The Spring

It is hard to believe that two months of orientation have come and gone. Being at training has changed me in a way that is very difficult to explain, and it is sometimes hard to remember what life was like before I went. All I know is that every morning as I woke up to a breathtaking Virginia sunrise, I thanked the Father over and over for allowing me to be there. That place was a little bit of heaven on earth. Isn't that what the body of Christ is supposed to be like? My friends challenged me to memorize more Scripture, to pray more, to speak uplifting words, to be a servant, to share boldly, to love deeply.

As thankful as I am for that season, the reason it was so precious is largely because it was only temporary. Because each person that I grew to love like family has been charged with the same task: to take the love of Christ to the ends of the earth. The unique way in which each individual or family has been equipped and called to do that is beautiful. One of my friends helped me to recognize that while it is hard to leave this kind of community, we have the awesome privilege of modeling that to brand new believers in every part of the world.

But what am I going to do when I leave here and don't have all these wonderful people pouring into me? my selfish side protests. During orientation I was constantly encouraged and challenged by everyone I met-- from the company President to the volunteers to my five-year-old quad neighbor. Can I keep growing and learning and stretching without these people?

The key is drinking from the spring. A well can provide water for a time, but eventually it can dry up. That's what happens if I depend solely on my friends for spiritual sustenance. But the LORD is the Spring of Living Water  (Jeremiah 2:13), and I will never go thirsty when he is the one who fills me. He is my source of wisdom, of strength, of LIFE.

And that is good news for me. I am going to some spiritual deserts, and what a joy it is to pour into others what the Father pours into me. But I cannot be their source, because I fall short, and I am weak, and I am only there for a short time. What a privilege to point them to the true source, the Giver of all good things.

Warm Culture

The past eight weeks have in NO way made me an expert on African culture, but I have really enjoyed gaining insights from those who have spent much of their lives in Africa. Africa is a warm culture, which shakes up my Midwestern box a bit. Warm culture countries place a high priority on inclusion, community, and preservation of relationships as opposed to individuality, schedules, and confrontation. What does that mean?
A few lessons I have learned so far:

• A person is welcome, even expected, to show up to any social gathering in the community, even without an explicit invitation. 
• Extended family such as aunts or cousins are referred to and treated as immediate family; they are "mothers" or "sisters."
• When asking a local for directions, they would rather make up directions than tell you they don't know the place you are looking for and be seen as unhelpful.
• No business can be conducted before inquiring about a person's wife, children, parents, crops, cattle, health (and a variety of other topics).

These are just generalizations and I'm sure I will discover many others over the next two years, but I am enamored with warm culture. I have been pretty blessed to learn alongside my Sub-Saharan "family" the past couple months as we have gotten a small taste of this culture. 

Traditional meal time…

Rice, beans, ugali, and smoked chicken :)

Refining the art of eating without utensils

Outdoor cooking

Many snake stories being shared around the fire

An evening without electricity

Beauty.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." Psalm 19:1-6

No Fear in Death

No guilt in life, no fear in death: this is the power of Christ in me.

This past week was one of the heavier weeks of orientation, intensified by all the (mostly exaggerated) horror stories circulated by former Journeymen. While there are real dangers where I am going, my heart has peace knowing the that I rest in the hands of the Most High God. As I took in all the information and wisdom and experience shared this week, my mind kept going back to the words of David: 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? 

The Lord is the strength of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27:1

Sometimes I think that I am bringing Christ to the people of Zimbabwe; this week he reminded me that that is simply not true. He is already there. He has gone before me and is already working in people's hearts. He will still be there when I leave and He is faithful to complete his good work. There is nothing to fear.

Why I Go

Their tribe lived on a remote island, cut off from civilization and without hope for improving their lives. They were enslaved to sacrifices, rituals, and customs passed down from their ancestors.
One thing consumed their thoughts and their daily life: a crippling fear of death.
They were the Taliabo people.

But they had a story, a small glimmer of hope. As the legend went, their ancestors had once possessed eternal life; they found the key to ending suffering. But then they sailed from the island and were never seen again. So the Taliabo prayed to their ancestors, made sacrifices to their ancestors, performed rituals for their ancestors.

