JOY AND GRATITUDE
The 2 words I used to describe the thrill and honor of being able to go to Africa even before we left. The same 2 words that describe how I felt every single day of the 5 weeks while in Africa. The same 2 words I would use to describe the way I still feel now, looking back at the amazing experience we had there.
The whole trip felt like a dream come true, finally meeting all the people and places we’d been praying for for so long! It was one continual high! Nonstop joy, truly. But it wasn’t just my own personal joy at being there (or watching my family’s joy at being there)…it was the joy of everyone around us. Pure joy. True joy. Deep joy. Not the superficial happiness we are used to seeing here in America; there is a big difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is situational and based on how we feel about our current circumstance. Joy is being “being happy whether you have much or little, knowing how to live on almost nothing or with everything” (Philippians 4:11-12). Like Paul, Christians in 3rd world countries have “learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether hungry or well-fed, whether in need or with plenty”. Talk to anyone who has been to Haiti or Indonesia or Honduras or, like us, Africa and has seen and felt the difference. We are missing out on so much here in the USA. People always think that 3rd world countries are depressing, but I can tell you that the US is the place that is depressing. Here we have everything, but can’t seem to find contentment, inner peace or joy, no matter how hard we chase after them. In 3rd world countries they have absolutely nothing (by our standards) but yet they are so full and so rich! Our Christian brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe, wake up each day full of contentment and gratitude, which is where true joy and inner peace are found.
God truly blessed us throughout the entire trip; the whole thing just went so smoothly! There wasn't one thing that was a struggle, or a challenge or an obstacle to overcome...it was a perfect fit for us! I feel like God had prepared my family for this trip our entire life! Any worries that I'd had in regards to my children before going, were a non-issue once we arrived. I was so proud and impressed of how well they did. Alea, my germ-a-phobe, stood there so graciously day after day letting the children run their fingers through her hair! She didn't freak out when she got wring worm on her arm from them constantly rubbing the light hair on her arms. She even ate with her fingers (African silverware)! Neither of my kids ever complained about the food and never once were even hungry (on the contrary, we were always full...the food is so starchy it just sits in your gut for hours!) We had so many boxes of leftover granola bars ("emergency snacks") at the end of the trip, we gave them away to the kids we sponsor (and Alea was worried they wouldn't last the whole 5 weeks). Jonas was Mr. Popularity....we would pull up in the van at the slum school and the kids would start chanting "Jonas, Jonas, Jonas....!" If you saw the pictures on this blog, you'll see how many times he was being carried around; I had to constantly tell them "He's 8, he can walk!") My little social butterfly just thrived in that environment and made so many new "best friends".
As far as safety issues, we never once felt scared or unsafe. God definitely had a bubble of protection around Jonas! He drank water out of a broken pipe in the slums, fell out of a really tall avocado tree, had to climb inside every pig pen we passed, held chickens on top of his head, lived on top of the chicken coop (where the baby kittens had been born), was constantly chewing his fingernails (one of my big worries with dirty fingers always in his mouth!), sometimes forgot and
rinsed his toothbrush in the tap water, etc, etc, etc.
As far as health issues, go, God again protected us the entire 5 weeks. We were all full of energy and felt great! I was the only one that got a brief touch of diarrhea and it was no big deal at all. It wasn't until the last 3 days (as you saw on the post) that I got really sick with some stomach bug. Even though I was really miserable (especially that 12 hr flight home), I don't even want to count it because it was after we were done with all our work there, we had accomplished all we'd set out to do, we had already brought closure and said goodbye to our kids, so it didn't take anything away from the trip. I'm so grateful that it was only when we were on safari and not with the kids we sponsor. God was soo good to us on this trip!
Everywhere we went, we met such amazing people! The other mazungu (white people) who were there as full time missionaries all had such awesome stories to tell of how God brought them to this place. And let me tell you, they were full of joy as well, because they were living in the peace of God's perfect will for their lives! They were obedient to the call He placed in their hearts and with obedience comes joy! They were completely content with all they "gave up" and "left behind" because there is no trade off for the blessings God lavishes on us when we are in His will. All the nationals (native countrymen) that were pouring their lives into these ministries, so sacrificially but with such joy and commitment to the kids. Stellar human beings, such an honor to meet them all and serve along side them for a brief time! The fellow Americans that we served alongside on both of our teams, each with a servant's heart, all sharing the same deep love for these kids! I LOVE meeting other people, being encouraged by their stories, hearing what God is doing in their little corner of the world (our teams had people from ND, SD, PA, IL, MD). It was so refreshing to be with other like-minded people who share many of the same passions we do. Our group devotions and early-morning Bible Studies were such a sweet time of fellowshipping around God's Word. And of course we had lots of laughter and fun serving together doing skits (fake beards...need I say more?), games (blog tag, hook-up tag, trying to explain to Africans how to play kickball by using your hands to throw the ball, not just feet), doing silly stuff with the kids, deep heart-to-heart talks on the long bumpy van rides as well as goofy "bus games" to pass the time. My heart was soo blessed by how both teams welcomed our children so readily and incorporated them in such a sweet way; Jonas and Alea truly were a part of each team (not just along for the ride).
