I'm homesick. Not necessarily for my home in Mobile where my immediate family resides, but I've been missing my home many, many miles away.
I got to talk to Musa briefly the other day. Musa was part of one of the Jesus film teams we went with last year. He is in school now, but still has HUGE visions for ministry in Africa. He found that Christ in him, the hope of glory and he wants to share that hope with an entire continent, even if it's through song.
Also got to have a skype date with a guy with whom I treasure our friendship, Kendall. I am so glad that even though we are both really busy, especially with him trying to get into med school and deciding what he wants to do with his life in this season, that we have still found time to talk and continue what has blossomed into a beautiful friendship. We talked about Africa and are going to meet up over Thanksgiving break to have some face time.
The other day I was looking up at the stars in the parking lot at the church. I was walking to my car in the back of the parking lot by myself. I started crying on the walk. All I can think about when I look at the stars is how the southern cross constellation isn't there, and I can't even see it unless I'm in Africa.
These longings in my heart really confirm the things that God is showing me about my future. I have seriously been doing a lot of research into water, sanitation, and other poverty issues on an international scale. It absolutely breaks my heart to think that not everyone has the opportunity to even use a toilet or have access to any fresh water resource. Still praying through a lot of things, but God has seriously been placing these issues on my heart.
Thanking God for bringing home our team from Uganda on Thursday. Their experience was amazing and I can't wait to see how their lives will change because of it.
When the Africans were setting up the stuff for the film, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about whether their equipment was actually going to work. But they all proved me wrong. That sheet thrown over those two metal poles actually worked well for a movie screen.
Everyone was very receptive to the film. This was the first movie that most have them had ever seen or probably will see. They did an altar call during the crucifixion potion of the film. I couldn't even count the number of people who were raising their hands to accept Jesus.
The Jesus Film guys then split everyone up into groups of men, women, and children for counseling. They wanted the Americans to lead the counseling sessions, but they forgot to tell us what to do, so we will do that on other nights.
This film is just another way that God is moving in this place.
The "cho's" they built for us are the best I have seen so far. It has a legitimate toilet seat which is so refreshing. I am so thrilled to see all the things we will get to do today. It's a beutiful Sunday morning and this is the day that the Lord has made.
I love Chibotti bread. It's amazing. It's like a fun piece of fried dough that is a little sweet. Lazaro, our African cook, is the best.
This morning we walked around our grounds and prayed over them. It was an almost physical power that you could feel wash over the area. There is such peace in this place.
As we walked by the evangelism room, the harmonies that were coming out of the room were amazing. They were all singing "How Great Thou Art" in Swahili. The blend of their voices was probably some of the best music I have ever heard.
Then we sang Power In the Blood. Musa taught us the words in Swahili. It was great to join in with the Africans like that.
Then we got to actually meet all of the Africans for the first time. These were the people who would be the barriers between language differences throughout our entire trip. They were a vital part of the ministry and interacting with them was life-changing to say the least.
It took over an hour to get everything medical set up that morning. We were missing some medical materials and we got to a late start, but everything came together. The children showed up right after our singing though and we got to interact with them right away.
the kids here are amazing. Always smiling, and I would have to say that they are the most well behaved children I have ever seen. A lt of them are very timid when it comes to getting close to us. This village is so far out there that they have never seen people who look like us or speak a different language like ours. I'm praying that they'll be a little more affectionate as we progress. I really just want to hug them all and never let go.
Play time is crucial. We played in a group for an hour today, which is a lot harder than it sounds because of the language barrier. After play time, Mama Anita told the story of Blind Barnabas.
During that story time, I snuck out of the room to explore a little.
I ran into Moses, an African, who thought it would be fun to introduce me to some of the local women. They all found it absolutely fascinating that I was trying to speak their language.
At this point, I have so many things going through my mind. It's hard to process sometimes, it's overwhelming. I really have never understood what it is like to have nothing and to grasp the amount of luxuries that I really have. Even living in a tent, I have more than these people. Around 80% of this village is Muslim, and most of that 80% don't even know what it means to be Muslim.
The sunsets are prettier here. The moon seems brighter. Things are just so calm. No worries about material things. No worries about what people are thinking. Everything and everyone is geared strictly on helping, serving, and loving these people and this land.
I wonder to myself why I was so uneasy that first night. Just a few hours later we would be in the absolute middle of nowhere living outdoors in tents. A guard outside would be but a thing of the past. Now preparing for the ten hour bus ride that we are about to take on.
Breakfast included fried eggs, hot dogs (that posed as sausages), pineapple, oranges, and large pieces of cold bread. All of this was accompanied with Africafe, which is the instant coffee that they drink. It was the most refreshing thing we could have had after our 5am wake up call.
The Roika Inn looks completely different in the morning light. The walls are painted a pale yellow which makes things look more cheery than the dark night did. We are now boarding the bus to leave the hotel. We still don't have our trunks yet, but I'm sure everything will work out.
