Yesterday was wonderful and so filling. I continue to deepen relationships with our team and enjoy all the familiarity of the people on the 12-acre school. As we were cleaning up at the site to leave for the day, I spent time with 4-year old Baraka. He was so precious and I enjoyed his smile and taking his picture. I can’t do just in words in how the children affect me. They hug and gather and follow me as I pass through from one building to another. It is so refreshing to feel such innocent love. It is so unconditional and so joyful.
We also spent time with a few distinctive local people yesterday. “Grandfather Egg” came in the morning and our missionary hostess, Kelli bought eggs from him. We spent 30 minutes talking to him just to buy 14 eggs. That is the culture here. You don’t just say leave them at the door and bill me. You talk and spend time as part of the exchange. The same thing was true for the lady who came to the house with homemade baskets. The approach is all about connecting and showing respect, not just making a purchase. You must slow down and experience things that we act so flippantly toward in the states. But that’s the culture.
Today was beyond fabulous! I am learning so much about the culture and working hard on my Swahili. Each day I learn a few new words and love the language. It has helped tremendously that I studied it a month before arrive. It made a huge impact on being able to connect with the folks here. They feel like I respect there culture by spending time learning their language.
The greatest part of my day today was teaching bible class at the school. I take a break from the work site to interact with the head master, teachers and other missionaries. I get so filled that way. I had planned to sit in on a bible class and then the principal asked if I would just come on in and teach, so I did. I was in heaven. Opening God’s Word and sharing and teaching a class filled with 6th graders was a glorious time for me. Well, the word got out and tomorrow I am teaching a 7th grade class. In addition, they’ve asked me to preach at Chapel. So tonight after I got home, I had to prepare devotions for the team, notes for teaching tomorrow and notes for my talk at Chapel. I will pray tonight that I glorify God with my words and my teaching and testimony may get others as excited about Jesus as I am. Oh, it is so good to be in Tanzania.
And us girls left the work site at the school a bit early today to attend a women’s bible study. It is so incredible to be half way around the world and be worshiping the same God with the same bible just in a different language. The church was so filled with the Holy Spirit and I truly felt lifted in a huge way. What an experience!
I continue to share my testimony and enjoy the intimate conversations with different teachers at the school. Today, Kito (one of the teachers) had such a deep dialogue about God working and moving in our lives. It was thrilling and I can’t wait to see how Jesus shows up each day in terms of who He puts in my path and where He leads. Oh, it is so much fun to what Him move.
Munguawabariki (God bless you all!)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Relationships
I feel like I’m right at home here. It’s only day 2 on the work site, but as I walk through the compound where the school is located I already see so many familiar faces. Everyone is so incredibly friendly and I stop for hugs, big smiles, laughter and sharing. It is such a great feeling. I don’t know how much more God can pack in to another 14 days. But I can’t wait to see.
Today we worked until we thought we’d drop. We all said the highlight of our day was seeing our missionary host, Ben, drive up in the Land Rover to take us back home. But it is so worth it. As I look into the beautiful faces of the kids at the school and know I’m a tiny part of God’ plan to give more of these precious ones a Christian education…well…all of a sudden, then, I feel like I’m walking on clouds. I’m outside myself with joy.
One little boy came up to give me a hug today. He looked at me with such an incredible amount of love and delight that I immediately thought that’s how Jesus will look at me when I get to heaven. He will smile so big and say, “I’m so glad to see you.” That picture stayed with me all day. Oh, how blessed I am.
It is so hard to pack the highlights of the day in a few paragraphs…there are so many moments…so much joy…so many blessings…Jesus is everywhere. I have connected with a lady who actually likes to laugh more than me. We laughed so hard at lunch today that I thought my entire insides were going to pop. Our team has certainly been picked by God. And I love to build relationships…God know that, so He steps in and is wonderful enough to bless me in ways that are so meaningful…He is SO good to me.
After killing over at lunch with joy and laughter, I had the opportunity to connect in a deep way with Pastor Jeremiah. What an incredibly, godly man he is. We talked at length about our Walk and how God is moving in our lives. He shared how God has allowed him to gain an education that he never dreamed was possible and in every sentence he speaks of such sincerity in giving all the glory to God. He is hoping to graduate in just over a year after furthering his education and plant a church in a town of almost entirely Muslims…what a story he has and how inspiring he was to me.
My heart is bursting…I look so forward to every aspect of the day. After we get home, I shower, do some quite devotions and then join our missionary hostess and 3 other ladies in the kitchen as they prepare dinner. We share, sing hymns and cook dinner…well, I watch and talk…they cook. But we all share and the company is so uplifting. And boy, do we eat well here. Oh, my goodness…I’ll add 20 lbs before returning. We have true Tanzanian food for lunch at the school and then are blessed with an incredible meal, dessert and coffee each evening.