"If only they would return to us, they could point us to the river of life and we would drink and live forever," the chief said. "But as it is, we have no meaning; our life is cruel and hard... and then it ends."

And our merciful LORD, who hears the cries of his people who don't even yet know him, put it on the hearts of a few families to spread the good news of eternal life. They stepped out in obedience, trading clean and comfortable homes for a dark jungle, freedom for uncertainty, and family and friends for a tribe they knew virtually nothing about. They did it not out of obligation, but love.

The arrival of these outsiders created quite a stir among the Taliabo. They knew the strangers had come to share a story, but the communication barrier took a long time to overcome. And this story was too important to get it wrong. For four years they lived alongside the Taliabo, learning their language and their stories and their hearts. Over time, one of the village elders became very sick. "Please, please," he said. "You must tell me your story before I die." He desperately hoped these men knew the secret of their ancestors and could point him to the river of life. He had no idea how true that was.

Finally the missionaries began the story that would take them many months to finish. This was an occasion of great celebration; people gathered from all over the island to camp out with the missionaries until the story was finished. Beginning with the Author of life and ending with the Author of our salvation, the missionaries painstakingly related the message of the whole Bible in the Taliabo's heart language. The Taliabo people delighted in the creation story, mourned Israel's years of slavery, and were completely won over by this man named Jesus and his love for the poorest of poor. Each story was fed to them little by little, day by day, and they devoured every word. Finally they were told of Jesus' death on the cross. For an entire day they mourned, paralyzed with shock-- their hero was dead.

You know how the story ends. You and I know!  But just like the disciples, and Mary, and all those who watched Jesus die-- the Taliabo had no idea of the victory ahead! When they heard the good news the next morning, their joy must have been almost as great as those who walked with Jesus on earth. He is alive. He defeated sin and death. He bought us with his blood, and we are free.

Oh, how ashamed I am of the times I have taken that good news for granted. Their joy at hearing of a Savior who loves them-- how could that ever grow stale for us as believers? How could the story become so familiar that it evokes so little emotion when we think of it? Tears spilled down my face as I watched the Taliabo people move from complete hopelessness to joyfully giving their lives to Christ.

And then I remember. This is why I go. This is a story I have heard in church every week of my life, but there are over 6,000 unreached people groups in this world where the name of Jesus is unknown. They are not indifferent; they just haven't had a chance to hear. 

The Taliabo found the River of Life. What about those who are still searching?  That is why I go.

"The Spirit and bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him come and take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22:17


...
I learned about the Taliabo by watching this video during one of my orientation sessions. I encourage you to check it out, God just might use it to speak to your heart.

Pure in Heart

Check out Stephen.

Stephen had a place of leadership within the early church, was full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit, and was always doing miracles. The religious leaders were eaten up with jealousy; they couldn't stand this man, but there was no fault they could find to convict him of. Finally, after the bribery of some sketchy characters, they arrested him under false charges.

When given the chance to defend himself, Stephen began to chronicle Israel's history. I can just picture the religious leaders scratching their heads and wondering, where is this going? It seems his only motive is to lead up to the gospel message, and beginning this way establishes some credibility.

I am like you.
We share our roots.

And so his listeners followed along for most of the speech. He spoke of God's plan to redeem Israel and  how the people were ungrateful and turned to other gods. Then! Stephen turned on them and said: this is you. YOU are proud, YOU are stubborn and YOU reject the Messiah.

I guess it is much the same as Peter's speech a few chapters earlier. But instead of weeping and saying, "what have we done?" the people covered their ears and began to stone Stephen.

But Stephen saw God.

Heaven opened and he saw his Savior, and he had peace. Don't miss this! Jesus promised, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Stephen's heart was untainted by the fear of men. He did not love his life so much as to shrink back from death.

It is not the seeker-sensitive who are blessed.
It is not the eloquent or persuasive who are blessed.
It is not even the bold who are blessed.

It is those whose hearts have been purified, that they desire to please God rather than men. They will see God.

