The "New Normal"

My teammate and I have consistently used the phrase “This is the new normal” and the other phrase we use quite a bit, complete with a smirk, is “My, look how far we've come!”

Would you like some examples of our new normal??!

* Going to the latrine with more than 10 cockroaches in it. *Before, if I saw one, I would run away* Well, sometimes you just can't run…

* Walking around in gum boots in the rainy season.  After returning from the latrine, Melinda warned me, “It’s kinda wonky to squat with the gum boots on.” Soon it was my turn to use the gum boots, and when I returned to the room, I said “Yes, it was a bit wonky. Agreed. BUT, they are much bigger than my flip flop, so I can kill more bugs when I step!!” It’s the little things in life that bring us joy…

* Since January my teammate and I have been living in a small room with most of our possessions. And we are just so hospitable, that we also allow mice to live with us.

* I purchased a stool which has proven to act as a great table (we put a bucket cover over it to be the ‘top’) and we sit on the floor on our mats (one of which the stupid mouse ate a big hole in!! I was NOT happy!) Who needs chairs and tables?

* Popcorn is a great meal.

* Having the desire to throw my phone across the room because the connection is so bad.

* Self diagnosis for medical problems. Everybody has monkey pox. Watch out ;)

*My watch broke, and I tried to repair it with electrical tape. 3 times. I finally gave up and have made peace with not knowing the time.

*Any road which is ‘passable’ is considered ‘not bad.’ It doesn’t matter if the average speed is 15 mph for 7 hours. The road is good if we made it. Agreed.

*Beans in a ‘to go’ plastic bag is a great meal. Beans in a bag. Someone can market that, come on!

*I believe that having an extra 10 pounds on you is good because you never know when you will get sick. Those extra pounds really help you when you are sick and not able to eat or keep anything in you. If you are already thin and you get sick, things can go from bad to very bad much quicker…

*Lukewarm drinks aren't awful. I used to not enjoy anything that wasn’t uber cold. Now I don’t mind. Of course, given the choice, I choose cold, but I don’t scorn the room temperature drinks.

* Land mines blowing up (controlled)  in town is normal. As are rocket launchers.

* Driving in the rain on the awful roads. I never wanted to drive at all, nonetheless in the rain in NA. Not a big deal anymore.

* When reading Romans 8, the part that now speaks the most to me is 18-39. Before it was 1-18.

But, thankfully, our new tukuls will be ready soon! We will actually have a tables and chairs. It will be like a palace ;) 

"What?! It's been 6 months??"

Why, hello!

So, yes I do realize that it has been about 6 months since I have posted anything. Shame on me! I am sorry. The good thing is that silence in this case has meant that the Lord has been doing so many things that it is hard to keep up! I have decided that I will do a "Year in Review" as is appropriate at the end of a year (only I am few weeks late with that...oops!). I will present you with the highlights of each month!

And then I will go in to more detail in the next posts...hopefully :)

Mode of Transport to the Capital

January:  Began the New Year biking to an MK village and preaching. Attended a “Trauma Counseling” convening meeting in the Capitol. There were specific funds to start up programs in areas heavily affected by the LRA. My town is one of those areas, and I was designated as facilitator for this new program. We also sent 3 Youth to a Vocational Training School in my area.

February: Began the hunt for 3 Nationals with whom to work on the Counseling Project (this was quite the adventure!) Sent them to Rwanda for their first round of training. Visited a remote MK village with the Bishop and met many new people; spoke and encouraged them. Continued to spend time with the refugees; the young girls taught me how to cook some of their dishes.

Distributing new MK Books!

March: Attended the MK language conference; distributed 4 new MK Books: Matthew, I John, James, and a Song Book!!! This was very exciting and encouraging for the people. Contacted the UNHCR to do an Emergency Assessment of the Refugees in my area. Met with my counseling team to plan our projects for the year!! Journeyed to the Capital for Administrative work - it was SOO hot!