Please continue to pray that I’ll remain God’s humble servant and allow Him to use me in the most complete way. I want no part of Germaine’s plan…I want to live sold out to Him.
May He be gloried in all I do. Signing off in Babati, Tanzania.
Peace.
Today we worked until we thought we’d drop. We all said the highlight of our day was seeing our missionary host, Ben, drive up in the Land Rover to take us back home. But it is so worth it. As I look into the beautiful faces of the kids at the school and know I’m a tiny part of God’ plan to give more of these precious ones a Christian education…well…all of a sudden, then, I feel like I’m walking on clouds. I’m outside myself with joy.
One little boy came up to give me a hug today. He looked at me with such an incredible amount of love and delight that I immediately thought that’s how Jesus will look at me when I get to heaven. He will smile so big and say, “I’m so glad to see you.” That picture stayed with me all day. Oh, how blessed I am.
It is so hard to pack the highlights of the day in a few paragraphs…there are so many moments…so much joy…so many blessings…Jesus is everywhere. I have connected with a lady who actually likes to laugh more than me. We laughed so hard at lunch today that I thought my entire insides were going to pop. Our team has certainly been picked by God. And I love to build relationships…God know that, so He steps in and is wonderful enough to bless me in ways that are so meaningful…He is SO good to me.
After killing over at lunch with joy and laughter, I had the opportunity to connect in a deep way with Pastor Jeremiah. What an incredibly, godly man he is. We talked at length about our Walk and how God is moving in our lives. He shared how God has allowed him to gain an education that he never dreamed was possible and in every sentence he speaks of such sincerity in giving all the glory to God. He is hoping to graduate in just over a year after furthering his education and plant a church in a town of almost entirely Muslims…what a story he has and how inspiring he was to me.
My heart is bursting…I look so forward to every aspect of the day. After we get home, I shower, do some quite devotions and then join our missionary hostess and 3 other ladies in the kitchen as they prepare dinner. We share, sing hymns and cook dinner…well, I watch and talk…they cook. But we all share and the company is so uplifting. And boy, do we eat well here. Oh, my goodness…I’ll add 20 lbs before returning. We have true Tanzanian food for lunch at the school and then are blessed with an incredible meal, dessert and coffee each evening.
Please continue to pray that I’ll remain God’s humble servant and allow Him to use me in the most complete way. I want no part of Germaine’s plan…I want to live sold out to Him.
May He be gloried in all I do. Signing off in Babati, Tanzania.
Peace.
Monday, July 28, 2008
The School
Wow, what an incredible day! We drove over to the Christian school today and toured the classrooms and dorms before getting started with our work for the day. This school is one of the top schools in the country, but is incredible primitive by Western standards. Oh, but the people are incredibly warm and very relationship driven.
We were treated like honored guests as we met the teachers and the Head Master of the primary school. He asked us to sit at his desk and sign his visitors book. His enthusiasm for teaching and changing the lives of young kids was uplifting and inspiring.
And the kids...the were the highlight of my day!!! They rushed toward me as we toured and surrounded me just to touch my face and hair. Their faces were like beacons in an otherwise barren and desolate country. The love of Jesus was so evident. I was in heaven! I took their pictures and then showed it to them on the camera and you would have thought God just dropped a piece of heaven down for them. They were so thrilled and just hung on to me as I tried to catch up with my group. I can assure you I will be spending more and more time with them. They were the most precious faces I've ever seen.
After out tour we were off to work on the new dorm. Our task for the week is to clean mortar off toilet stalls, sand and paint later in the week. You would think it just a bit crazy to spend thousands of dollars to fly half way around the world to work on bathrooms...but it is surely so much more. We had a ball serving Jesus today. We laughed until I cried and enjoyed every single moment. I suspect tomorrow I'll be a bit sore from the hard day of scraping, sanding and breathing in tons of dust, but I have no worries. I am loving life.
As I did devotions last night, God brought me to Psalm 113...v7 says, "He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap..." It reminded me that we are all blessed to be called children of God regardless of our economic circumstances...He loves us all the same. And verse 3 reminds us that we are to praise the name of the Lord "from the rising of the sun to its going down."
I'm looking forward to seeing where God shows up tomorrow. I hope to actually sleep tonight. I am living proof that it is possible to function with energy after 3 days of almost no sleep. For some reason, I can't sleep at night. But as the sun comes up and the cock crows, I bounce out of bed as if I had slept for days...my strength is not my own.
