I was walking through the mall today on a beautiful sunny day. I could hear the birds chirping as I approached the open area of the mall...very loudly.
'Wow, are they always that loud?'
Then they kept getting louder.
"Cheap cheap. Cheap!!!!! CHEAP CHEAP!!!!!!CHEAP!!!!!!"
Wow! they are so loud!
Then I saw her. there was a woman walking towards me with a box of baby chicks on her head. Yes a whole case. Well that explains it.
Only in Africa.
It makes me smile. My life rocks.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Yeah!
It was awesome!
You know that when you are doing good, opposition will come?
Well knowing that Pastor Ron would be in the states for 3 months and unable to teach his bible class to my teachers, I’ve been praying about what to do instead.
I really wanted to do the Bait of Satan curriculum by John Bevere. (Now if you haven’t heard of that, so out and get it today! The book, the dvds, the cd…I don’t care get one of them. It will change your life! Especially, if you are thinking of leaving one church and going to another, read chapter 4 first!) Okay, I guess it’s obvious how I feel about it. So I began praying about it months ago. I’ve been preparing worksheets so my teaches could follow along taking notes in English, their second language. I’ve been working very hard to make it possible for them to learn and understand what this man is talking about. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, it would take a lot of extra effort on my part, but I strongly beleive this is something my teachers needed to learn!
Finally the day arrived! I was nervous, but God was telling me it would be awesome! I took him at his word.
About an hour before I was due to leave for Manzini, I started to gather up all of my materials.
Where’s the projector?
This is where it gets hairy. The projector had been lent out to someone in a different ministry. We called him. He had it, but couldn’t bring it to the office because his wife had the car. So we went to him. He gave us the projector but then realized the cords were not in the bag. So we had to drive to the main house across town where the projector had been used. Couldn’t find them.
I was starting to get a bit frustrated/panicy/ discouraged. I realized it was opposition. I just started praying, “Lord, if you want these teachers to see this today, which I believe you do, You have to do something! You have to fight on my behalf because there’s nothing I can do! You can do it, it’s not too big for you. Let those cords be found!” (I remembered a devotional I read once there they suggested reversing your common prayers. Instead of saying , ‘God this is my problem’, you can say ‘Problem, this is my God.’)
Within minutes, he came around the corner of the house with one cord. “It must have fallen out of the bad. It was in the back yard in the dirt.”
Ha HA. One down, on to go! We went back to his house to borrow the cord he had and when he went inside, he found our cord! Yea
Now you think that’s the end of the story right? Nope. We made it to Manzini ½ hour late and I began to set up. Even though we had all of the cords, and I pushed all of the right buttons, the projector would not work. I’d done it before, I knew how to do it, the projector just refused.
But some of the teachers had already arrived and were sitting together singing praise songs in Siswati and praying softly. And before you knew it, the projector gave it, and worked! It was soo cool.
As we got started, I shared the stories and frustrations of the day with the teachers. I told them “There must be something important for you to learn today, if the Devil is working this hard to prevent it.” They all smiled and laughed, nodding knowingly.
We watched the first 2 lessons, talked about them, reviewed them, gave examples, and on and on until I was confident the teachers understood what he was teaching. And they responded so well!!!!!!! They were getting it. It was the light bulb moment!
It was sooo cool! And afterwards the teachers were thanking me, and encouraging me! I think they are excited about this too! There are 10 more lessons and I can’t wait to share it with them! Yea!
I was just walking on air for the rest of the day. It was awesome!
You know that when you are doing good, opposition will come?
Well knowing that Pastor Ron would be in the states for 3 months and unable to teach his bible class to my teachers, I’ve been praying about what to do instead.
I really wanted to do the Bait of Satan curriculum by John Bevere. (Now if you haven’t heard of that, so out and get it today! The book, the dvds, the cd…I don’t care get one of them. It will change your life! Especially, if you are thinking of leaving one church and going to another, read chapter 4 first!) Okay, I guess it’s obvious how I feel about it. So I began praying about it months ago. I’ve been preparing worksheets so my teaches could follow along taking notes in English, their second language. I’ve been working very hard to make it possible for them to learn and understand what this man is talking about. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, it would take a lot of extra effort on my part, but I strongly beleive this is something my teachers needed to learn!