April: We had our "Convening Session" for the Counseling Program. This means we invited the leaders from the Government, Churches, Schools, and other Community Associations and introduced the program to them. It's purpose was to show the need for Counseling in North Africa (Awareness) and it was an invitation to send their employees to the training. Rainy Season begun and I was able to sleep at night again ;) My colleague arrived and my days of being the only staff member in NA ceased!!

UNHCR meeting with the Refugees

May: The UNHCR made several visits to my town to begin work with the refugees; we partnered with a local church to help facilitate these meetings. We began our first training of counselors; we had about 18 people from numerous organizations attend. I visited one of our literacy classes in the bush to encourage and support them. 

June: Completed the First Step (a workshop) for Training Counselors!! The second step is field training and mentoring. Work continued with translating counseling materials into the local Arabic. We prepared for our first visitors from the States!

July: We welcomed our visitors!! They met all of the people I love in North Africa and were such a blessing :) We celebrated the country's First Birthday. I got malaria for the first time, bleh!! 

August: The refugees were officially registered with the Government; we partnered with local church to provide assistance to some of the refugees, as their number had more than tripled. We began planning our first "Trauma Counseling Group." It was decided to work with a group of Orphans at a school and also a village attacked by the LRA several times. We    finished the editing of an MK Storybook!

Europe- can you guess where?! 

September: We traveled to Uganda for Branch Meetings; we welcomed 3 new members to the country! We transitioned leadership within the Branch and I was asked to be the Assistant Director. I traveled to Europe to visit my family for my "One Year Anniversary" in North Africa! We also welcomed visitors from our Regional Africa Team to my town and they helped with many projects!!

October: Our "Counseling Groups" began!! We met with school administration, guardians, chiefs of villages, etc and everyone was very eager to begin!  This is the Second Step in training people- we had a group of about 7 people helping whom we were mentoring during these groups. I got a new roommate!

Activities with the Orphans Counseling Group

A Chief sharing his thoughts in the Counseling Group

November: Started working a lot on local Arabic translations of counseling materials. Began directing the writing of a "Counseling Storybook' for children in Arabic. Continued mentoring and working with the 2 "Counseling Groups." The MK Storybook arrived!! We planned literacy efforts in conjunction with the new book. 

Group of Young Women at the Camp

December: Our Counseling Groups finished!!  The participants were very receptive and I am excited to plan our follow up with them :) Traveled to the Refugee camp up North for new counseling projects with a team of people from SIL, the Seed Co, and the Bible Society. Spent some time in the Capital to try and get registrations complete. Spent Christmas with teammates in Kenya!

Whew!!! I imagine that you are exhausted after reading all of that. I am exhausted after living all of that ;-) 

But, my oh my!! This has been, hands down, the best year of my life. Praise the Lord for how he works in the heart of his people. 

"Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing to the Lord, all the world! 

Sing to the Lord and praise him! 

Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.

Proclaim his glory to the nations,

his mighty deeds to all peoples." Psalm 96

A Mourning of Celebration

The Mk people had been planning this celebration for weeks.

August 22. 10am. Be in attendance. Special offerings were taken up weeks before, duties divvied out, and people from all over the community were invited.This was the day that the MK people were given permission to meet together and worship in their own language- this what they call a yom kebiir, a big day.So Wednesday morning arrived and everyone was still busy with preparations and anxious for the celebration to begin.

However, as we have all learned, tragedy does not respect our plans. It comes uninvited, devastating all who dare to love. We received news that our main Elder, the man who was respected throughout the community, the man who represented the MK people before the government, the man who guided his people through years of war, suddenly died.

The morning of celebration took a turn. The leaders all met together to decide what must be done: Do they continue with the celebration, or cancel it to go to the mahaal bika where the elder’s body was moved to?

The decision was made to continue with the celebration- this is a day that they must remember and give thanks to God for; it is something that this late Elder also took great pride in. Yes, it must continue they determined. After the celebration was over, everyone would go together to the mahaal bika to see his body and remember him.

