“It’s like he’s in the Mafia”

One of the main reasons I was drawn to North Africa was because of their huge need for healing and restoration. It was not in my goals this month to begin facilitating work in this direction of counseling, being as I have only been here for 4 months. However, it appears as though God would have it otherwise. I was informed that there was a “Trauma Healing” focus group of people gathering from all over the southern part of the country in the capitol and I was invited to attend.

I was very happy to attend, thinking that I would just be making contacts for future work and learning what was currently going on in this area. Not accurate my friends J

Apparently there is some funding available to train and counsel people who have been affected by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army. There is a movie that came out about it: Machine Gun Preacher, you should watch it). My town is one of the areas that has been affected heavily by this group, so we have the opportunity to send 3 people for 'trauma healing’ training in Rwanda. I was informed before the meeting began that I should be the facilitator for my town, if I was willing. This project would entail myself and the trainees meeting together on a regular basis to discuss and to implement the truths learned in the training over the course of the next year.

Then the 3 facilitators divided up and met with people attending this meeting who were working in their specific town. Guess how many people, out of the 25 attendees, were working in my area?

None. Nobody. A big fat zero. Eh! How does this always happen?? Sometimes I think “There is nobody in my town!!” Zol tani mafii. And the training began in a month. So I had a month to find 3 good, responsible, representatives in my area. And get them a passport, which apparently is next to impossible to get. Bah, good luck Leah! Well, actually I had 2 weeks, because I would be out of the country for the first 2 weeks….

So when I got back to my town, one door was already shut. I had a lead on a few people; and by that I mean I had their names but no way of contacting them. I literally went around just asking people if they recognized either of the names I had written down…. No shame, no shame here folks!

After searching for a bit, I finally found someone who knew one of the people. “My daughter knows him, I will get his number, call him and then send him to your house today. Is this good??” Well, of course in theory it sounded perfect. But I was skeptical…. I just kept praying that God would send the right people. Soon, 6pm came around and I had heard nothing from 3 friends who said they would help find my mystery people. So much for my mafia man....

The next blog will tell the conclusion of my search party ;)

Bathing with Bees!

Now, there are many things that I have done here that I never thought I would do… this is something I love about living in new places and about the adventurous spirit of God. The Bishop asked me to travel with him to some villages where the MK people were so that I could meet all of these people and encourage them as well. Being so far away, they often feel that they are forgotten (and in all honesty often do get neglected). I wish so much that you could see their smiles and hear their voices. Ah! I just wish everyone could be a part of showing these people who God is…. Wait: You are, thank you! J

You should know that this trip consisted of traveling 60 miles. In 5 hours. I’ll let you do the math and see how fast we traveled ;) On the way there we had men jumping out of the Land Cruisers with machetes to chop down trees that were blocking the paths. Now, to be fair, this was my first trip out to the ‘deep bush’ in Africa. But I think the people that I went with were a bit overly concerned about me… “Would it be too hot? Would she eat the food? What about traveling on the rough road? Would she be able to sleep? Will we have to take her back like we did the other kawaijaa (white person)?” They were so funny.

They have no idea what I lived through in South America, how hot it is in Texas, nor do they know about the games I play in my mind to psych myself up to eat some of the food (peanut and ant sauce, fish eyes anyone??). One thing did throw a twist: there was so little water around that the basins filled with water to bathe were surrounded by bees. It’s true; this week's title is not a metaphor my friend! I must admit that one time I did bathe, and the other time I only pretended to bathe because there were so many bees around! Eh! I have been attacked by bees before and it is not something I care to relive.

What it all comes down to is the Lord has prepared and formed me for this task. It is always amazing to see how little it has to do with me- it’s all Him. He has given me his heart for these people...and I pray he is showing you his heart for these people as well!

You know, these people have been waiting over 5 years to see progress with the translations in their language….  Next month we will have 3 freshly translated books to distribute and teach with. In April we will finish another 2 books. We sent 2 of their youth to a vocational school and we will begin training a lady in transcription next week.  It is amazing to see the progress…humbling to see how the Lord answers the prayers of his people. Thanks be to God!

 

Rest and Relaxation?!?

Hah! Life is funny. So at the 3 month mark of the first year in North Africa, my organization requires that we take a week of R&R so that we don’t go insane and never come back ;) The retention rate here is less than fabulous. 

As much as I would like to say “Eh, I don’t need that” by mid January I could tell that the time was quickly approaching where I was going to start screaming. I was grateful for a little ‘space.' Here in North Africa I am constantly bombarded with requests (Can you teach me computer? Can you give me X amount of money? When will I see you? Help my family with X? Can you give me a job? Etc, etc), with projects (vocational schools, trainings, meetings, girls program, translations, learning Arabic, visitations), with men (can I visit you? Will you visit me? Marry me? Can I have your number? I love you. Etc etc). Everyone has expectations for me. And they are almost always not appropriate or possible. So having a break from the bombardment seemed like a good thing.

I am sure you can see where this is going…I have a good friend in Nairobi who I was going to stay with for this break. I was welcomed with open arms as my friend miraculously received a week off of work to be with me.... 

Don't let my smile fool you! This beach was not peaceful ;)

Nairobi is a huge city, as is Mombasa. Traffic everywhere. In the matatus I was squashed between people on a consistent basis. In Mombasa we were constantly bombarded with people “I can be your bodyguard.” “We will go dancing tonight, yes?” “Is that your real hair? It looks like Beyonce’s hair (what??!!)” “Buy this, come here.”  Etc etc.  Bahhhhh!! Leave me alone! My Kenyan friend got a small taste of what it is like to be a white lady :) 

My friends took great care of me and taught me how to navigate life in the big city. I cooked quesadillas for them (AND I made the tortillas from scratch! watch out world!) I never dreamed I would learn how to get from place to place by myself in Nairobi... but I did! It was good for me to get away and to be with a girl my own age. But the funny thing is that the Lord just confirmed once again how much I love where he has me in North Africa. Some people leave their break thinking "Eh, it is already time to go back??" But even as I travel around Africa, I want to return to my tukul and my friends in my town. Even though the rest of Africa has nothing good to say about my country, my heart is there. 


I will just have to learn to deal with all of the requests and expectations….and remember that HE is the one who moves and saves, not me :)