Well, must sign off...I type very quickly without review. Just hanging out on the Internet typing eats up a lot of my available usage for the day.
Peace to all of you. May God bless you richly. I know He is showing Himself so powerfully to me and it's only my 2nd full day in Tanzania.
We were treated like honored guests as we met the teachers and the Head Master of the primary school. He asked us to sit at his desk and sign his visitors book. His enthusiasm for teaching and changing the lives of young kids was uplifting and inspiring.
And the kids...the were the highlight of my day!!! They rushed toward me as we toured and surrounded me just to touch my face and hair. Their faces were like beacons in an otherwise barren and desolate country. The love of Jesus was so evident. I was in heaven! I took their pictures and then showed it to them on the camera and you would have thought God just dropped a piece of heaven down for them. They were so thrilled and just hung on to me as I tried to catch up with my group. I can assure you I will be spending more and more time with them. They were the most precious faces I've ever seen.
After out tour we were off to work on the new dorm. Our task for the week is to clean mortar off toilet stalls, sand and paint later in the week. You would think it just a bit crazy to spend thousands of dollars to fly half way around the world to work on bathrooms...but it is surely so much more. We had a ball serving Jesus today. We laughed until I cried and enjoyed every single moment. I suspect tomorrow I'll be a bit sore from the hard day of scraping, sanding and breathing in tons of dust, but I have no worries. I am loving life.
As I did devotions last night, God brought me to Psalm 113...v7 says, "He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap..." It reminded me that we are all blessed to be called children of God regardless of our economic circumstances...He loves us all the same. And verse 3 reminds us that we are to praise the name of the Lord "from the rising of the sun to its going down."
I'm looking forward to seeing where God shows up tomorrow. I hope to actually sleep tonight. I am living proof that it is possible to function with energy after 3 days of almost no sleep. For some reason, I can't sleep at night. But as the sun comes up and the cock crows, I bounce out of bed as if I had slept for days...my strength is not my own.
Well, must sign off...I type very quickly without review. Just hanging out on the Internet typing eats up a lot of my available usage for the day.
Peace to all of you. May God bless you richly. I know He is showing Himself so powerfully to me and it's only my 2nd full day in Tanzania.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Yep, I made it
Whew, 28 hours after departure, I arrived in Tanzania safely. Thank you, Jesus. I must say flying to Africa is not for the faint of heart. It's a long time in the air. I had it all planned out though, I'd read, chat and then take an Ambien to doze off until we landed. Well, I had never taken Ambien so I took one on the flight from Washington, D.C. to London and didn't sleep it off. And my system did not like it. I arrived at Heathrow sick to my stomach and dizzy. I can't even remember our 4-hour layover in the airport. Everyone was laughing at me, because I was wobbling as trudged through the airport and waiting in line for our boarding pass to Kenya. But that all passed and when we landed in Tanzania about 4pm Indy time, I wanted to kiss the ground.
We got our visas and headed to pick up our luggage, but the airline had other plans and left it in Kenya. So we headed on to Arusha (about an hour from the airport) and our luggage arrived the next day. We were so thrilled. Again, thank you, Jesus. We ate lunch and headed off on the 2 1/2 hour drive to Babati. What an experience! For over an hour we were on paved roads and then headed on to the worst, bumpy dirt roads I have every experienced. But we were blessed to have such wonderful hosts and had great conversation on the way.
I absorbed the country and will talk more about the people as I move through the week. But, wow, the poverty and horrible surroundings bring such pause to my comfortable, excessive lifestyle. It is hard to imagine that people live in such conditions. But they do and smile all the while.
So I am here staying in a little hut at our missionary host's compound. I have had about 8 hours sleep in the last 36 hours, so I have no idea how this blog will sound...it is around 10 pm and I'm about the fall over. Tomorrow we get up and begin work on the school. We are sanding, painting and getting the dorm ready for final stage. I'm looking so forward to serving and seeing where God shows up.
Derek and Zach, it was good to hear your voice earlier this evening. I was so restless not having talked to you. But I'm glad you got my text.
Peace to everyone. Thank you for your prayers and support. Goodnight!
We got our visas and headed to pick up our luggage, but the airline had other plans and left it in Kenya. So we headed on to Arusha (about an hour from the airport) and our luggage arrived the next day. We were so thrilled. Again, thank you, Jesus. We ate lunch and headed off on the 2 1/2 hour drive to Babati. What an experience! For over an hour we were on paved roads and then headed on to the worst, bumpy dirt roads I have every experienced. But we were blessed to have such wonderful hosts and had great conversation on the way.
I absorbed the country and will talk more about the people as I move through the week. But, wow, the poverty and horrible surroundings bring such pause to my comfortable, excessive lifestyle. It is hard to imagine that people live in such conditions. But they do and smile all the while.