Lord, give me a pure heart.

Of Bounce-houses and Donuts

"No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number." Acts 5:13-14

…

The more I study the early church in Acts, the more it amazes me. But this verse perplexed me the first time I read it. Why was it that no one joined them? Oh, there were new converts daily… but those who did not believe stayed away. Perhaps because there was no room for hypocrisy in this body, as the account of Annanias and Sapphira earlier in the chapter reveals. They fell over dead in church for lying to the Holy Spirit! The incident struck fear into the hearts of all who were lukewarm. Such a contrast with modern churches, who are often quite comfortable with mediocrity and try to reel back in any "extremists" who would endanger their reputation. 

Yet the Acts church was radical in every way.They considered their material possessions so irrelevant in light of the gospel that they sold everything to share with fellow believers. They completely eradicated poverty, not by government programs or legalistic church leaders, but by hearts and lives filled with the compassion of Christ. They came together, not weekly on Sunday for an hour, but daily. They ate together, prayed together, worshipped together, witnessed miracles together, learned together, served together, shared life together.

There were no inflatable bounce-houses. No donuts and coffee. No slick band or fog machines. Yet thousands of new believers were added to the church daily.

Daily.

Somehow I think our generation has gotten the wrong idea about church growth.

What was their secret? They simply shared the gospel with a fire that could not be extinguished. "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." No special training or memorization of an acronym required. They told what they knew--what Christ had done in their own lives. 

And how was it received by those who heard their message? They were cut to the heart. "What will we do?" they cried. For when the true gospel is preached, a moment of decision is inevitable. There is no straddling the fence. 

And Peter was ready with a response for his listeners: Salvation comes through Christ alone. This gift is for you and for all who are far off. Off the path, too far gone, not the religious type. It's for you. 

The church does not need more programs designed to draw a crowd. God simply asks his people to share what we have seen and heard, and he does the rest. 

What a beautiful plan.

Stillness

Today was a personal retreat day at orientation, where we got to take some time alone with the Lord. Now for some people it is difficult to spend the better part of an afternoon in silence, but to me, stillness is beautiful :)

As I asked him to show me the state of my heart, he convicted me of being very distracted at times. Questions swirling around about how to involve my partner churches, what is the most effective way to engage my people group, will I face difficult communication barriers, what do I need to learn about the culture before I hit the field… and on and on. While those aren't bad things, they can serve as a distraction from the most important thing: Christ's sacrifice. The Lord spoke to me, 

You can't serve me unless you love me. 

You can't love me unless I love you first. 

You can't understand my love for you unless you are intentional about reflecting upon it.

All my preparations are not what is going to make me a "good" missionary. Only the love of Christ can do that. That is the reason Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would have the power to grasp how wide and deep and long and high is the love of Christ! (Eph 3:16-19) That they would somehow begin to wrap their minds around this love that surpasses our knowledge and understanding! When we recognize the expanse of his love, we are compelled to share the gospel.

As it turns out, the reverse is also true! The more we share it with others, the more we are made aware of his great love for us. That's why Paul also says "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." (Philemon 1:6)

I cannot make any claims about myself that qualify me for the job the Lord has set before me. But he has shown me his love, and I can share it with those who have never heard. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!"

No Turning Back

Before I head off to Africa, I will spend the next two months stateside in orientation at the same place where I went to conference and first learned about the job God had for me in Zimbabwe. When my friends ask me what I'm going to be doing at orientation, I don't really have an answer for them. Something about getting kidnapped and killing chickens and learning to drive a stick shift and bonding with other Journeyman and learning so much its like drinking from a fire hose… or so I've heard.

Today is the first day of orientation and I still  have no idea what I'm getting myself into. But walking into the Global Center, everything about this place comes rushing back to me. The sweetness of being surrounded by so many who share a love for the Lord and are answering His call. The ease of friendships and an understanding shared with each person here. The stillness and seclusion from the world and the peace of God's whisper.

And at the same time, there is a little fear.

Fear of the unknown, of transparency, of being stretched beyond my comfort zone... and yet an intense desire for all those things despite the fear, despite the risk. Fear of inadequacy, and yet the comfort of knowing his strength is made perfect in my weakness because it showcases Him, instead of me.