I'm truly learning what it means to be on "Africa-time." We Americans are all used to our schedules and being punctual. Africans just seem to go about with whatever they want to do. It's like there's no pressure to get things done, so if it's put off until tomorrow then it's no matter. I'm learning so much from their pace. The only thing that I do see is that there is such a lack of inner drive here with a lot of the people. It's like they're not aiming for anything more, just survival.
Now we're traveling to a village known as Migugu, which is outside Singida. Once we hit the gravel part of our journey, the road became very tough to handle. The people from the Roika fixed us all box lunches to take on the road. I had no idea that they would be filled with FRIED foods and things that were crazy to put in a sack lunch. Probably not the smartest of ideas on our part to eat the lunches after we hit the gravel road.
The bumper on our bus broke off and somehow we came across a few huts that just happened to have a welder there. We only paid an equivalent of $5 USA to have the bumper fixed. while we were here waiting to get the bumper welded, we got to love on some families in the area. As soon as we got back on the road, we were stopped by a highway policeman. He wasn't going to let us pass, but after some prayer and some smooth talking, we got to leave after paying a $25 fine.
*On a side note, it's been so nice to get to know the team better on this bus drive. We each have different hearts and we each have different passions. It's been so neat seeing how each of our lives could come together and blend successfully.
Got to use my first "cho" in Africa today. It was an experience to say the least. It was a line of holes in the ground, and I know I've talked about some of the smells we have encountered so far, but none compares to that.
It seems that at every place we stop, even if it's just for a second, we draw a crowd of people. The kids are so interested in interacting with white people. Most have never seen someone of our skin color.
Today we reached a point on our bus travel where Steve stood up and said, "Ok, past this point, no Methodist has ever been. Do we happen to have any Methodists with us?" I slowly raised my hand. And so my name became Indiana Ashley.
So our ten hour bus ride turned into a twelve hour bus ride. Everytime we would get to a stopping point, Lai, our guide would estimate an arrival time of another hour and a half. We would then drive another hour and a half and consult with Lai again. He would then say, "Oh, probably another hour and a half." It's funny...now. The bus ride was twelve hours of the roughest terrain. I am surprised tht our bus still had wheels on it by the end.
There was another traffic stop on our way that questioned us about our bumper that was recently welded. Although most of the team was a little intimidated, I was pretty excited because I got to see an AK-47.
Criteria for sending Here's Life teams out in Africa is a village population of under 4,000 and never been reached before. Around 10pm, we pulled off the main road to nowhere and were greeted by five or so Africans. They led us off the beaten trail even further to nowhere. Our bus just kept driving and driving. It's so surreal to think that there are really people that live out here and they will be coming by the hundreds to see doctors at our site, or just to see what's going on. We all talk about the ends of the Earth, but honestly we have no way of really grasping how big this world really is. Being here really gives me a sense of understanding the Great Commission. we are told to make disciples of all men to all nations and all races. the people that I will be coming in contact with this week are mostly polytheistic or Muslim. They have no true grasp that there is a God and He is love.
As we arrived to the camp late last night, thankfully all of our tents were already set up. We grabbed our cots and went to bed. It's rather chilly up here at night, but I'm not exactly sure what elevation we're at.
After we got settled in our tents, we got to go to the kitchen where Lazaro, our African cook, had prepared us a fabulous meal of beans and rice.
Long day, learned a lot. Ready to set up clinic.
It's around 8 o'clock and we're now arriving into Kilimanjaro airport. (I use the term airport very loosely). Apparently, one flight comes through here every day... We got to walk straight off the plane onto the platform. The airport is a series of two rooms. As soon as you walk through the door, a stench/wall of body odor hits your senses. There are so many people crammed into the first room trying to get their passports checked. Thankfully, some of the Jesus Film guys who came to meet us took care of that whole process. Unfortunately, we are missing 20 trunks. Nobody has said what we're going to do about that yet. My personal trunk arrived, but only out of sheer luck. I would have much rather had a trunk of medical supplies come in its place, but it wasn't really my decision. Looking around the airport, most of the ads on the walls are for cigarettes and alcohol. Not sure how that's going to come into play with the people in the surrounding area.
We were able to cram all but four of our team onto our bus, which was awesome because we had 20 trunks on the bus as well. We began our drive into Arusha which is 45 minutes or so away from the Kili Airport. We welcomed our first experience without air conditioning, which actually was good because the elevation caused the temperature to be very tolerable. Got lost on the way to the hotel. The sky really does look like Lion King, which is really cool. When you look out the windows of the bus, you can see the faint scenery of the mountain ranges. As our bus drove down the road, people would just stop and stare at us.
We finally got to our inn around 11pm. As out bus turned down the street/alley that it's located on, I admit that I began to feel a little nervous. There were groups of men gathered around all throughout the alley. They stared just as the others had done while we were driving. We pulled up to the Roika Inn. From the outside, it looked as if the room only had one room, but it turned out there was enough rooms to house our entire team. Amanda and I got the first room on the right. We had two twin beds with sheets and a woolen blanket. There are bars on the window.
we had a group meeting on the patio after we got somewhat settled. Pastor Fred prayed over our journey so far and over Edna (the inn owner) and Fred (her marketing manager). After we prayed, Fred welcomed us and said that thanks to our prayer, he was closer tot he Lord and that he wanted to speak with Pastor Fred at a later time to discuss his faith. Fred then told us that while we were here, we would be in the safest and most capable hands.
