The work is hard, but worthwhile.

Inike! Ta nema tile?

Greetings again from West Africa! I am beginning to miss you all very much, but I am so excited to be here in this place.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going with a missionary to a literacy training session. Joe (the missionary) is currently teaching a 12 year old boy how to read. He is learning phonics that we learned in American school when we were 6. There is a great need here for literacy trainers and dedicated teachers of all sorts. Here is the beauty of the situation... The first story this boy will ever read is the parable of "The Good Samaritan" in his own language.

The work being done here seems tedious and perhaps even small; but in reality, the work being done here will have huge consequences and a lasting (eternal) impact. Your prayers are everything, as much as my team and I being here and as much as any of the missionaries who have given their lives to work here. The work is so difficult, but it is so worthwhile. I have been learning the language for just about 1 week, and it is tiring and stressful. But I know that this will prepare me for whatever is to come.

Thank you, my friends, for coming this far with me. Please continue on this journey with me, and let's see where Yahweh will take us all. Peace and brotherly love to you and all those whom you love. I will talk to you again soon.

Ambe kofe!

Did you know...

There is no clean running water in the whole country.
Not even rich people have air conditioning.
The food here is better than food in the states.
The humidity is, on average, 95% this time of year.
Soda here is made with real sugar - consequently, it's better.
Taxis here are... an experience. You should ask me about that later.
I'm going to the market tomorrow morning.
I miss my fiancée.
God is good.
I thank you for reading this.

Pray that my team and I remain in unity during this trip. The other side wants us to divide. That is both ineffective and a stress to us if that happens.

Thanks, all. Peace and love!

Here we are

Bonjour! The time is 9:05, and I feel rejuvenated and ready for the day. It's good to be here on the ground and in the city. We begin orientation this morning around 9:30. We are going in the city to a couple stores today for some food and other essential things. Then we will learn how to properly prepare and cook the food here. There is more on the agenda, but I do not know specifics.

Life is different here. Possibly the hardest thing for me to swallow is that I cannot speak the language. I want to be able to walk up to someone and have a conversation, but that's not possible. I do have people around me who can help me and translate for me, but it's still difficult.

Peace and love to you from West Africa!

Flyin high

6/14
The time is 6:45 am where I'm headed, and I am currently 35,000 ft. above the Atlantic Ocean moving close to 600 mph. I haven't slept much, but I have been eating pretty well. The international airline attendants are good people; they really take care of their passengers. I am still 14 hours or so from my final destination, but we are definitely making progress.

The sun is rising over the clouds, and it is beautiful. The One who made all this really knew what He was doing. And that we can climb in a big machine 5 miles into the sky is amazing. I used to be nervous and have issues with flying in airplanes, but then this magnificent revelation came to me - I'm sitting in a chair... in the sky! Haha, how amazing!

The entertainment right now is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jonny Depp style (not relevant to anything else I'll say, just clueing you in on my life).

I read about suffering awhile ago. Peter had some encouraging things to say in his first letter - words of wisdom on suffering for the right cause. When someone does evil, do not repay it with evil. But rather, suffer for the name and respond with good. And commit to righteousness all the time. If you suffer because of unrighteousness (some wrong you have done) and endure that suffering, it is your strength that shows through. What have you gained? But if you suffer because of your righteousness and endure it, God's strength shows, and He will send His grace and blessings on you.

Blessings to you, readers. Endure in Him, and submit to Him in all things. I am praying that you will call on Him in times of trouble and that you will count it as joy to suffer for the name.

Waiting...

Leaving soon. I am so ready. I am to the point where I am restless around here. There's nothing to do, and I can't sit still. Everything I will need to live (besides food) is packed in a suitcase and a backpack. I think I prefer it that way. I am simplifying life quite a bit, and I anticipate that I will enjoy it. I'm not familiar with the place where I am going, nor can I speak the language. But I am not worried. God has lifted the tension from me; I thank Him for that.

I want to share with you something that I heard a couple days ago. It was an encouragement and a revelation that I personally needed, and it is something that is applicable to a lot of people my age. It comes from Exodus 33.

Moses was with the Israelites in the wilderness. They were living in tents, and Moses had set up a special tent which they called the tent of meeting. It was where the Israelites went to meet God and to worship Him. Moses was the leader of the people, but he was aging. The next in line, the one who would eventually lead God's people into the promised land, was Joshua. Joshua did not leave the tent of meeting. He stayed there in preparation for the day when his ministry of leadership would begin. He remained in the presence of God, because that was the best way to prepare.

The story goes on and speaks of Moses who was the appointed leader. He spoke directly to God and said, "We will not leave this place unless you are with us." Moses did not want to go anywhere without God.

Our challenge was to have the attitude of Joshua. Wait patiently in the presence of the Lord in order to prepare for ministry. And then, when our time comes to lead, we are to have the attitude of Moses. Though we will go on crazy journeys and face sacrifice and suffering, we should not desire to go anywhere unless the presence of God is with us.