The celebration took place, even though it was a bit subdued. Our main translator spoke, and my heart was beating  with joy as I saw him sharing with his people. I was given the last speech of the day, and tried to speak in Arabic only :) 

Afterwards, we all continued to the place of mourning together. The clouds had become dark and there was rain falling on us as we walked …. somehow even the clouds knew it was now time to cover the sun and partake in the mourning...it just seemed appropriate.

Friends, what I witnessed next I will remember forever. It was one of those moments when the world seems to stop, and you experience the glory of the Lord in a way that is new. There was a huge crowd of people, all standing in the rain and mud. His body was surrounded by dozens of wailing women. Shortly after we arrived, a pastor took out the new MK Hymn book and told all those wailing to be silent for a mintue - it was time to sing a song to the Lord. He led a song in their language and temporarily their wailing turned into a song. This was followed by a different leader getting out the book of Matthew in the MK language, one of only 3 books of the Bible that have been translated and printed, and he read from chapter 25 to encourage the people. What a powerful thing to experience for the first time! Yes, I have seen them read this book in church, but never before have I seen them read it with spontaneity and urgency like this. The Lord is beginning to weave His word into their lives...

What a mix of emotions! Joy mingled with sorrow in my heart; sorrow at this great loss, yet joy at seeing how the Lord is speaking to these people in their heart language like never before.

What a merciful God we serve; that in the midst of tragedy, he speaks to our hearts, in our heart language. 

The Grandeur of God

 I want to share with you something that was so incredibly encouraging and humbling for me. This is an excerpt out of my journal while I was still living in the States and preparing to move to North Africa:

April 19, 2011

Matt 9:38 – Lord would you continue to send out workers to North Africa, with this organization or without – nationals or expats. Would you prepare the way for this trauma counseling worker – bring up someone over there who has a passion and a heart for trauma healing – a local that I could work hand in hand with. Let it be a passion within them that has been burning and provide a door that the Holy Spirit will open with resounding clarity. Let your presence be so evident in bringing us together and in this work.

Eh! When I read this 2 days ago my immediate response was humble praise. How amazing is a God who can take a Texan and give her a passion for healing the hearts of North Africans and bring her together with 2 nationals who fit the prayer she prayed to a “T”!

The 2 nationals that I am working with in this counseling initiative amaze me every time I am with them. These are the people that the Lord raised up. These are the people who have a passion burning deep within their hearts. Together we make an amazing team – and it is amazing because it is the Lord who brought us together, who gave us the same passion, who continues to teach and guide us.

We end our first counseling workshop tomorrow. I have to tell you, the enemy was all over the place. Between swollen feet, throwing up, hives, and dealing with intense administrative issues, these past 3 weeks have made it necessary for me to cling to the Lord! I am excited to see what the Lord wants to do with these people who went through the training! (On the other hand, I am not quite sure I am all that excited to see what will happen to me! ;)

I treasure moments like these when I get to see a small glimpse of the grandeur of God. You know, I used to associate that phrase with marveling at the beauty of God in his creation- looking at mountains and oceans.

Now he has shown me His grandeur in a different way: In how he orchestrates bringing people together to fulfill the desires of His heart. His Spirit gives us the prayers and his Hand brings them to pass. Praise Him!

Compare and Contrast

I remember being in school and being assigned ‘Compare and Contrast’ papers. This is a nod to those days and the thoughts that are in my mind about the differences between seasons here.

                   Dry Season                                                               Rainy Season