The 2 words I used to describe the thrill and honor of being able to go to Africa even before we left. The same 2 words that describe how I felt every single day of the 5 weeks while in Africa. The same 2 words I would use to describe the way I still feel now, looking back at the amazing experience we had there.
The whole trip felt like a dream come true, finally meeting all the people and places we’d been praying for for so long! It was one continual high! Nonstop joy, truly. But it wasn’t just my own personal joy at being there (or watching my family’s joy at being there)…it was the joy of everyone around us. Pure joy. True joy. Deep joy. Not the superficial happiness we are used to seeing here in America; there is a big difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is situational and based on how we feel about our current circumstance. Joy is being “being happy whether you have much or little, knowing how to live on almost nothing or with everything” (Philippians 4:11-12). Like Paul, Christians in 3rd world countries have “learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether hungry or well-fed, whether in need or with plenty”. Talk to anyone who has been to Haiti or Indonesia or Honduras or, like us, Africa and has seen and felt the difference. We are missing out on so much here in the USA. People always think that 3rd world countries are depressing, but I can tell you that the US is the place that is depressing. Here we have everything, but can’t seem to find contentment, inner peace or joy, no matter how hard we chase after them. In 3rd world countries they have absolutely nothing (by our standards) but yet they are so full and so rich! Our Christian brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe, wake up each day full of contentment and gratitude, which is where true joy and inner peace are found.
God truly blessed us throughout the entire trip; the whole thing just went so smoothly! There wasn't one thing that was a struggle, or a challenge or an obstacle to overcome...it was a perfect fit for us! I feel like God had prepared my family for this trip our entire life! Any worries that I'd had in regards to my children before going, were a non-issue once we arrived. I was so proud and impressed of how well they did. Alea, my germ-a-phobe, stood there so graciously day after day letting the children run their fingers through her hair! She didn't freak out when she got wring worm on her arm from them constantly rubbing the light hair on her arms. She even ate with her fingers (African silverware)! Neither of my kids ever complained about the food and never once were even hungry (on the contrary, we were always full...the food is so starchy it just sits in your gut for hours!) We had so many boxes of leftover granola bars ("emergency snacks") at the end of the trip, we gave them away to the kids we sponsor (and Alea was worried they wouldn't last the whole 5 weeks). Jonas was Mr. Popularity....we would pull up in the van at the slum school and the kids would start chanting "Jonas, Jonas, Jonas....!" If you saw the pictures on this blog, you'll see how many times he was being carried around; I had to constantly tell them "He's 8, he can walk!") My little social butterfly just thrived in that environment and made so many new "best friends".
As far as safety issues, we never once felt scared or unsafe. God definitely had a bubble of protection around Jonas! He drank water out of a broken pipe in the slums, fell out of a really tall avocado tree, had to climb inside every pig pen we passed, held chickens on top of his head, lived on top of the chicken coop (where the baby kittens had been born), was constantly chewing his fingernails (one of my big worries with dirty fingers always in his mouth!), sometimes forgot and
rinsed his toothbrush in the tap water, etc, etc, etc.
As far as health issues, go, God again protected us the entire 5 weeks. We were all full of energy and felt great! I was the only one that got a brief touch of diarrhea and it was no big deal at all. It wasn't until the last 3 days (as you saw on the post) that I got really sick with some stomach bug. Even though I was really miserable (especially that 12 hr flight home), I don't even want to count it because it was after we were done with all our work there, we had accomplished all we'd set out to do, we had already brought closure and said goodbye to our kids, so it didn't take anything away from the trip. I'm so grateful that it was only when we were on safari and not with the kids we sponsor. God was soo good to us on this trip!