Finally the day arrived! I was nervous, but God was telling me it would be awesome! I took him at his word.
About an hour before I was due to leave for Manzini, I started to gather up all of my materials.
Where’s the projector?
This is where it gets hairy. The projector had been lent out to someone in a different ministry. We called him. He had it, but couldn’t bring it to the office because his wife had the car. So we went to him. He gave us the projector but then realized the cords were not in the bag. So we had to drive to the main house across town where the projector had been used. Couldn’t find them.
I was starting to get a bit frustrated/panicy/ discouraged. I realized it was opposition. I just started praying, “Lord, if you want these teachers to see this today, which I believe you do, You have to do something! You have to fight on my behalf because there’s nothing I can do! You can do it, it’s not too big for you. Let those cords be found!” (I remembered a devotional I read once there they suggested reversing your common prayers. Instead of saying , ‘God this is my problem’, you can say ‘Problem, this is my God.’)
Within minutes, he came around the corner of the house with one cord. “It must have fallen out of the bad. It was in the back yard in the dirt.”
Ha HA. One down, on to go! We went back to his house to borrow the cord he had and when he went inside, he found our cord! Yea
Now you think that’s the end of the story right? Nope. We made it to Manzini ½ hour late and I began to set up. Even though we had all of the cords, and I pushed all of the right buttons, the projector would not work. I’d done it before, I knew how to do it, the projector just refused.
But some of the teachers had already arrived and were sitting together singing praise songs in Siswati and praying softly. And before you knew it, the projector gave it, and worked! It was soo cool.
As we got started, I shared the stories and frustrations of the day with the teachers. I told them “There must be something important for you to learn today, if the Devil is working this hard to prevent it.” They all smiled and laughed, nodding knowingly.
We watched the first 2 lessons, talked about them, reviewed them, gave examples, and on and on until I was confident the teachers understood what he was teaching. And they responded so well!!!!!!! They were getting it. It was the light bulb moment!
It was sooo cool! And afterwards the teachers were thanking me, and encouraging me! I think they are excited about this too! There are 10 more lessons and I can’t wait to share it with them! Yea!
I was just walking on air for the rest of the day. It was awesome!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
My (un)lucky 7
These are my babies at Moneni" Bobo, Sihle, Mpumelelo, Mandisa, Maluleki, Ntombikayise,and Ayanda. All 7 of them are graduating from our literacy program on December 1st. We will have a ceremonty with caps and gowns, they will read for their caregivers, and then we will take them for a celebration at a game park. Big fun!But after that.....
Only the two on the left, Bobo and Sihle are sponsored to continue on with their schooling at a local govenment school. The other 5 simply don't have the school fees.
While it's only about $1000 Emelengeni to attend for a year, the local wages for the cargivers are much lower than that, maybe $600E a month.
The teacher told me that in Bible club she asked for prayer requests. One of the carepoint children raised his hand and prayed that God would provide a way for him to continue his schooling.
It breaks my heart.
Unity
There’s not I remember from my college physics class. I remember why gravity works, why popcorn pops, and that British professors are cute. And there was something about the power of water as it travels through pipes. I don’t remember the formula, but it had to do with the circumference of the pipe and the velocity of the water, and probably force or something too. But this part I remembered clearly. No matter how powerful the water was at the beginning, if you split the pipe into 2, the power was lessened. And the more times the pipe split, the weaker it became. (But don’t worry, the professor’s cuteness was always a constant factor, no matter how weak the force was.)
God told the Isrealites to create a tabernacle where he could come and dwell among his people. And he gave them very specific instructions.
Most times, I just kinda skim through them . They always seem tedious and boring. However this time I actually paid attention.
Do you know what I saw there? Repetition, and a focus on unity.
For example, the instructions for making a lampstand:
Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. The entire lampstand and its decorations will be one piece – the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and blossoms. 32 It will have six branches, three branches going out from each side of the center stem. 33 Each of the six branches will hold a cup shaped like an almond blossom, complete with buds and petals. 34 The center stem of the lampstand will be decorated with four almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 35 One blossom will be set beneath each pair of branches where they extend from the center stem. 36 The decorations and branches must all be one piece with the stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. 37 Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. 38 The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. 39 You will need seventy-five pounds F48 of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories. 40 "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.
