Confessions of a misisonary mama: Natalie D, My cousin from Germany

Ahhh, a lazy Saturday afternoon.  I love them.  A little Air1 radio online, a napping family and Facebook.  3 days ago a German DTS student here at YWAM named Nicole and I were chatting bout Germany.  I told her about the year that I lived there as a young teen with my mother as she searched for relationship with her birth family.  (She was adopted for Germany at the age of 2ish)  I asked her to look for my family, you know the spellings that I could not get no matter how hard I tried. 

And whalah, next day she reported that she found my cousin Natalie.  She was so cool, she was like 3 years older than I and all grown up.  She took me all around the city of Esslingen and I felt invincible.  I think that year spent there was the year I gained and grew in confidence, The year that I became a young woman.  We lived in her house the entire time we were there and I attended the school she did.  I loved that school.  Half of my friends were Turkish and the other half German. 

God planted in my heart a love for the Nations this year of my young life.  God was so good to me.  He set up the stage as I grew and then one day offered me to walk in the calling he had waiting for me and my family.  God the Father prompted me as a child to want to know the truth, to go to church with friends, to seek truth.  I searched for something real all of my teen years, and restless I was.  I called Jewish synagogues, and sat at the Olathe public Library with 2 handsome  young morman missionaries as he told me about thier god.   

He saw me through the darkest times, the orphan spirit I carried around  with me for years, and healed my broken places.   I was born to be apart of something BIGGER than me!  Something Holy!!  Selfless and Holy.  It opposite world friends.  Do the opposite of what the world says is good and right and there you will find rest and peace.  Serving my self never got me anywhere.  Ah, the rest that comes in realizing that!

Anyway....I am stoked to have reconnected with her.  She has 3 beautiful kiddos, a couple of doggs and a new husband.   God, would you let her know how loved she is.  That you have good plans for her life, plans for good and not harm.  That you are trustworthy and like a rock she can lean on you.  Bless her today Father.  And help us to connect as you would have us to.   Protect her family, and her little kiddos God.  I ask for truth and peace to be their banner.