Everywhere we went, we met such amazing people! The other mazungu (white people) who were there as full time missionaries all had such awesome stories to tell of how God brought them to this place. And let me tell you, they were full of joy as well, because they were living in the peace of God's perfect will for their lives! They were obedient to the call He placed in their hearts and with obedience comes joy! They were completely content with all they "gave up" and "left behind" because there is no trade off for the blessings God lavishes on us when we are in His will. All the nationals (native countrymen) that were pouring their lives into these ministries, so sacrificially but with such joy and commitment to the kids. Stellar human beings, such an honor to meet them all and serve along side them for a brief time! The fellow Americans that we served alongside on both of our teams, each with a servant's heart, all sharing the same deep love for these kids! I LOVE meeting other people, being encouraged by their stories, hearing what God is doing in their little corner of the world (our teams had people from ND, SD, PA, IL, MD). It was so refreshing to be with other like-minded people who share many of the same passions we do. Our group devotions and early-morning Bible Studies were such a sweet time of fellowshipping around God's Word. And of course we had lots of laughter and fun serving together doing skits (fake beards...need I say more?), games (blog tag, hook-up tag, trying to explain to Africans how to play kickball by using your hands to throw the ball, not just feet), doing silly stuff with the kids, deep heart-to-heart talks on the long bumpy van rides as well as goofy "bus games" to pass the time. My heart was soo blessed by how both teams welcomed our children so readily and incorporated them in such a sweet way; Jonas and Alea truly were a part of each team (not just along for the ride).
My favorite times in Africa and best memories from the 5 weeks, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was corporate worship. Nothing can describe the level of my heart's own personal worship at being able to worship alongside the 10 kids we'd prayed for for so long and actually hearing their voices sing praises to our Father, singing along with the CD at Kids Club in the slums and watching them do the sign language for several of the songs, the 50 kids at Firs Love singing at the top of their lungs and dancing their little hearts out with such sincere passion!
LOVE The other word that comes to mind as I reflect on our trip. The other thing our African brothers and sisters in Christ are so full of. The love in Africa runs so deep…. that’s the only way I know how to describe it. It’s such a pure, sincere love; nothing artificial or surface-level about it. The love they have for their Creator, the love they have for each other and the love they had for us! The love that we already had for the 10 kids we'd been sponsoring, was only intensified now that we have played, ate, laughed, sang, hugged, prayed and worshipped with them! Just to be able to hear each of their voices is truly a gift! The letters we write them from here on out will never be the same, now that we know them so well!
Then the 6 new kids we fell in love with in Kenya...what a gift! Of course we fell in love with all the children there, but these 6 are so special to us! We hadn't planned to sponsor more kids, but it just happened! It wasn't even a conscious choice or a decision that we even discussed or prayed about....we KNEW that God strategically placed these 6 in our hearts for a reason! We don't even know which came first...they chose us, we chose them? All we know is that they are in our hearts forever!
I can't describe the depth of the bond that we have with all of our 16 African children (and young men and young ladies)...they are truly our family!!! We are blessed beyond measure to have them in our lives!
So if you ask me "what was the highlight?" I undoubtedly say: the people....old friends and new that we spent time with along the way. The LOVE of Christ that binds us as one big family! The JOY of being together. What sticks with me and what still floats around my mind, even now over a month later? The faces (all the sweet smiles of those we hold dear, across the ocean) and the songs...I can't get them out of my head. You know how hearing a song, takes you right back to that moment? We will never hear those songs again without breaking into tears....the songs we led for Kids Club in the slums, the songs we sang and danced to during worship every night at First Love in Kenya, the songs we sang for devotions with the different family groups at New Hope Uganda. The songs we'll all be singing together for ETERNITY in heaven!!! :)
LOVE The other word that comes to mind as I reflect on our trip. The other thing our African brothers and sisters in Christ are so full of. The love in Africa runs so deep…. that’s the only way I know how to describe it. It’s such a pure, sincere love; nothing artificial or surface-level about it. The love they have for their Creator, the love they have for each other and the love they had for us! The love that we already had for the 10 kids we'd been sponsoring, was only intensified now that we have played, ate, laughed, sang, hugged, prayed and worshipped with them! Just to be able to hear each of their voices is truly a gift! The letters we write them from here on out will never be the same, now that we know them so well!
Then the 6 new kids we fell in love with in Kenya...what a gift! Of course we fell in love with all the children there, but these 6 are so special to us! We hadn't planned to sponsor more kids, but it just happened! It wasn't even a conscious choice or a decision that we even discussed or prayed about....we KNEW that God strategically placed these 6 in our hearts for a reason! We don't even know which came first...they chose us, we chose them? All we know is that they are in our hearts forever!
I can't describe the depth of the bond that we have with all of our 16 African children (and young men and young ladies)...they are truly our family!!! We are blessed beyond measure to have them in our lives!
So if you ask me "what was the highlight?" I undoubtedly say: the people....old friends and new that we spent time with along the way. The LOVE of Christ that binds us as one big family! The JOY of being together. What sticks with me and what still floats around my mind, even now over a month later? The faces (all the sweet smiles of those we hold dear, across the ocean) and the songs...I can't get them out of my head. You know how hearing a song, takes you right back to that moment? We will never hear those songs again without breaking into tears....the songs we led for Kids Club in the slums, the songs we sang and danced to during worship every night at First Love in Kenya, the songs we sang for devotions with the different family groups at New Hope Uganda. The songs we'll all be singing together for ETERNITY in heaven!!! :)
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