Every part is to be one piece, and set to reflect their light forward. And he adds at the end “Be sure to make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” (emphasis mine) and goes on to give more instructions for the tabernacle, often using the phrases, “forming a single unit” “making it a single unit,” and “made of one piece”
Now I’m no trying to create a whole new doctrine of these chapters, but I think it’s interesting that God requests unit from his people, even in the seemingly mundane details.
Why?
There’s strength and power in unity.
God told the Isrealites to create a tabernacle where he could come and dwell among his people. And he gave them very specific instructions.
Most times, I just kinda skim through them . They always seem tedious and boring. However this time I actually paid attention.
Do you know what I saw there? Repetition, and a focus on unity.
For example, the instructions for making a lampstand:
Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. The entire lampstand and its decorations will be one piece – the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and blossoms. 32 It will have six branches, three branches going out from each side of the center stem. 33 Each of the six branches will hold a cup shaped like an almond blossom, complete with buds and petals. 34 The center stem of the lampstand will be decorated with four almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 35 One blossom will be set beneath each pair of branches where they extend from the center stem. 36 The decorations and branches must all be one piece with the stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. 37 Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. 38 The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. 39 You will need seventy-five pounds F48 of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories. 40 "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.
Every part is to be one piece, and set to reflect their light forward. And he adds at the end “Be sure to make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” (emphasis mine) and goes on to give more instructions for the tabernacle, often using the phrases, “forming a single unit” “making it a single unit,” and “made of one piece”
Now I’m no trying to create a whole new doctrine of these chapters, but I think it’s interesting that God requests unit from his people, even in the seemingly mundane details.
Why?
There’s strength and power in unity.
Monday, November 05, 2007
'Cup team
Children's cup has had a video team here this week in Swaziland. Now of course all of these people in the photo aren't here, but this is the picture I have from my Baton Rouge visit. Vicki ( green shirt) Ty (black shirt) and Emily and Vincent (not shown). Of course I'm here and Patrick (white shirt).
But you know what? I've loved having them here. While on the surface it's been no different from any other "team" I know they are "one of us." They are doing their thing back in the states to make what we do here possible. I can't tell you how important our state side staff is in supporting us here.
So I appreciate them, and have enjoyed seeing their smiling, and exhaused faces. They're off to Mozambique now. Go well friends.
HOT!!!
It's hot here in Mbabane today! it will reach 91, so I dread going down to Manzini.
Satan might show up and ask us to turn down the heat.
Satan might show up and ask us to turn down the heat.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
frustration
How do you spell it?
Recklace
Recless
Wrecless
Holy crap! I really can’t picture the word in my mind to save my life? What is wrong with me? And I can’t figure out how to use the dictionary on Windows Vista. How can I write this blog post is I can’t figure out how to spell the word? It’s so far off, the spell check doesn’t even recognize what I’m trying to spell.
Forget it. I’m picking a new word.
Y’all I dun got dummer heyer in Afrikka.
Recklace
Recless
Wrecless
Holy crap! I really can’t picture the word in my mind to save my life? What is wrong with me? And I can’t figure out how to use the dictionary on Windows Vista. How can I write this blog post is I can’t figure out how to spell the word? It’s so far off, the spell check doesn’t even recognize what I’m trying to spell.
Forget it. I’m picking a new word.
Y’all I dun got dummer heyer in Afrikka.
Thinking outside of the par-a- dig-m.
Africa does funny things to your mind. It changes your perspective on what is “proper”, what is
acceptable. We had a game night on Wed, and the hostess served Easter shaped sweet tarts that someone sent from the states a while back. Isn’t that funny? Would you ever serve Easter candy at Halloween? Of course not. It would be “old” and therefore gross, and your guests wouldn’t want to eat it.
But we were very excited to have sweet tarts. No one cared.
I’ve seen partially used bottles of Bath and Body given as a gift, and the recipient being thrilled to have it! Ha Ha.
Last night, I invited a friend Jacci, to dinner. Since she lives in Manzini, we pre-planned that she would just stay with me last night and go home in the morning. (The Swazi don’t even drive in Manzini at night, so there is no way a white woman will.) Since I don’t have a guest room here, but I do have a proper double bed, she had to sleep with me. The funny thing is, neither of us even thought it was strange. It was just practical. It was kinda fun, talking until 1 am after the other guests had left and then just falling asleep. This morning I thought to myself, “I’m 30 years old, and I just had a slumber party.”