I want nothing of this world unless God is there. My prayer for you is that you would find where you are on your journey. And then, whether in preparation or in leadership, always remain with God; and ask that He would show you His glory, in order that you will always know that He is there with you. Our strength will grow strong as we wait patiently on the Lord. He is good in all His ways, and His mercy endures forever.

Amen

At a loss, but not lost

It's Wednesday night, and I am tired. The newness is beginning to wear off, and I think I am coming back down to earth about this whole thing. I still can't quite grasp that I will get on a plane in a few days to fly over the Atlantic. The thing I have realized is that this isn't easy. I am not discouraged; there is nothing about which I can be discouraged. I am beginning to see and experience some new things though, and not all of them are as fabulous as I imagined.

I love my team, but I have come to see that the only consistent English interaction I will have will be with these people. That is not a bad thing, but it sure is different. I have a woman who I am leaving (have already left) for the summer. It's going to be okay, it's just not the ideal. I am not in my mother's household. Haha, I'm not even sure the implications of that, but it's true nonetheless.

I'm even at a loss for what else to say. What to write about... I'm not upset or stressed out, not overly excited or anticipatory, not happy, not sad. I'm just... Contemplative? There is so much about which to think, to speculate, to presume. I guess I don't know where to begin... More to come in the days ahead as I process.

I do have a prayer request. You all know that God is God. You also know that there is one who opposes Him. This one hates when people come together to serve God in powerful ways. My team and I have seen how this one is attacking us spiritually, but we have come together to resist spiritual temptations. We pray for each other and with each other against these spiritual attacks. Well, this one who opposes the one true God has a presence in this world, and he has made himself known that he does not want us to succeed. There's good news and bad news.

The bad news is that we are human, and we are susceptible to the attacks of this evil while we are on this earth in its present form. We sometimes fall, even pretty hard. The bad news is that I, you, we are too weak to stand against this one who brings oppression. The bad news is that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Here's the good news - he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. Because he lives in us, he can work through us against this present evil.

My prayer request is this: Pray that the physical oppression we are facing will not be a hindrance. Pray healing for our bodies and perseverance for our spirit.
Prayer works. Hear me - prayer works. It transcends long distances. It has real effects. It transcends the spiritual realm. It is our highest form of communication, yet it is our simplest form of communication. Most importantly, it is our most effective means of communication. God hears His people. He listens attentively, and He answers.

Thank you for your love and support. You are a real friend to have read this all the way through. Please pray.

Grace and peace to you.

Slow down

If you're like me, there's been at least one time when you were so excited about something that you didn't care what it took, you went running headstrong straight into something without proper preparation. I think I do this more than I'd really like to admit. When I was young (and perhaps still today) I was always getting into trouble because I didn't think before I spoke. It wasn't an articulation problem or any sort of deficiency, I simply had no desire for details.

Though I have matured some from my younger years, I still find myself in some predicaments because of this tendency that I have learned to own. I met Nate some time ago, and from that point on I could never stop asking him, "What's next?" Two and a half years later, here I am on my way to West Africa. I have been seeking out this opportunity for so long, and now it's here! I couldn't be more excited about where I am; but where am I going after these months?

I'm not sure where I will minister when I get back to school, nor am I sure where I will find income. I will be planning a wedding (or supporting my finaceé as she plans it haha), and I will be finishing up my undergrad degree. There are so many things to think about, yet all I have focused on was this summer.

I know it's gonna be alright, because I know Who is in control. But tonight I feel overwhelmed. I think it's time for a slow-down... But when?

House Church

Praise God for house church! I had the joy last night of experiencing something that I had never experienced before. There is a house not far from here where a bunch of students from GIAL live. They invited us to come to their house church, and a few of us gladly accepted. When we walked in, they were in the middle of a story. It was a story about Paul writing to the Corinthians and encouraging them. Paul told them that they were like fragile clay pots with great treasure inside of them. They may feel at times pressured, but they will never be crushed. They may feel persecuted, but they will never be abandoned. They may be struck down, but they will never be destroyed. Though they are just fragile clay pots alone, they experience a daily renewal through Christ.

After this, we prayed. Then we sang songs. We prayed some more. We sang some more songs. This went on for 3 more hours; and it never got old. It was so refreshing to see so many people in one living room praising, worshiping, and petitioning to God and His Spirit. I felt blessed just to be there, but to be a participant was that much greater. This was real church. It was real faith. It was so... True.

We always seek truth. Truth lights the way. Truth is how we discern, with wisdom from above, the things we are to do to please the Lord.

This is real

I'm coming down to earth from this sort of "summer camp/everything is fun" mentality down to the real world. Ministry, in it's truest sense, is not an easy thing. But our battle is not against flesh and blood, but rather against the powers and principalities of the underworld. The evil one has brought and will bring forth distractions. The goal is always Jesus. The prize is always eternal life. The message is always the cross. These are constants, never changing.

We've been discussing conflict the past couple of days, because it is Satan's tool. He uses conflict to divide the Church. We the Church must take a stand. We wage war with intent to see Jesus' name be proclaimed as all else is diminished. Ministry is no safe, passive act. Ministry is no small, simple way. Ministry is war, the outcome being a uniting of the human race under one God, holy and gracious enough for any and all who believe in Him.