Produce Available: Bananas Onions Tomatoes Greens	Produce Available: Eggplant                 Tomato           Sweet Potatoes Cucumber              Okra                 Irish Potatoes Pineapple               Onion              Passion Fruit Mango                    Bananas          Greens Cabbage                 Papaya
Bug Situation: Eh, they are too miserable to move anywhere.	Bug Situation: They love the rain…. Many, many bugs come out and inside my tukul as well. Bleh! Imagine trying to bathe with jumping crickets around you. No Thank You. God Bless mosquito nets. There are tons of butterflies, snails, termites, centipedes, moths, spiders (I found one with her sack of eggs in a cup in my room! Bah!)
Weather: Over 100 degrees. Miserable, sweaty nights. Dust clouds. I have now invested in a battery operated fan. Too bad I didn’t have one this past season.	Weather: Rainy ;) With amazing thunder storms. Cooler temperatures. HUMID. It sometimes reminds me of Corpus actually.
Environment: Dry, brown grass. Dry leaves. Hazey from the burning of fields and trash. Along with the haze, it snows soot from all of the burning. There are ashes all over everything.	Environment: Snakes make appearances; big and small alike. There are flowers everywhere (which smell so good!),  green trees and vegetation as far as the eye can see! Birds chirping all over the place. In the morning they are your alarm clock along with the toads. It is Springtime in the Tropics J  Oh yeah, and bats. Tons of them. Disgusting.
Travel: This may be the one place where the dry season wins: the main roads are easy (ish) to travel on, and planes and helicopters are always able to fly. The grass is short so it also makes travel safer (people can’t hide in the tall grass)	Travel: The roads are pretty awful and takes much longer to travel anywhere by road. AND traveling by plane and helicopter depends on the rains and how stable the (dirt) landing strips are.
Sleeping: Hot. Still. Sleep with only a sheet beneath you and a bowl of water and towel beside you to cool you down. Often I would sleep with a damp cloth on me and couldn’t sleep through the night.	Sleeping: Often I get to fall asleep to the sound of rain; I use a blanket often. Pleasant nights. However, one had to be careful being outside after sunset because of the mosquitos. Wake up fully rested.

 

Some people say that they have a hard time deciding which they prefer: rainy or dry season. I, on the other hand, don’t have any problems deciding that I infinitely prefer the rainy season, even with all of the critters. Give me an umbrella, some gum boots and I am happy. Oh, and a mosquito net to keep the bugs away please.

Dry Season

Rainy Season

Roller Coaster

Well of course there are no real (or even fake) roller coasters here….. unless you consider the drives on the awful roads here as such ;)  However, I will contend that there are many days when I feel as though that is exactly what I am on. There are times when there is hope: you see progress, you understand things a bit more, and things that you didn’t dare hope for begin to unfold.  

Oh, but then there are the hours when it seems as though there is no way in the world anything can change. The problems are too deep, too numerous, and too painful. God, how does one even begin to tackle this ever illusive concept of “transforming lives?”

These past 4 weeks, for various reasons, have been tough if I am honest. The situation in the country right now is challenging. We can’t keep going down this same road. Things were never brilliant relationally between the North and South, but these past weeks have proved that things are quickly declining. We have refugees coming here in increasing number who are fleeing the various conflict areas.

But it’s different now.

I know their brothers and sisters. They have been to my tukul, I have shared meals on their compound, and I visit their shops. I talk with them often.  I see the hurt in their eyes and the strain that they are experiencing. I hear the questions of “What have we done so that God is punishing us?” My heart breaks with theirs….and truthfully, anger wells up within me as well. One of them commented to me “Thank you for listening to us. So many people just turn away because the situation is too difficult….”

I tell them it’s the strong coffee ;)

In the midst of the twists and turns on this roller coaster ride, I must learn to see as God sees and ask for the grace to move as He moves. I must always run to Him. I must learn that even though it is difficult, it is good to grieve with people.

But we do not grieve as those without hope. We do not grieve as those who do not know their Creator.  

Fear not friends, I am learning :)  God is merciful. I am keenly aware of what a privilege it is to be working here, and with joy I look forward to the ways in which he will move in and through me. In my most recent newsletter, I shared many of the victories that we have seen. Amazing things.This post is just an attempt to share some of the challenges that come along with the victories ;)

Lord, let your justice prevail! Move your mighty hand and protect your children. You are not a God who will be mocked. You are the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, the One True God.

Reveal Yourself. 

My love affair with the Capital

It really amazes me how I end up in the Capital just about every month. There must be something about the 115 degree weather (with no a/c), getting harassed by men, the filth, the bug bites, and the expense (a large house here rents for $36,000 USD a month- no joke folks) that I just can’t resist.