So I am here staying in a little hut at our missionary host's compound. I have had about 8 hours sleep in the last 36 hours, so I have no idea how this blog will sound...it is around 10 pm and I'm about the fall over. Tomorrow we get up and begin work on the school. We are sanding, painting and getting the dorm ready for final stage. I'm looking so forward to serving and seeing where God shows up.
Derek and Zach, it was good to hear your voice earlier this evening. I was so restless not having talked to you. But I'm glad you got my text.
Peace to everyone. Thank you for your prayers and support. Goodnight!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
God is on the move
Our God is SO big. He moves in bold ways that continue to amaze me and confound me. I never expected Him to make such a huge presence right before I left for Africa, but He did. He has been teaching me to love Him more deeply by following His leading in most unexpected ways.
I felt a clear and convincing calling a few days ago to sell our large, beautiful house and downsize. This would allow me to be debt free with more freedom with God's money to advance His Kingdom. So we now have a For Sale sign in our yard. I am excited to follow His direction and go deeper with my Lord and Savior.
In addition, my youngest son, Zach, has made the decision to attend a private Christian school for his high school education. I am thrilled at his desire to integrate biblical principles with his schooling. Two days ago, he submitted his application and was accepted to Covenant Christian School. He is now more excited than ever about school. This fits perfectly together with God's direction for our lives...a better use of His money than tying it up in an excessively large home.
These 2 major decisions culminated in the past few days right before my departure to Africa. I had a few moments this week where I felt I had reached capacity, but there is great peace in obedience. I have never felt better about my relationship with my Maker and am so thankful for how He continues to bless the boys and me.
Blessed be His Name!!!
I felt a clear and convincing calling a few days ago to sell our large, beautiful house and downsize. This would allow me to be debt free with more freedom with God's money to advance His Kingdom. So we now have a For Sale sign in our yard. I am excited to follow His direction and go deeper with my Lord and Savior.
In addition, my youngest son, Zach, has made the decision to attend a private Christian school for his high school education. I am thrilled at his desire to integrate biblical principles with his schooling. Two days ago, he submitted his application and was accepted to Covenant Christian School. He is now more excited than ever about school. This fits perfectly together with God's direction for our lives...a better use of His money than tying it up in an excessively large home.
These 2 major decisions culminated in the past few days right before my departure to Africa. I had a few moments this week where I felt I had reached capacity, but there is great peace in obedience. I have never felt better about my relationship with my Maker and am so thankful for how He continues to bless the boys and me.
Blessed be His Name!!!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Why Tanzania?
Many people have asked why I'm going to Tanzania, Africa...well, it's pretty simple. God said. I had no plans to go on a mission trip this summer let alone leave my boys for 18 days and travel have way around the world to the continent of Africa with a church and people I didn't know.
But God had other plans. He led me in a very clear and convincing way that this was His plan for me. Every time I put up an obstacle, He removed it. He showed me that serving Him was the most important thing I could do not only this summer, but every single day. He said, "Trust Me and follow Me." So I am.
I must say that I had to work through some typical fleshy anxieties regarding leaving the boys, having them be at peace, arriving home the night before they start school and financing an expensive, unbudgeted trip. But God simply kicked every obstacle out of the way. He always does. When I choose obedience over self-interest, I am rewarded beyond anything I can imagine and crave the joy of following Him even more. Obedience quickly becomes an addictive way of life.
So on the 25th, I'm off to help build a dorm for a Christian school and build relationships with local folks through worship services and daily interaction. At the end of the mission trip, I'm gonna have a little R&R with a 2-day safari. I'm so thrilled to be serving Jesus and hopefully in some small way He will use me to show His love to others.
But God had other plans. He led me in a very clear and convincing way that this was His plan for me. Every time I put up an obstacle, He removed it. He showed me that serving Him was the most important thing I could do not only this summer, but every single day. He said, "Trust Me and follow Me." So I am.
I must say that I had to work through some typical fleshy anxieties regarding leaving the boys, having them be at peace, arriving home the night before they start school and financing an expensive, unbudgeted trip. But God simply kicked every obstacle out of the way. He always does. When I choose obedience over self-interest, I am rewarded beyond anything I can imagine and crave the joy of following Him even more. Obedience quickly becomes an addictive way of life.
So on the 25th, I'm off to help build a dorm for a Christian school and build relationships with local folks through worship services and daily interaction. At the end of the mission trip, I'm gonna have a little R&R with a 2-day safari. I'm so thrilled to be serving Jesus and hopefully in some small way He will use me to show His love to others.
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