What a riot! You just wouldn’t do those kind of things in the states, but here, it’s second nature. No one thinks twice about it.
I love it. I love the freedom of doing what’s enjoyable, fun, realistic, and rational, instead of what is “proper”.
So I give you permission to abandon all sense of “how you should do thing.”
If it tastes good, eat it, no matter what shape it is. Give a gift you know someone will love, even if you used a bit. Sleep with whoever you want…err. No wait, that didn’t sound right. But you know what I mean.
Live Life! Love Life! (I saw that on a t-shirt here. I’m adopting it as my new motto)
Written Sunday
Did you ever watch that show Sliders? You know the one where you discovered an older, slimmer, much cuter Jerry O’Conner? Or O’Connell, or whatever his name is. You know the chubby kid, Vern, from Stand By Me? Anyway in each episode they were in a parallel universe. And that’s how I feel lately. I feel like I’m existing in a world that’s operating day to day, and once in a while I can look through the window back into the life that I experienced for so many year.
On my homepage, yahoo, they listed the top scary movies.
So? I thought, why would they do that?
Duh, Halloween is in 3 days. This entire month has slipped by and I didn’t even realize it. Without a Wal-Mart full of costumes, and grocery stores with isle after isle of candy, I didn’t even realize it was Halloween. I started thinking about my former students, the fun activities we did in the fall, and how I would decorate the classroom and my home.
But not this year.
Somewhere on the other side of the world, my mom has a giant pot of mums blooming, children are carving pumpkins, friends are having movie night with scary film, and my dad has bought 6 bags of candy using the excuse of trick-or-treaters, although we never have one at the house.
And one more I discovered just this instant. My microwave clock says 7pm. My parallel universe computer clock says 6pm.
Y’all had daylight savings time today, didn’t you?
Nope. Not here.
It’s such a strange feeling. Life is going on without me, while living a life here.
On my homepage, yahoo, they listed the top scary movies.
So? I thought, why would they do that?
Duh, Halloween is in 3 days. This entire month has slipped by and I didn’t even realize it. Without a Wal-Mart full of costumes, and grocery stores with isle after isle of candy, I didn’t even realize it was Halloween. I started thinking about my former students, the fun activities we did in the fall, and how I would decorate the classroom and my home.
But not this year.
Somewhere on the other side of the world, my mom has a giant pot of mums blooming, children are carving pumpkins, friends are having movie night with scary film, and my dad has bought 6 bags of candy using the excuse of trick-or-treaters, although we never have one at the house.
And one more I discovered just this instant. My microwave clock says 7pm. My parallel universe computer clock says 6pm.
Y’all had daylight savings time today, didn’t you?
Nope. Not here.
It’s such a strange feeling. Life is going on without me, while living a life here.
Friday, October 26, 2007
One for my dad...
Don't know why I was surprised, after all, orchids come from Africa. But when I saw these lining my drive way I was so excited! It's like the way you have daffodils in the states. With teh rain and warm weather they just appeared out of no where.
So I shot this for my dad. He loves flowers and growing them. When we went to hawaii a friend had told him, "Don't just shoot a flower. You have to put a person in the picture too." So everytime he saw a flower/tree/bush/plant he liked, he made me stand by it.
We have a lot of pictures of me, and hawaiian flowers.
Unfortunately, there was no one around when I shot this, so my appologies. It's just a picture of a flower, no person. :0(
"everything will be fine"
I got my microwave back! Fixed for Free! I took it to the repair shop and they told me it would be $450E for the Part and another $100E for the labor.
Ech
But they saw how new it was they asked if it was under warenty.
Of course it is, but I couldn't find the slip or the box (which is required here.) The manager sent me to the shop I bought it at (across the street) and in a book, they keep all of their registars, and I was listed on the first page.
Now I must repent. I complain about the lack of technology in Swaziland, but in this case, hand written recipts make a difference. The manager gave me a copy, and then filed the paperwork himself.
I got the call today, and took it home right away! While life was not that bad without it, I'm happy to have it back.