Would you pray for me during these next 8 weeks? Pray that I would be on guard against any distractions that would prevent me from hearing the Lord's voice. Pray that I would have an unshakeable confidence in the Lord's call on my life. Pray that the Lord would begin to work in the hearts of the people of Zimbabwe and prepare them to hear the gospel. And please pray for my visa to get approved the first time around so I can get in the country!

I Have a Home

I have a home.

This is not it. Oh I know it's lovely, with the rainbow and my two favorite sisters in the driveway. This house holds 10 years of memories. Movie nights in the basement and catching frogs in the yard and reading a good book by the fireplace and coming home from college to Mom's cooking. I love the way my family spills over into four rooms for holiday dinners in this house and the way my mom knows who is coming down the stairs without looking in this house and the way my little sister drew stick-figure pictures on the underside of every table in this house. But it's not my home.

In January, I will be moving to this house in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I was pretty ecstatic when I saw the picture and heard that I will have two roommates, who I can't wait to meet! I know I will make plenty of new memories in this house. Trying to cook dinner during a blackout and discovering critters in the shower and running on African time and cradling children who don't know what a family is and being Jesus to anyone I can. But this is not my home either.

I am a stranger in this world. Like Paul, I hope to learn to be content no matter the circumstances. But my home, my true home, is in heaven with the Lord. So as long as I am on this earth, there will be days I am missing people no matter what city I'm currently in and days I am homesick for my true home. But I know that one day, all will be made right in His presence.

"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." C.S. Lewis

Zimbabwe Q&A

I officially got the word that I am going to Zimbabwe! If you know me well, this may not surprise you as I have been talking about going to Africa for a while now. I thought I would try to go ahead and answer some of the most common questions I've been getting. If you have any others I would LOVE to talk about it so please ask!!

Why do you want to go to Africa?

That's a very good question! Looking back, I can see how God was preparing me for mission work from a very young age. When I took my first mission trip at age 16, the Lord got ahold of my heart and I knew I was doing what I was made for... but I was unsure of what that meant for the rest of my high school/college/adult life. Throughout college I had some really awesome friends who encouraged me to keep seeking God's will in this area of my life, and eventually He began to show me how the pieces fit together. Through trips overseas to El Salvador and the Philippines, I was able to serve others using my training as a nurse and see opportunities open up to share God's love as well. No, I have never been to Africa, but it is a place that has been on my heart for a long time. I'm excited to see what kind of job God has in store for me there! I'm not a "super-Christian," I just really believe Jesus meant what he said in Matthew 25; "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." 

Where is Zimbabwe exactly? 

Right above South Africa. Here it is! 

What are you going to be doing?

Haha what am I not doing in Zimbabwe... First of all I will be coordinating college student volunteers who are coming on short-term trips to renovate the local hospital. That will take place mostly in the summer, and the rest of the year I will be involved in different ministries at a local orphanage (Zimbabwe has 1 million orphans-- that's 1 out of every 4 children-- and 71% are orphaned because of AIDS), schools, and doing community health education. But basically just taking the love of Christ to those who need it the most :)

What organization are you doing this through?

The Journeyman program, through the International Mission Board.

How long are you going to be there?
Two years.

When do you leave?
I will go to training in October and then leave for Africa in January, Lord willing!

Will you get to come home during your 2 years?

Possibly.  

Do you have to raise support?
I am fully funded through the IMB Cooperative Program. But! I am raising prayer support! Ask me how you can be involved in that.

How safe is this? Aren't you scared?
You know, none of us have the guarantee of tomorrow, whether in Africa or the US. I would rather be stepping out in faith than shrinking back in fear. To paraphrase David Platt, you will never stand before God and hear him say, "I wish you had kept more for yourself" (whether that means time, money, comfort, or safety). Having said that, the IMB has ministered in Zimbabwe for a long time; the career missionaries that I will be working with have been there over 20 years and have seen many successful Journeymen come and go (that's for you, mom and grandma!)