Mr. Crocodile

Or there is some sort of force out there that keeps pulling me back. I must admit though: every trip is an adventure. And I always remind myself that is what I love…. right? 

“That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

In theory at least. This week I am sick – there is mucus all over the place, I am sweating 24/7, I am not able to sleep because of the heat, I hear mechanical beeping noises outside my window at 4 am, and I had a severe allergic reaction to a mango. Hmmmm.

I am waiting for the stronger part of the equation to pull through right about now ;)

I digress….. back to my love for the capitol. I feel compelled to share a few positive things *gasp* about this city. I have some pretty great friends here now. One of which offers up her large house for me to stay in, her drivers to take me all over the city, and her expertize of the administrative maze that exists in this new country. She is a fabulous. She showed me the good places to eat (something other than tomatoes and onions??!!), stopped me from throwing things out the window in frustration, and took me to the Nile.

My stare off with the crocodile

Yes, that’s right folks. I think my love affair may be with the Nile actually. I told her at the beginning of the week that I wanted to swim in the Nile.

Her: “Leah, that’s disgusting. There are parasites, crocodiles, and who knows what else in there”

           Me: “Yes, yes I know. But it’s The Nile.....”

         But first there was work to do:

 *I applied for a new passport (long story): just FYI the US Embassy here is an embarrassment. Not because of the building, but because of how it treats its’ citizens. It gets 0 stars from Leah.

*I got an official driver’s license here: woohoo, watch out NA! It’s a good thing the roads are so bad I probably won’t go above 10 mph. *Note* the steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car…. well, not car-  it is a huge Land Cruiser actually… eeks!

*I also applied for a work permit (boy was that a wild goose chase!), did a ton of administrative research, got an internet modem to work, and signed up for an NGO forum.

And then I swam in the Nile ;) Yes, we saw a crocodile. It was a baby one. But we all know that where there is a baby, there is the momma hiding near….

Yes, yes. The Capital is disgusting and frustrating. But, thankfully this trip I discovered some fun things! 

I couldn't resist...
*Disclaimer- no I did not jump in right where the crocodile was!*

"Asiiaka"

So the MK people have a language conference every year where they gather together from all over the country. They celebrate new accomplishments, discuss current projects,  challenges, and plan for the future. There is an executive committee, commissioners, archdeacons, and villagers alike. Oh…. and one kawaijaa (white person). It is quite the event....This is where my supervisors have previously spoken, encouraged, and presented new projects.

And this year I was to be the lone representative: the childless young woman replacing the old, respected leader (good sentence, aye? ;) The chairman of the executive committee commented “Ah, we are used to your colleagues.  You are young.”

Yes, thank you kind sir for your observation. 

At some point, I know there were people thinking “Eh! We have been waiting 6 years for someone to come and help us, and this is who we get??”

Taking away the books on boda boda!!

But I am grateful for a God who moves in unexpected people. I learned the Africa style of question and answer sessions. The floor is opened with a topic and everyone is invited to comment or ask questions. Then, after about 10 people speak, you must answer all of their questions at once. It's a good thing I had a notebook and pen with me! So I played the role to the best of my ability: I gave several speeches, answered numerous questions, encouraged the people, troubleshot problems, planed for new projects, and reported on the status of current projects. After being here for only 4 months, this is my role? 

The only word that can describe this conference is surreal. Amazing, yes. Exhausting (from 9am till 7pm), most definitely. But surreal fits best.

The whole time I kept thinking, “How is it possible that I am here representing everyone, speaking in front of government officials, presenting 3 freshly translated books of the Bible, and encouraging this group of people whom everyone has labeled as ‘behind.’ How is it that I have the privilege to facilitate and bring things together and actually see progress?”

It speaks to me of how great our God is if he chooses to use me. It is one of those ‘out of body’ experiences if you will. I come to realize even more how little I have to do with anything, and how Mighty He is. I see how much he wants for his people to know him. His desire is great.