Not sure the lesson in all of this....but I had peace about it all. I guess I'm just suppose to learn that lightning stikes here, I should always keep my boxes, and modern technology isnt' always what it's cracked up to be. We can live well without it.
Ech
But they saw how new it was they asked if it was under warenty.
Of course it is, but I couldn't find the slip or the box (which is required here.) The manager sent me to the shop I bought it at (across the street) and in a book, they keep all of their registars, and I was listed on the first page.
Now I must repent. I complain about the lack of technology in Swaziland, but in this case, hand written recipts make a difference. The manager gave me a copy, and then filed the paperwork himself.
I got the call today, and took it home right away! While life was not that bad without it, I'm happy to have it back.
Not sure the lesson in all of this....but I had peace about it all. I guess I'm just suppose to learn that lightning stikes here, I should always keep my boxes, and modern technology isnt' always what it's cracked up to be. We can live well without it.
Okay, a week late but I can update you on the camp. It was a wonderful experience. Yes I slept horribly, and was dirty and tired, but I think it made such a difference to the teens that were there. They were so tickled that I came and slept over.
And you know watching them pray, sing, and dance I was so blessed. I thought to myself "this is so cool." It almost brought tears to my eyes. I love them so much!
And you know watching them pray, sing, and dance I was so blessed. I thought to myself "this is so cool." It almost brought tears to my eyes. I love them so much!
Here it is!
Okay, this is my baby,- the Chippie cottage! Not 100% finished, but it's coming along. My kitchen was too dirty to shoot, I don't have one of the living room yet, but here is the outside view, the dining room (I have to hang the mirror)and my bedroom. Yes that's a misquito net, but it's more for decoration than necessity, at least at this point. It's still not hot enough to sleep with the windows open. But to me, when it's down, it looks very "Africany"
Thursday, October 25, 2007
So it will make sense to you too...
I love my friend Lauren for many reasons.
She’s taught me that African pancakes (crepes) really are amazing with avocado and bacon, or that sweet bananas, onions and spicy curry really do go together.
She’s sweetly quirky.
“When I was a little girl, I use to love thunderstorms. I’d lie in bed listening, and get all warm and tingling inside. I’d think, ‘Yes! My God is that powerful!’”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m struggling.
How do you go on day after day on blind faith.
When you don’t see His hand working. When you don’t see an end in sight.
How do you continue on for one more day, when, honestly you don’t believe it will be just one more day.
That day will lead to the next, to the next, to the next.
“Behold! I do a new thing…”
But month after month, the test results are negative.
Months have turned to years and he still won’t speak to her.
Countless prayers for her, and she’s farther away from God than ever.
What do you do, when you realize that you're no longer surprised by the disappointment.
Your heart is right before the Lord, “But it’s been the same for so long...”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The thunderclap shook my house this morning… “I am that powerful!”
She’s taught me that African pancakes (crepes) really are amazing with avocado and bacon, or that sweet bananas, onions and spicy curry really do go together.
She’s sweetly quirky.
“When I was a little girl, I use to love thunderstorms. I’d lie in bed listening, and get all warm and tingling inside. I’d think, ‘Yes! My God is that powerful!’”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m struggling.
How do you go on day after day on blind faith.
When you don’t see His hand working. When you don’t see an end in sight.
How do you continue on for one more day, when, honestly you don’t believe it will be just one more day.
That day will lead to the next, to the next, to the next.
“Behold! I do a new thing…”
But month after month, the test results are negative.
Months have turned to years and he still won’t speak to her.
Countless prayers for her, and she’s farther away from God than ever.
What do you do, when you realize that you're no longer surprised by the disappointment.
Your heart is right before the Lord, “But it’s been the same for so long...”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The thunderclap shook my house this morning… “I am that powerful!”
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
A scary story with a happy ending
The other day we left our teacher's meeting at St. Paul. One of our teachers, Lungile couldn't find her son. She went throughout the carepoint, and then took other teachers throughout the community. They visited homesteads, and his little friends thinking perhaps he'd left with one of them. Finally a teenager came forward and told her he'd been picked up by the police and taken home.
so the next day I'd asked her about it.
