We are The Others

Today felt like we'd fast forwarded and went straight from Africa to Fiji. But no, the white sands and AMAZING turqoise water of Mbudya Island is a mere five minute boat ride off the coast of Dar. We were treated to this "locals' beach" with Gil & Amy (friends from the yesteryears of Ibex) and their new baby girl (Grace - 14 months old). It was her first boat ride - check her out in the lifejacket, it's fabulous - and Jason's first time snorkeling. The tide was super low, so we were hovering JUST over some amazing coral reefs with a great variety of fish that we would never be creative enough to design.

Leaving Kigoma

We head out this afternoon for Dar, and on Wednesday for Beijing ... yikes, life out of a backpack and in lots of airports again!

Please remember that for the next month and a half we will be in countries with less freedom than we enjoy. WHATEVER YOU WRITE ON E-MAILS OR COMMENTS CAN BE READ LIKE A POSTCARD. Thanks ...

O-oh

That's Moses' version of "Uh-oh" ...

Here's the deal - the last few morning we've woken up a bit chilly - in the 70's. And we're headed to China, where it will be in maybe the 20's.

Yeah, big fat "O-oh" to that.

A Memory To Savor

I remember in the classic “Parent Trap” movie when young Haley Mills smells her Grandpa’s smoking jacket so she can remember him whenever she smells peppermint and tobacco.

Well there aren’t a lot of smells I want to keep with me as we get ready to leave Africa, but there are sounds. This afternoon the youth leaders surrounded us to pray for the rest of our trip. The prayer started as a song. I sat there just wishing my brain could record their voices – the harmonies, the obvious sincerity. Heck, I cry when “normal” prayers are being offered on my behalf – hearing it sung took it up a notch. What the heck.

I doubt it’s really possible to recognize or express how different people impress your life, and usually the depths of those impressions aren’t apparent until later. But these youth definitely joined those ranks …

The gist of their song was this: Nothing can I trust, except the blood of Jesus. I don’t have good deeds that can clean my sin. On Jesus I can stand. That is my rock and my safety. If my way would be long, he would offer me salvation. If waves rock the boat, his power is my stand. His blood and sacrifice are what I depend on. If called to stand before the court, I don’t have a friend before Jesus. I have peace in my heart; I am not afraid before Him.

Asante Sana, Rafikis.

Greetings From a Delirious Friend...

So it’s been a while since I wrote a blog and Brooke has been on me to sit down and write so I’m just going to let things come as they do…

…Super Tuesday, February 6 Had the opportunity to see the Super Bowl , one of the neighbors here recorded it off of Satellite TV. SO I had to discipline myself not to look up Yahoo or ESPN for a few days. It was the first American Football Game I have seen in months and since the Colts won it turned out to be a good day J. The only bummer was that it was a copy from ESPN so we didn’t see any of the new commercials. So I guess Brooke and I will have to catch up on those when we get back.

…So I’m sick again, probably Malaria, high fever, joint ache, stomach cramps, etc. … I’m thankful that we have access to and can afford good medication. Malaria is deadly because many people don’t have access to its cure. That leaves something to be pondered - how many other things are involved in my world that would be deadly to most people but I have access and means for the cure? Really and truly we are a blessed nation and need to continue living in that recognition sharing what we have been given and living openhanded before the Lord.

…I spoke at my last African church on Sunday, just before I got sick. God was good to give me health through the service. I really have enjoyed preaching here, it has been a good time of discipline in the Word studying and preparing to present His Word to others. I preached on Living in a relationship of Love with God instead of a relationship of duty and obedience for Him. I have no idea if anyone has learned much from my preaching, but I know that God has expanded my own knowledge and experience of Him through these times of preparation. Preaching can be a very humbling thing, even before you do it.

…We leave for China in less than a week. I have never in my life been all that desirous to spend time in Asia, but the closer we get to it the more God lays it on my heart. I am excited first to see my friend Jim, who I taught with for a year in 2002-2003. But more than that I am actually becoming intrigued by the Chinese culture in specific, as well as the Asian cultures in general. Plus the 2008 Olympics are being held in Beijing so we will be able to see some of the preparations for that. We are only in China 9 days, definitely not enough time to see it all, so maybe we will have to come back for the Olympics? Hmm …

…Brooke and I will be speaking 3 or 4 times in Bangladesh after we leave China, so please remember those times. We also will be staying with a Muslim friend of Brooke’s which should be an interesting and enjoyable experience.