Everything went well; I was given the seal of approval from the man who told me I was ‘very young.’ I was also given a new name “Asiiaka” which means one who works in the garden. People now call me this in the market ;) I have more women coming up to me and talking to me than ever before. It’s lovely.

Oh, and it was at the end of this conference when a search party was sent out for me. We were supposed to end at 4, and it was 830 and I wasn't home yet. The phones weren’t working and it was dark and people at my compound were worried about me. So 4 people arrived to ‘rescue’ me ;) At least I know that people are concerned about me (Are you comforted Mom?) 

Some of the things we, as a team, have accomplished these past 4 months with the MK people are: translating, printing and distributing 3 new books of the bible and a song book; we sent 2 youth to a vocational school to gain life skills; we are training another youth to work with the translation project; and we have made some structural changes in the project so that we can move forward at an even quicker pace.

Once my colleague returns literacy efforts will be back in full swing.   

God is on the move.

My Life is a Circus!

I would like to share a few things that happened to me this past week:

* A little girl was named after me

* I had a search party sent out for me

* I was asked to represent a white person who came here 50 years ago. The people wanted to repent and ask for forgiveness for what they did to him. In a remote village. Can you imagine it? A huge group of Africans wailing in repentance before me. Uhhhhh…..The jury is still out on this one folks….

* I was given a new MK name: Asiiaka. It means one who works in the garden.

                       

* A friend thought it was appropriate to text me at 5:30 in the morning and tell me I looked wonderful the night before. 530 in the morning. Are you serious?

* I picked up 500 new MK books at the airstrip!! Woohoo!

* There is a brick making factory in my front yard

* I gave speeches in front of the commissioners of several cities

*  I met a girl named "Mosquito" wearing a Spiderman shirt ;)

* I got to eat green slime about 4 times

The invitation is out for anyone who wants to join the circus ;)

Part 2: It's like he's in the Mafia

And then at sundown a man shows up at my house. It was Donde!! It was him, one of my mystery people! And he is amazing. And helpful. And already has a heart for this ministry. So I met with him and his boss the next morning, which put me in contact with another group that I didn’t know about. I then solicited his boss to help me find a woman candidate, which I knew was a stretch. But I really, really wanted a woman to go and be trained. I kept praying. In the mean time I was also trying to get everything organized to send 2 people to a vocational school nearby. Visiting the school, looking at applications, making lists, getting in communication with the youth, getting information, etc etc.

And, just so you know, this whole time the cell networks are awful. The electricity and internet are off for the majority of the day because of lack of fuel for the generators because the North and South are in their perpetual dispute over oil. And it was as hot as Hades outside and there were constant dust clouds everywhere. Cheers!  J

The next day was very encouraged because I had 2 good candidates. And I was praying for a lady to appear. I texted my new favorite man Donde, to see if he had any updates on the 3^rd person. Well, he informed me that he and the lady were actually on their way to my house!!! Praise the Lord! Miraculous. You may not think that this is that big of a deal. But you would be wrong J Finding a woman who can speak good English, who is willing to commit to this without pay is like finding a needle in a haystack. Men are normally sent to trainings, even on behalf of women’s groups, because none of the women can understand the training.

I spoke with them and explained everything. I asked for their input and then left them with instructions to travel on a matatu on Sunday to go the capitol to get the ever illusive passport. But if they had any problems with our contact in the capitol they would not be able to get a hold of me because I was traveling to the bush where no communication was possible. It was all in the Lord’s hands at this point.

The same was true for my 2 youth I was sending to the vocational school. They had to leave on that same Sunday with everything they would need for the semester away from home. I put some of the MK people in charge of making sure the students had everything they needed and actually traveled to the school on Sunday because no late arrivals would be accepted. Once again, I would be in the bush when all of this was supposed to happen.

When I came back from the bush on Monday, I called to make sure all my people got where they needed to be. And, miracle of all miracles: both of my students were at the vocational school! The MK people had prayed for them, gave them advice, and sent them out as we discussed. AND both of my other people were in the capitol safe and met up with our contact no problem. Whew!! I tell you what…. He is mighty.

