could write a book about it, I might someday but for now, I will just say - I am LIVING in Joy. I wake up every day excited and hopeful for this new adventure! I can barely express it in words, but I feel it in my heart, mind and soul that this is the right time to go to Uganda.

My heart is being prepared for a lifetime of work of dwelling in suffering along the side of people who are hurting, in order to help them find healing.  It is about recognizing we're all ONE status, we're all human, and we're all capable of forgiveness and love. I am passionate about people and my plan is to pour out my life in order to help others find their passions. You see? My passion, is my plan. Through helping people find their passions and dreams, especially these former child soldiers, war orphans and women I will be working with - I am achieving my own dream.

I want people around the world to know you can do what you love. You can marry your passion, career, dreams and the beauty of it is we don't have to worry about how all of it will come together...that's not our role. It's a journey, not a destination. Just keep pursuing what you love.... and somewhere down the road, you will be able to see why things had to happen the way they did, and it will be worth it. So so worth it. 

I'm at a crossroads. Passions, dreams, desires, career, plans, are all colliding, but I know I'm safe while I'm on this track. I'm following my heart wherever it takes me and I'm not looking back!! 

-- devon

Monday, April 23, 2012

Flight to Uganda booked!!!



MY FLIGHT IS BOOKED! Oh my goodness, sigh of relief and also a wave of COMPLETE JOY!!!!

This has been a looooong journey, but well worth the wait.
55 days until I start working in Uganda!!!

Please pray for me in this time of preparation!!
Also pray for protection over the country and thanks for being my amazing support team :]

Thankful for you all.
   - Dev

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Mission Minded


Note from my iPhone: 663 days ago  -  June 28, 2010 at 2:09 am... Isn't it crazy how our heart knows what we desire, before we do??

A prayer for the Child Soldiers

My heart aches for Africa. I want to send and ship all the love I can to the nations there. I want my eyes to be focused on God and my mind to be set on only things above. I want to leave the distractions of daily living and view the life of an impoverished child.

I want to see children fall to their knees in thankfulness and realize their broken lives will be healed. I want to view the hope that hangs in the savannah air and my words and actions to be worthy of the manner of the gospel.I don't want attention but to glorify god.  I don't want to seek the approval of others, I want to LOVE others.

I am praying for a peace that binds nations and people alike. I believe that good can overtake our world and love is capable in even  the most evil hearts. God holds the world in his hands and I know his goodness is in all.