…It’s hard not to look ahead, as we see the second half of our experience looming closer, and start thinking about home, and what we will do and where we will be when we get back. I’m not sure what God has, I don’t want to miss out on what he has planned here and now, but I also don’t want to be foolish and not think through our next steps.
…For those of you who are wondering, the life of a vagabond can be glamorous, and it can also be a pain in the butt (and stomach, and head, and … )

A reminder

Master of beauty, craftsman of the snowflake, inimitable contriver, endower of Earth so gorgeous & different from the boring Moon, thank you for such as it is my gift.
- John Berryman

Watoto

There might be nothing cuter than dozens of watoto (“children” – quite possible my favorite Swahili word) crying out a greeting of “Wazungu!” (literally, “white person”), to which we playfully respond “Hello, African” and make our Tanzanian friends laugh. They got even cuter yesterday in Ujiji (a town we visited to see the David Livingstone Memorial) … calling out “Bye-bye” as they waved, so clearly excited to be able to “greet” us in English.

Our friend Biroto, one of the youth leaders, is a 22 year old guy who simply drinks up all the information either of us can offer on the Word, Grace, America, life. He led us through Ujiji as he grew up there. When he brought us to his own home, his little siblings ran into the yard and stopped short when they saw us, then ran back to announce “Wazungu!” to their Mama J

Moving Day

“Hello, friend.” These are simple words that I’ve expressed to numbers of people – always sincerely, but often without much foresight of any impact they could have. But today while talking with Jackson, he told us what a powerful effect it had on him when we called him “friend”. We got to meet Jackson because he works with Harold & Coni, but at some undistinguishable moment he moved from someone that works with friends to a friend himself. I just wish you could all get to meet he and his wife and literally feel the joy that emanates from their smiles. Jackson has a heart for the Father and a depth of understanding that we’ve found to be rare here in Kigoma – he treats his sons and wife as the gifts from God that they are; he is diligent in his work and we have not once heard him complain, even when the hours are long; and not once has he asked for anything from us, which makes it all the more exciting when we are able to give something they need, or even just want, because as he said, it’s a “testimony to him from the Lord.” It makes me think of Isaiah 65:24: “Before they call, I will answer.” What fun when the Father leads someone to be an answer to a request that hasn’t even verbalized yet – at least not to anyone but Him.

Saturday was moving day for Jackson’s family – it’s hard to explain the living conditions they had before without making it sound like a Compassion commercial, but suffice it to say that there were a lot of smiles as we all unloaded them at their new home that is sanitary, has indoor plumbing, is in a safer neighborhood, and with a landlady who gave her life to the Son a few years ago, was banished from her Muslim husband, and has been praying ever since for someone to move in that could teach her more from the Word.

Before THEY called, He answered …

One of 200

So, turns out Jacob did have malaria, but was in more immediate danger from starvation. Because the only thing he’d eaten all week was one of the PB&J’s at Kids’ Club on Tuesday. The man and woman he lived with kicked him out last week because he wasn’t brining in food or money – silly kid, he was going to school instead. They sold his school uniform and shoes, though, so the only way he is able to continue going to school is because Mama Joshua (Coni) was willing to purchase him a replacement set. So he’s now staying with a friend and returned to school on Monday.

This was hard information to process – and maybe because knowing about one specific case makes you wonder more about all the others you don’t know about … how many of the other 200 kids had only a PB&J to eat last week?

Jacob

Since we have internet right now, we want to ask you all to pray for Jacob, a young boy (10 years old?) who was just carried here by some of his friends ... carried because he is almost unconscious ... sound like any familiar sunday school stories?

Coni and a friend, Mwenge, just rushed him to the international dispensary here in town, in hopes that they can quickly diagnose whether it's malaria or something else and hopefully literally save his young life. He is an orphaned child who won Coni's heart long ago, and I would ask you to pray for her heart as she's with him as well.

By the way, Jackson - the friend we mentioned who was also very ill this week - is doing much better. Still needs prayer, but is recovering from a HORRIBLE case of what turned out to be shingles!

Thanks ...