Amazing.

God knew what he was doing when he took me out to the bush while I thought I needed to be there to make sure everything happened.

He is the one who makes things happen. He is the mover. I am just the messenger.

Of course, this is only the beginning of these 2 projects ;)

“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 :) 

January 1, 2012: "Livin' on a Prayer Baby!"

I was invited to visit the village of one of my friends. It is about 10K from my house and I really wanted to go see and encourage the people there. So I thought “Eh, 10K isn’t that far, no worries! Plus, I know that Marsha has been out here before- so if she can ride there on a bike, I can too.”

Well…. This was no paved, relatively straight 10K journey....and as we began I noticed that my handlebars were acting funny - they were getting looser by the minute. We were riding up and down big hills, carrying our bikes overs streams, crossing on little logs and stones. We were crossing through brush on extremely narrow paths where there was grass taller than my head; and all the while the handlebars were still loose and shaky. Keep praying!

Well we finally arrived (in one piece Praise the Lord!) to my friend’s compound. Upon arriving my friend looked at me and said “So Leah, you are ready to preach this morning??” Now, naturally, nothing had been mentioned about this before. Nobody asked me to come visit their church AND to preach. However, you will be happy to know that I came prepared :)  **Always come with a sermon or speech in your pocket while visiting because it is inevitable that you will be asked to speak. It has never failed.** So I answered graciously “Ah, I am very happy to preach.” Keep praying.....

I was then invited into a hut for breakfast. They presented me with a huge plate of food: asiida, and something else that I couldn't identify. **I don’t ask because I have learned it is better to eat in ignorance than to allow the knowledge of what I am eating to gag me!** Now, church was supposed to begin at 10:30am but when we arrived not a soul was there- people were all drunk from the night before. SO, I was taken into another hut where I was fed another meal. Yes, 30 minutes after the huge breakfast I couldn’t finish I was required to eat more :)  About an hour later everyone had been rounded up from the community and there was a full church. The service went well and I shared my sermon “When God speaks in New Ways” and it was amazing to see the people listening. With over 75 adults 100 children in the room there was not a peep while I spoke.

After service I greeted everyone and their dog (or goat in this case) and was guided back to the hut where I sat with the elders and was fed another meal.Goodness gracious!! Soon after that I went outside to speak with the women and children. They are so lovely....and broken. I am beginning to learn that the common question is “When will you come back here?? When will you come visit us again??” Keep praying....

After about 5 men tried to fix my bike (no one was successful by the way), we returned back to my friend’s compound. We were chatting and as I was holding a baby it peed all over me (remember: no diapers here)! I was discreet and I don’t think anyone noticed. **Why be discreet you ask?? Because they probably would’ve made me bathe there and then use their clothes if they would’ve noticed (no thank you!).** Then they took me into the hut and guess what they gave me?? ANOTHER huge meal!! What??? 

 

As dusk was approaching, it was time to journey back (note: I learned that Marsha did travel here, but it was on a motorcycle, not a bike- joke’s on me ;)

Whew! And at last I made it home…. After having my skirt ripped off (did I forget to mention that??), traveling over 20K, jumping through rivers, preaching the Word, getting peed on….. After eating 4 huge meals in 6 hours,                    encouraging the people, playing with the children, and getting covered in dust – my heart was beyond happy. This is what I was made to do and I loved every minute of it. These people are in desperate need of encouragement and truth. And when they see the effort that I go through, I promise you- they listen. Even though I know that the effort I made was small compared to the effort they made in welcoming me….Even though I know my trials are nothing compared to theirs….the Lord gives me a voice that is strong. Keep Praying.....

Oh merciful God, hear the cries of your people! Let my life be a part of your answer. Let my life be a part of their song of reconciliation with You. Let my spirit draw people towards Yours. Let people see that you have remembered them and as a result praise your name. What a humbling and amazing task awaits all of us.