Joy is Ageless- Fact!

Hullo!!!

It's been over a month since I set out from Washington DC on my adventures.

I arrived in England on the 28th of July safe and sound. (Thank you for your prayers!)
Departed for Germany on the 31st of July to spend the month with the evangelical Mary Sisters.
And I 've arrived to England again this past Wed.

My time is Germany was very fruitful, and although I am still processing all that I've learnt, I will like to share some hightlights.

There are 144 Sisters in Darmstadt. 144 women fully committed to serve Christ, to seek God's face, to hear His voice and follow His lead. They are not perfect by any means but they have learned the secrets of identyfing themselves with the sufferings of Christ. They have been involved in very many different ministries since the Sisterhood was founded. They now have branches in over 20 countries and have literature translated in almost 100 languages.

But the thing that impressed me the most about them was not the reach their ministry has, nor all the buildings and land they have aquired by simply (literally) praying, believing and trusting in God; no, the thing that impressed me the most was the joy they had which bubbles out everywhere they go.

I met many Sister well over 75 who as soon as they started to talk about Jesus, remembering all the things He has taught them and how He's guided them, would break into big smiles and giggles as if they were still school girls- their eyes would sparkle like I've never seen before. For a moment, despite their wrinkled faces, white hair and glasses they would transform and you could no longer tell how old they actually are. The joy of the Lord is their strength! Their childlikeness is delightful and contagious. What Jesus says about being childlike makes sense when you are around them.

Wherever they go they are welcomed and I saw the grumpiest of persons be transformed in their presence. Not because anything they had to say but because God's presence is evident within them.

They are bold and lovely. I learned a lot about the importance of taking care of our inner life with Jesus, of not losing our first love of Him. Jesus above all else MUST come first: ministry, relationships, the cares of this world, what we eat and are clothed with, is secondary. Jesus must take first place in our hearts and we are to be vigilant against any idol that would like to put itself in His place (yes, even ministry!)

As Jesus said: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you aide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (Jn 15:4-5)