lisa nester

ENOUGH – Reflecting on 2012

 As the end of 2012 approaches and contemplating what has happened over the past 12-months, the word ‘enough’ kept popping into my head.  As I thought and prayed about it, I realized maybe I needed to put ‘enough’ into words.  God seemed to be whispering, “Lisa – enough”.  But before I get into that…

To say our adventures in 2012 were ‘beyond imagination’ is actually an understatement.  Steve and I were blessed to enjoy some much-appreciated time at Casa Nester in Jerico, Colombia. We were delighted last January to have Ester a/k/a Nanny also join us.  She is an amazing traveler – having turned 91 in August – plus she wants to join us again this coming February for a second visit.  She constantly reminds us how much she enjoyed just sitting in the front yard watching the cows and farmers ride by on their horse with donkeys behind, carrying their harvest into town.  She was also quite amused with the language barrier – constantly telling the Spanish-speaking neighbors that she would love to talk to them, but they had to either speak Danish or English!  One of my hopes this coming year is to spend as much time as possible with her.  I recognize that I do have time, when I make it a priority.

We also had great fun visiting family in North Carolina this fall, spending time on the Nester’s Cross Creek Farm and enjoying some great R&R in the mountains. Then I got to travel up to Canada to visit the Sorensen clan! Steve and I feel very fortunate we have been able to take time to do family visits.  And our family has expanded! Ariel and Josselyn were married in August after returning from their year abroad & studies in Spain.  With the new ‘Latin’ connection and Josselyn’s family being from Ecuador, makes me even more driven to learn Spanish! And just like anything in life, when you make it a priority, you find the time! Having and finding ‘enough’ time can often be a struggle in our busy lives.  Speaking of time, a wise Ugandan man once said, “American’s all wear watches, but none of them have any time.”  Can you relate?

Segway – Uganda.  Steve & I had the privilege of traveling with a team of 15 missionaries for 3-weeks this past summer to Uganda on a medical mission trip with Word In Deed Ministries (WID).  It was this experience, the people we met-the things we saw… returning home and the constant feelings of ‘enough’.  I assumed my experiences with the mission work in Costa Rica the previous 5-years trained me for this trip, but even that was not ‘enough’.  The poverty in Africa is epic and nothing can really prepare you for what you see.   We met some really humble, beautiful people who, despite their circumstances and lack of basic living essentials, showed endless generosity and loving spirits.

Returning home to our comfortable lives made me very aware of so many things we just take for granted.  But honestly, I sometimes catch myself feeling ungrateful. Comparing myself and circumstances to those around me…living in the luxury of South Florida can seriously have its downfalls. Driving along the ocean is beautiful, but then you see these big mansions and wonder “why they have to sit empty during most of the year; why can’t I live in a bigger house?” Sometimes even visiting friends who live in bigger houses, who have walk-in closets the size of my bedroom, who have more shoe boxes than I do – I get this feeling of entitlement – like I deserve more, or that I don’t have ‘enough’!

Then I get reeled back into my experiences this past summer. Families living in huts on the ground…young children who didn’t have any shoes at all; kids sick from malaria or lack of nutrition because they don’t get enough to eat, they don’t have enough water.  Opening my fridge, I realize I need to be more thankful for the provisions at my fingertips. Turning on the faucet and flushing a toilet makes me appreciate that we/I have ‘enough’ clean water at my fingertips – watching women and children carrying jerry cans full of water makes you really appreciate this resource (and I’ll spare you the details of holes in the ground and there uses).   These are the reminders that bring me back to reality that God truly has given me ‘enough’, and I need to thank Him daily for all I do have.

But we didn’t get ‘enough’ of Uganda. Feeling God calling us to continue to work with WID and the amazing things they are doing in these remote villages, Steve and I are looking forward to returning to Uganda next May with a team of pharmacy students from Palm Beach Atlantic University. We are hoping to set up mobile clinics to serve orphaned children and families in an area still very burdened with the HIV-Aids epidemic.  Steve is often vocal about the last place he expected God to call him was mission work in Africa, so it’s a huge joy for me to watch him get so excited about this upcoming trip.  I’m hoping that God will continue to bless WID as a ministry so they can fulfill the desire to complete the Resource Center and open the Vocational School once it’s finished.  Once those are operational, I will be inviting you to come join us in Uganda!!! Each of us has gifts different and unique to our God-given DNA, and they can be shared.  And the delight we receive is more than can be imagined.  We do have ‘enough’ . . . with extra to spare and share.

So, we are excited about what God is doing (& going to do) in our lives and we pray for all our friends and family that they too can join God in the plans He has for each of us.  If you seek, you will find. May 2013 bring you ‘enough’ of your heart’s desire. We each have ‘enough’ to spare & share with gratitude and grace to those around us who are less fortunate.  What that looks like to each of us is again, different and comes in various packages (time, talent, treasure), not just the present under the Christmas tree.  Because if you have a tree with something under it, you are truly blessed!