She said he'd wandered out of the carepoint because he wanted her. He was trying to walk to St. Paul's to find her when the police picked him up. He said, "I want my mom" but had neglected to tell them she was just around the corner at the church. So the police took him to the store, bought him some food items and then took him all the way to his homestead, about 15 KM away. She said she walked into their house frantic, and he stood there all smiles.
"Look momma I have food for us!" He was the little man of the house.
So sweet. It's also nice to hear a good story about the police here.
so the next day I'd asked her about it.
She said he'd wandered out of the carepoint because he wanted her. He was trying to walk to St. Paul's to find her when the police picked him up. He said, "I want my mom" but had neglected to tell them she was just around the corner at the church. So the police took him to the store, bought him some food items and then took him all the way to his homestead, about 15 KM away. She said she walked into their house frantic, and he stood there all smiles.
"Look momma I have food for us!" He was the little man of the house.
So sweet. It's also nice to hear a good story about the police here.
One for Miss Jean!
This is a jacaranda tree near our Makholweni carepoint. Isn't it beautiful? Most of the blossoms are gone now, but it was soo cool to drive around Manzini and see purple trees throughout the landscape.
Say cheese!
Hey I finally got it to load!
So many of you commented that it was good to see a picture of me. So here is one of me, Lauren and Julia. You can see I'm healthy, and happy here in Africa
coming soon...
okay, I know I promised an update on camp. But I've been really busy. Please wait patiently. I'll get an update soon, possibly with picture ofChippie cottage as well
Friday, October 19, 2007
Camp
I’m going to youth camp today. You know, I wasn’t a Christian when I was a teenager, so I never went to youth camp. And I’ve certainly, never been to African youth camp, - so I think I’m in for a surprise. In my mind I’ve been thinking of bunks and cabins, but I know for a fact it’s nothing like that. I’ve heard “horror” stories from some of our other Americans who’ve attended in the past.
“It’s hot! You can’t shower. You have to sleep on the ground…” They usually just go home to sleep, bathe and return the next day.
At first I thought this sounded like a great idea, but as it’s approached, I’ve been feeling in my heart that I need to go and stay. How can I expect my teachers to do something I’m not willing to do? I’ve been to their houses, - they sleep in beds too. I’ve given them a good sniff, - they bathe everyday too.
In addition, many have husbands, and kids and extended families at home that they are leaving behind for a whole weekend, to love on these teens, serve them, teach them, etc.
In my “lead by example” approach, I feel it’s important for me to be there too. I’ve been fighting it, but this week I finally submitted to what the Lord is asking me to do. It won’t kill me to get skuzzy for a day or too. I will not melt in the heat, nor will I literally be eaten alive by mosquitoes. I’m just viewing it as camping. After all, I’ve already been asked to bring my own sponge (foam mattress) sleeping bag and dish to eat from. I’ve packed my sunscreen, bug repellant, and wet wipes to bathe with.
And do you know what? The past few days I’ve been getting a bit excited to go! I’ve never been to youth camp or even tried real “roughing it” camping before. Yea! I get to get dirty, and nasty, and eat food cooked on a fire. Not only that, I get to spend a night with the teenage girls from Moneni, who I have grown to love so much!
It’s funny how when you have a submissive attitude, God will bless you and change your heart. So, please pray for me this weekend at my first ever youth camp. I guess it’s never too late to start. But more importantly, pray for the 130 teenagers who will be there. Pray that they have “eyes to see and ears to hear”, that something will strike a chord in them. Pray they will have an “a-ha” moment or an “I get it now.” Pray that their hearts are changed and that their lives will be changed as a result.
“It’s hot! You can’t shower. You have to sleep on the ground…” They usually just go home to sleep, bathe and return the next day.
At first I thought this sounded like a great idea, but as it’s approached, I’ve been feeling in my heart that I need to go and stay. How can I expect my teachers to do something I’m not willing to do? I’ve been to their houses, - they sleep in beds too. I’ve given them a good sniff, - they bathe everyday too.
In addition, many have husbands, and kids and extended families at home that they are leaving behind for a whole weekend, to love on these teens, serve them, teach them, etc.
