Why Imbali?

I realized I should post a blog explaining why I call this space Jillian Imbali and why I hold this name so close. 

It goes back to 2009 in January when I went on an outreach team to Swaziland. Imbali is Siswati for flower. When you arrive people always ask if you have a Swazi name and if not they give you one so our first afternoon there three young girls, who I ended up getting incredibly close to, decided to name me Imbali. It suited so it stuck. I have been back to Swaziland twice in the past five years and my friends there still call me Imbali. I respond to it like I respond to Jillian. I have seen different spellings and sometimes think it is suppose to be Mbali but I like it with the “I” and that’s how the girls spelled it when they named me so I keep it. 

Really there are probably many North American missionaries named Imbali so it’s not that I feel special because I have a Swazi name but I treasure it because that span of time was so full of growth. It was life changing. I stepped into Swaziland as one person and out as someone completely different. Imbali was like a new name for me, for a new season, one of walking in my identity as a daughter of God. It represents change for me and reminds me of who I am in Christ. I am still Imbali and I am still growing deeper in my identity, step by step.

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Throughout the past few weeks flowers have been standing out to me everywhere and I know there are literally flowers everywhere but they were standing out extra bold, extra beautiful. I have a note in my journal from class that says, “I think God is trying to speak to me in flowers but I don’t know what he is saying.” Finally on my run the other day I got to ask Him about it. “God why so many flowers? I love them but I still don’t understand why?” And in that strong whisper that only God can speak He said, “Imbali, Imbali, I am doing it again.” Imbali is Siswati for flower. He was talking about my identity. The past six weeks of LBSC have been so intense and full and I have learned so much more about my identity as a daughter of God and the amazing inheritance that comes with it. It has been like Swaziland was but the roots grew deeper into the soil this time.

So call me Imbali. Call me Jillian. Both are wonderful. Here’s to getting new names and stepping into new depths and new seasons. 

 “The Shepherd laughed too. “I love doing preposterous things,” he replied. “Why, I don’t know anything more exhilarating and delightful than turning weakness into strength, and fear into faith, and that which has been marred into perfection. If there is one thing more than mother which I should enjoy doing at this moment it is turning a jellyfish into a mountain goat. That is my special work,” he added with the light of a great joy in his face. “Transforming things..." - Hannah Gurnard, Hinds Feet on High Places.

Love Feast and LBSC ending.

This is the sky right after LBSC officially finished. Those clouds, wow.

Little Faba, our classmates baby. She was everyones favourite and we passed her around constantly. I mean just look at her beautiful face. 

This is Martin and Emily. They were our contacts in South Sudan and did LBSC with us. It was amazing to see them again and we love them very very much!

I know these are very random pictures but thats ok. They are all from this past Friday. We had our last day of LBSC and then celebrated in the afternoon with a Love Feast picnic style. We went to a campsite place beside a lake near here, laid out a bunch of blankets, and feasted on potjie. Potjie is a traditional South African dish meaning small pot. Ours was for many many people so it was actually a very large pot and it was extremely delicious. It was very much like a stew served over rice but had many vegetables in it. I loved it! I tried not to eat too too much because right after we all headed back to Bethesda house for desert and there were red velvet cupcakes and brownies and malva pudding and well, I ate happily.

Jason and I are just so happy. It is sad that our school is over and that many of our new friends have left for home but the joy we are filled with knowing we aren't leaving this beautiful place is abundant. We get to stay! We get to continue with Bethesda! We love our friends and family at home but we also love our friends and family here and feel so at peace knowing that this is God's will for us. For now, this is our place and we honestly wouldn't want to be anywhere else. We would not have thought just over two years ago when we got married that we would be living in South Africa but God's plans are so much better than ours. There is a verse in Romans 12 that talks about being transformed so that you may know what is the good and the acceptable and the perfect will of God for your life. We could have done many things and all probably would have been ok and God would have been in them but being here is the perfect will for God for our lives. It's the best.

Hope you all had a good weekend! We are a bit more free now so Skype will be easier. Send me a message and we will set up a time and catch up!

30 Hour Prayer

   
This week for our LBSC we did a 30 hour prayer. It was amazing. We specifically prayed in different groups for Muizenberg, Muslim men/women/children, and Egypt/Libya/Syria. We all didn't pray the whole time but signed up for shifts during the 30 hours and made sure there were constantly people praying. We had to do 8 hours each and they were so good.  So we prayed and planted seeds and painted pictures and sang songs and declared scripture over the nations. It was mighty powerful and I am looking forward to seeing headlines in the upcoming newspapers of God changing these places for their good! There was so much hope poured out for these nations and God clearly has redemptive purposes for each of them. That's who He is, He redeems! Cheer Him on as He works in these places, Come on King Jesus!

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“But now hear, O Jacob my servant,

Israel whom I have chosen!

 Thus says the Lord who made you,

who formed you from the womb and will help you:

Fear not, O Jacob my servant,

Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.

  They shall spring up among the grass

like willows by flowing streams.

 This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's,’

another will call on the name of Jacob,

and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,’

and name himself by the name of Israel.”

Isaiah 44: 1-5

Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”  Ezekiel 37:12-14