Sandi Hester

If you’ve read my blog you’ve heard me mention our missionary friends the Crowders.  I have a prayer request for them.  They are returning to Africa tomorrow and I’m asking you to cover them in prayer.  They have a VERY long flight tomorrow – those of you with children will understand – Beverly is pregnant and they have a toddler – have you ever traveled for 24 plus hours with a toddler – you can see why I’m asking you to pray!  They also have 12 “bags” – I think they’re more like crates – they will be traveling with and that they need to arrive on time to Africa with them.  I’m sure you can also understand the importance of their bags arriving, especially with all they need for their toddler.  I appreciate you covering them with your prayers.  I know this may seem strange, but even if you read this after the 17th will you still lift them up in prayer – our God is not bound by time and even if you pray for them well after the flight I know my God will hear and “count” it toward tomorrow :).  Pray that they have very uneventful flights, that they get some rest on these flights, that Thomas (their little boy) has an easy time traveling, and that their bags arrive on time.  Thank you friends for praying for them. 

The paintings below are painted from some pictures the Crowders gave me.  I’m not sure what this building is – in the painting it turned out looking more like a barn, but it is some concrete building -I’m sure Beverly will let me know what it is when she sees this post.  The other painting is self-explanatory.

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.  Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.  I Chronicles 16:8, 24

This is another painting I did from a picture from one of my missionary friends in Africa.  For some reason these are my favorite paintings to work on.  This one is from Chris and Beverly.  They are here in the US for a visit and I got to see them twice since they’ve been here – they return to Africa next month.  Beverly was at my house just this week!  I should post some pictures of the beautiful gifts they brought us from Africa (jewelry, a leather purse, and a bible).  I have a “mission” wall that I put up gifts from missionaries and things we’ve brought back from mission trips.  I may have to post a picture of my wall – it really is a work of art – I love it!  Thank you Chris & Beverly for the picture, but most of all thank you for your love for the nations and making Christ famous among them!

Prepare the way for the people.  Build up,  build up the highway!  Remove the stones.  Raise a banner for the nations.  Isaiah 62:10

My friend Amy is doing just that – preparing the way and raising a banner for the people in Africa.  She is a missionary in Africa.  I love painting pictures my missionary friends send me or have posted on their blogs.  Amy posted both of these on her blog.  The first one is a very loaded down van on some sort of “highway”.  I loved the colors and how it was stacked to the sky with stuff – last but not least – a wheelbarrow – you never know when you’ll need one of those in Africa :)!  I painted this picture last night while cleaning the kitchen and cooking.  I can do that since my painting “station” is my woodblock which is right in the middle of my kitchen – very convenient!

This second picture is of a lady at her sewing machine in a hut.

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  Revelation 7:16

Doesn’t she capture your heart?  She did mine.  I saw her in a World Vision magazine we got in the mail the other day.  I got the mail right before I started to cook dinner and the urge to paint her was to much to resist – when you’re inspired to paint something you can’t just let it pass because it might not come back.  This was another one of those paintings that flowed from the Spirit right out of my paint brush.  So I painted this little girl while cooking – that’s pretty good for me because I AM NOT a multitasker.  I can’t even talk on the phone and cook at the same time or something will set on fire.  I sat down today with my bible and asked the Lord to lead me to the perfect verse for her.  Poor Grady was napping while I flipped through my bible and when I found this verse I can’t remember what came out of my mouth, I just remember it was a little on the loud side because Grady was jolted awake from his nap :).  The verse captures the painting and the Spirit behind this painting perfectly. 

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”  Revelation 5:9

This painting definitely flowed from the Spirit – He inspired me – and I’m convinced He painted it.  This one seemed to just run off my paint brush onto the paper.  I’ll tell you a little bit of where the inspiration started.  We have some friends who are missionaries in Africa – way out in the bush – and they post pictures on their blog and send us pictures by e-mail periodically.  I am constantly amazed by the pictures they send us – especially during the rainy season in Africa.  The grasses there during that season are amazing – they are neon green and very tall.  Recently I got a picture from them that made my mouth drop, my spirit soar, and left me running for my paints.  I knew immediately which scripture to put with the painting (the above scripture).  Below the painting is the picture that inspired me and I have also posted the progress of this painting.  For some reason I decided to take pictures as I painted and I thought I would share those with you. 

What a joy it’s going to be to stand around the throne of Christ one day with EVERY tribe, language, people, and nation and praise His holy Name for His costly purchase of men.  If you do not have a love for the nations or don’t understand God’s love for the nations I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and go on a mission trip.  You will never be the same and you will never see your God the same.  He, and those He loves, will be forever written upon your heart.