In my “lead by example” approach, I feel it’s important for me to be there too. I’ve been fighting it, but this week I finally submitted to what the Lord is asking me to do. It won’t kill me to get skuzzy for a day or too. I will not melt in the heat, nor will I literally be eaten alive by mosquitoes. I’m just viewing it as camping. After all, I’ve already been asked to bring my own sponge (foam mattress) sleeping bag and dish to eat from. I’ve packed my sunscreen, bug repellant, and wet wipes to bathe with.
And do you know what? The past few days I’ve been getting a bit excited to go! I’ve never been to youth camp or even tried real “roughing it” camping before. Yea! I get to get dirty, and nasty, and eat food cooked on a fire. Not only that, I get to spend a night with the teenage girls from Moneni, who I have grown to love so much!
It’s funny how when you have a submissive attitude, God will bless you and change your heart. So, please pray for me this weekend at my first ever youth camp. I guess it’s never too late to start. But more importantly, pray for the 130 teenagers who will be there. Pray that they have “eyes to see and ears to hear”, that something will strike a chord in them. Pray they will have an “a-ha” moment or an “I get it now.” Pray that their hearts are changed and that their lives will be changed as a result.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
It's worth repeating...
A few years ago I read Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller, and there is an amazing chapter about loving others. I posted an excerpt on my blog a year or so ago, but so many of you weren't reading yet. So it's worth repeating...
…The problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money...If somebody is doing something for us, offering us something, be it gifts, time, popularity, or what have you, we feel they have value, we feel they are worth something to us, and I and, perhaps, we feel they are priceless. I could see it so clearly, and I could feel it in the pages of my life. This was the thing that had smelled so rotten all these years. I used love like money. The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did.
The next few days unfolded like a thick line of melancholy thought and introspection. I used love like money, but love doesn't work like money. It is not a commodity. When we barter with it, we all lose. When they church does not love its enemies, it fuels their rage. It makes them hate us more.
Here's how it worked out on a personal level:
There was this guy in my life at the time, a guy I went to church with whom I honestly didn't like. I thought he was sarcastic and lazy and manipulative, and he ate with his mouth open so that food almost fell from his chin when he talked. He began and ended every sentence with the word dude.
"Dude, did you see Springer yesterday?" he would say. "They had this fat lady on there who was doing it with a midget. It was crazy, dude. I want to get me a midget, dude."
That's the sort of thing he would talk about. It was very interesting to him…regardless; I had to spend a good amount of time with him as we were working on a temporary project together. He began to get under my skin. I wanted him to change. I wanted him to read a book, memorize a poem, or explore morality, at least as an intellectual concept. I didn't know how to communicate to him that he needed to change, so I displayed it on my face. I rolled my eyes, I gave him dirty looks. I would mouth the word loser when he wasn't looking. I thought somehow he would sense my disapproval and change his life in order to gain my favor. In short, I withheld love.
…I knew what I was doing was wrong. It was selfish, and what's more, it would never work. By withholding love from my friend, he became defensive, he didn't like me. He thought I was judgmental, snobbish, proud, and mean. Rather that being drawn to me, wanting to change, he was repulsed. I was guilty of using love like money, withholding it to get someone to be who I wanted them to be. I was making a mess of everything. And I was disobeying God. I became convicted about these things, so much so that I had some trouble getting to sleep. It was clear that I was to love everybody, be delighted at everybody's existence, and I had fallen miles short of God's aim. The power of Christian spirituality has always rested in repentance, so that's what I did. I repented. I told God I was sorry. I replaced economic metaphor, in my mind, with something different, a free gift metaphor or a magnet metaphor. That is, instead of withholding love to change somebody, I poured it on, lavishly. I hoped that love would work like a magnet, pulling people from the mire and toward healing. I knew this was the way God loved me. God had never withheld love to teach me a lesson.
Here is something very simple about relationships that Spencer helped me discover: Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them.
If a person senses that you do not like them, that you do not approve of their existence, then your religions and your political ideas will all seem wrong to them. If they sense that you like them, then they are open to what you have to say.
