Last night I had the opportunity to be a part of the worship team at staff conference. I’ll get to sing all week, nearly every night–such a blessing. I felt such a freedom and joy and release as I sang. The Lord helped my feet to dance. He enlivened my tired voice.

Even more joy came when Sophie was on the heels of leaving for Camp Juice, the camp established for teen missionary kids. She’s been a bit hesitant and a lot excited about her week. They brought all the kids to the front of our adult gathering and prayed. I watched her walk by, seeing her grace and confidence as a gift, and I couldn’t believe how much she had grown.

When the prayer was finished, the kids left the room. She walked by, stopped right where I was and hugged and kissed me. “I love you, Mommy,” she said. I thanked the Lord that she wasn’t too old to abandon her friends to tell me how much she loved me.

I have been watching her and seeing so much depth and beauty in her soul. Yesterday she said, “Mommy, there’s a girl whose German who doesn’t know anyone, so my friends and I are including her. She’s really nice.”

And then later, she was walking with her younger friend Daniela who is two years younger and not a part of Camp Juice. “Do you know where the ten year old girls are?” she asked me. I didn’t know. But I smiled because she was helping her friend connect with other girls in her absence. She walked off with Daniela, on a mercy mission. I love her sweet heart.

I sense God is doing something new here. We’ve had such a difficult but good year, and God is using the community here to stitch our hearts back together where they were torn. And He uses other folks to be His needle and thread.

So, I’ve worshipped in abandon. I’ve watched the Lord’s mercy in the heart of Sophie. And I’m in the process of being stitched back together in a holy quilt for His glory.