Sleep came to me in two hour intervals. I don't think Amanda slept more than two hours the entire night. I got up when the call to prayer went off at 5am. It lasted around 20 minutes. There's really no going to sleep after that.
Apparently the "safest and most capable hands" included a guard wrapped in a blanket sitting on the patio with a large machete in his hands. Feel safe yet?
As I have stated previously, I'm a busy person. I really do love my job (not both jobs, just one specifically) and I enjoy doing the things that I do. But I hate days like today. Not because I'm busy, or because I'm on campus for 12 hours, or because I'm hungry thanks to the lack of vegan friendly food on campus, but I hate it because the day is rushed. Class after class, task after task, meeting after meeting. I get so caught up in agendas and plans and schedules that sometimes I forget the big picture.I am always thinking about the plan for right now, maybe the plan for tomorrow, at the most the plan for next week, but the plans that God has sculpted I could seem to care less about.
The big picture is that I am a child of God. I was formed in His image, crafted(i love that word) by His own hands. I wasn't created to just go through the motions. I wasn't called to be a drone on a workforce somewhere. I was called to go and make disciples of men.
I know I am literally called to go (as a livelihood, profession, few years? Not sure) . Where? When? How? With whom? With what money? I have no clue. All I know is that like Isaiah, i am saying, "Here I am Lord, send me." I want to be a fisherman (fisherwoman?). I want to follow the calling, "Be fishers of men."
These days may stress me out, but I know that I need to come back and focus in on the bigger picture (most of which I has not even been revealed). My focus should be on my Father, not my planner.
I'm a busy person. I do a LOT of things. But that's nothing new. I like to be busy, I like having things to do, having people to spend time with, having a to-do list. I love having a calendar, and I love for my calendar to be full. (I am not saying here that I do not like to do things spontaneously, spontaneity does strike me often, but that is another post all in itself.) Since my calendar is full, and since I have a lot of things bogging me down a good portion of my days, I search for rest. Not only a physical rest, but I search to rest in my God.
Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
I have heard these Bible verses almost my entire life. I thought I had finally grasped what it means to have an easy yoke and a light burden. However, I decided to do a little more digging into this concept of rest. Back when Matthew was writing this passage, the word "yoke" did not mean, the yellow part of an egg. It basically was a figurative link to servitude. That being said, I think that Jesus was saying not that I'm necessarily going to make things a breeze for you, but in all reality, you will be my servant, and I love you, and being a servant to me is a whole lot easier than being a slave to sin.
So I kept researching, now having a new grasp on the actual verses. I wanted to see how I can apply this concept of rest to my daily life. So I checked out the Message. (Now, I do not recommend reading the Message as a sole source of biblical knowledge, it is but a loose translation. The Message, however, is a refreshing and updated version of reading the Bible to be used in comparison to a more widely accepted translation.)
The message reads: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
When I first read this, I immediately answered all of the questions it asks in the affirmative. Then it gives a simple, concise set of directions. "Come to me."
How is it that these directions can be the most difficult to follow? Why do we always believe that the solutions to our problems have to long and complex? Jesus clears it all up for us, with three words: "Come to me." He promises not only that we will recover our life, but that He will show us how to take REAL REST, simply by coming to Him. I don't know about you, but I want to learn the unforced rhythms of grace. If I can live my life freely and lightly simply by keeping company with the King of the Universe, I don't really see a downfall.
We CAN achieve REAL REST. Just go to Jesus.
The main thing we have been focusing on during Cornerstone College is the matter of our stories. We have been focusing on the fact that each of us have a story, a journey that we have been traveling. Now, we have each met, and our stories are being intertwined by the grand author.
God has really been showing me how important our stories actually are. For instance, David. A boy who was only about fifteen when he killed the giant Goliath, was living out his story. Then there's Paul (originally Saul), who used to slaughter and persecute Jews and then was transformed into a man who had an enormous impact on the church and how it works today. We can even look as far back as Moses, who was a man who had an alleged speech impediment who came to lead the Israelites out of slavery. For those of us from the female gender, we have great women like Ruth, and Mary, and Sarah, who followed the will of God and lived out their own stories of greatness.
All of these people had a story. A background. But is their story any greater than ours?
Jeremiah 1:5 says that God knew us before he placed us in the womb. He knows our ways, our thoughts, our passions. He set us apart.
Therefore, God knew me before I was born, and he knew you before you were born, and he knew Jeremiah, and Jonah, and Peter, and everyone else before they were born. Our stories are unique. Hand-made. Special.
Jeremiah 29 then goes into the plans that God has for us, prosperity and hope are included in those plans. He has plans like that specially made for each one of us. Another part of our story.
Now I am at a place, being 20 and in college, where I am coming face to face with my story and how the Masterful Author is intertwining it with the people I am walking my journey with. God is shaping each and every one of our stories in accordance to His will.
Our stories are special. God is the most talented of authors.