After I repented, things were different, but the difference wasn't with my friend, the difference was with me. I was happy. Before, I had all this negative tension flipping around in my gut, all this judgmentalism and pride and loathing of other people. I hated it, and now I was set free. I was free to love. I didn't have to discipline anybody, I didn't have to judge anybody, I could treat everybody as though they were my best friend, as though they were rock stars or famous poets, as though they were amazing, and to me they became amazing, especially my new friend. I loved him. After I decided to let go of judging him, I discovered he was very funny. I mean really hilarious. I kept telling him how funny he was. And he was smart, quite brilliant; really, I couldn't believe that I had never seen it before. I felt as though I had lost an enemy and gained a brother. And then he began to change... It didn't matter to me whether he did or not, but he did. He began to get a little more serious about God. He gave up television for a period of time as a sort of fast. He started praying and got regular about going to church. He was a great human being getting even better. I could feel God's love for him. I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that it was God's; my part was just to communicate love and approval…
…The problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money...If somebody is doing something for us, offering us something, be it gifts, time, popularity, or what have you, we feel they have value, we feel they are worth something to us, and I and, perhaps, we feel they are priceless. I could see it so clearly, and I could feel it in the pages of my life. This was the thing that had smelled so rotten all these years. I used love like money. The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did.
The next few days unfolded like a thick line of melancholy thought and introspection. I used love like money, but love doesn't work like money. It is not a commodity. When we barter with it, we all lose. When they church does not love its enemies, it fuels their rage. It makes them hate us more.
Here's how it worked out on a personal level:
There was this guy in my life at the time, a guy I went to church with whom I honestly didn't like. I thought he was sarcastic and lazy and manipulative, and he ate with his mouth open so that food almost fell from his chin when he talked. He began and ended every sentence with the word dude.
"Dude, did you see Springer yesterday?" he would say. "They had this fat lady on there who was doing it with a midget. It was crazy, dude. I want to get me a midget, dude."
That's the sort of thing he would talk about. It was very interesting to him…regardless; I had to spend a good amount of time with him as we were working on a temporary project together. He began to get under my skin. I wanted him to change. I wanted him to read a book, memorize a poem, or explore morality, at least as an intellectual concept. I didn't know how to communicate to him that he needed to change, so I displayed it on my face. I rolled my eyes, I gave him dirty looks. I would mouth the word loser when he wasn't looking. I thought somehow he would sense my disapproval and change his life in order to gain my favor. In short, I withheld love.
…I knew what I was doing was wrong. It was selfish, and what's more, it would never work. By withholding love from my friend, he became defensive, he didn't like me. He thought I was judgmental, snobbish, proud, and mean. Rather that being drawn to me, wanting to change, he was repulsed. I was guilty of using love like money, withholding it to get someone to be who I wanted them to be. I was making a mess of everything. And I was disobeying God. I became convicted about these things, so much so that I had some trouble getting to sleep. It was clear that I was to love everybody, be delighted at everybody's existence, and I had fallen miles short of God's aim. The power of Christian spirituality has always rested in repentance, so that's what I did. I repented. I told God I was sorry. I replaced economic metaphor, in my mind, with something different, a free gift metaphor or a magnet metaphor. That is, instead of withholding love to change somebody, I poured it on, lavishly. I hoped that love would work like a magnet, pulling people from the mire and toward healing. I knew this was the way God loved me. God had never withheld love to teach me a lesson.
Here is something very simple about relationships that Spencer helped me discover: Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them.
If a person senses that you do not like them, that you do not approve of their existence, then your religions and your political ideas will all seem wrong to them. If they sense that you like them, then they are open to what you have to say.
After I repented, things were different, but the difference wasn't with my friend, the difference was with me. I was happy. Before, I had all this negative tension flipping around in my gut, all this judgmentalism and pride and loathing of other people. I hated it, and now I was set free. I was free to love. I didn't have to discipline anybody, I didn't have to judge anybody, I could treat everybody as though they were my best friend, as though they were rock stars or famous poets, as though they were amazing, and to me they became amazing, especially my new friend. I loved him. After I decided to let go of judging him, I discovered he was very funny. I mean really hilarious. I kept telling him how funny he was. And he was smart, quite brilliant; really, I couldn't believe that I had never seen it before. I felt as though I had lost an enemy and gained a brother. And then he began to change... It didn't matter to me whether he did or not, but he did. He began to get a little more serious about God. He gave up television for a period of time as a sort of fast. He started praying and got regular about going to church. He was a great human being getting even better. I could feel God's love for him. I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that it was God's; my part was just to communicate love and approval…
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