borrowed blog

I found this blog from one of the full time missionaries in Pemba, Nikki. She is in charge of sound equipment for outreach, among other things. I thought her blog was amazing and it is from today- so the news is recent:


Any deaf people here?
I went on outreach last night, it was a bit of a confusion (as usual) as to where we were going, and we didnt even go to the place where we had originally planned! But it was all good when we arrived at the village - a huge (1000+) crowd turned up to watch the Jesus Film, and they were fairly open to the gospel message. When Heidi got up to preach afterwards she called all the deaf people forward. She asked their family and friends to being them. She asked again and again.

NO ONE came to the front.

Finally one of the village elders came to her and said, "We have no deaf people here, they were ALL healed last time you came!"

WOW!!! :-)

So that was awesome, there were at least 48 believers who had already established a church, and many more were added to their ranks last night. So even in all the confusion and going to the wrong village, it all worked out for good!

The rest of the team stayed the night in Mieze, a village close to Pemba where we regularly do Medical Outreaches, and have a large church and a small orphanage established. I opted to drive the 20mins home and sleep in my own bed, but the visitors wanted to experience a night in the village.

This morning I drove out bright and early to setup the sound for the morning service - I set the speakers up outside the bamboo mud building, one pointing into the church thru the window and the other for the overflow outside. (If I'd set up inside the church we would have been deafend!)

Inside the church they had strung twine across the room, and hung pieces of paper with scripture verses on the lines. They had also picked wildflowers/pretty weeds and hung them too. The church was packed and Heidi had to dedicate 5 little babies, and marry 3 couples.

It was a really good time!

"Re-Entry"

We took a course on this...re-entry to the western world after being in the two-thirds world. After just ten weeks there I feel that re-entry hasn't been that big of a deal. Yes, it is difficult to sit in a board meeting and listen to men in suits discuss funding for some stupid project. And, yes, the stuff that is important here is not important over there. It seems mundane and pointless. So, it is simply all the more reason for me to get moving and get involved in something that isn't pointless. There are great ideas and ventures that I can get behind here in the states that are motivating and make a difference. So that is my new goal.

As for what I learned and my thesis of sorts...it was honestly so much that it will take me a while to process. However, the most important is GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK. We have put him in a box, in our churches, on TV, and pushed Him out of our lives. He was too far away, or I was never good enough, or I was disgusted by those who represented Him. But when I came to a place where the people just seek Him and learned to depend on Him as they do in Mozambique, I realized that He is better than I could have ever imagined.

He loves us and created us so that we may have relationship with Him. He delights in relationship with us and longs to spend time with us, instruct us and bless us. I love it that He knows us so well. He created us to be the way we are and has placed dreams inside of us. So I am at that place where I just want to spend time with Him. I've done things my way and it didn't work out so well. Since He created the universe, don't you think He can pull some strings for His kids? He's omnipotent. So I want to spend time with Him to learn His heart and to discuss my dreams with Him and bring them in line with His plans. If we saw Him as the true lover of our souls that He really is, our lives would be much different. We would walk with our heads held high because we are accepted and loved and not defeated.
He knows us better than we know ourselves and no one is excluded. Our lives and our hearts are precious to Him and we are to live each day with that awareness and in true intimacy with Him. Yet, even this is hard. Our world is so busy and we have so many distractions. It came easy for the Mozambicans and their faith is astounding. Westerners question everything, they simply believe. For me, it is spending time, morning and night, in that quiet place. I have to be full of Him to have His heart, to see with His eyes and to hear His voice. But it is the only way to live. I failed miserably trying to make things happen on my own. And it's in that surrender that He speaks, where He sent His son to kill the fatted calf and put a ring on our finger and welcome us home (Luke 15). He just wants us home, in His presence, to spend time with Him. He's the "hook-up", He's the "connection", and the greatest "mover and shaker" you'll ever know.

western civilization

it is a bit overwhelming, but I must admit I am enjoying it...i missed the mall and the way it smells...i missed store windows and make-up counters, and perfume, and designer jeans, and mascara
the survivor REI North Face grunge girl look gets old really quick-
so I am savoring the moments with the flat iron and body lotion and am head over heels in love with my washing machine and dishwasher
i can hardly wait to have dinner parties, eat fresh veggies (anybody got tomatoes?), and get a hair cut

a few photos

Sunsets in East Point just aren't the same

My Birthday Celebration

Carly, Terra and Loren

Children in a Bush Village

I told you it was dirty

Quote of the day

"To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal. If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel". - U2

I'm back!

I am slowly trying to processes the reality of being back here. It was difficult to leave the simplicity and beauty of Pemba. Yet, home is good too. I've had a hot bath and a good nights rest. I am going to Carla's for the day to celebrate Catherine's 10th birthday! It's hot here! I will now do my best to post more photos and really share a lot more. It was just so impossible to use the internet effectively there. I am still a little sick, sore throat and ear ache and am obviously a little jet lagged and may be for a few days. Thank you all for your messages, prayers and words of support. I look forward to seeing all of you and sharing a little of what all I learned in Mozambique.

Surrey

I am in Surrey. We got on the 8:30 flight from J'burg to London. We said good-bye to Georgenia who was flying to London also and then on to N. Ireland. I also ran into my roomate Tamara in the J'burg airport and got to say goodbye one last time. I watched Shrek 3 and popped an ambien and slept for most of the flight. I have a terrible sore throat. It could be from the drastic change in weather. I went from hot Mozambican weather to very cold and am still just in flip flops. When we landed in London we booked our flights for a day later and called Sam. On our way out of the aiport we ran into Georgenia! So we convinced her to change her flight too and come along. I took my last bit of money from the ATM and we took a bus to Croydon near Surrey and are currently at Sam's place. The neighborhood is beautiful. We've been walking through these lovely gardens, eating plums and blackberries! We walked up on a small mountain that overlooks Surrey with fields of heather. We plan on hanging out in this area tonight and going for shepherds pie! I will be leaving in the morning at 12:30 or so and should arrive at 4:30 on Saturday! I miss you all and am looking forward to coming home. Although, the detours have been a lot of fun. I like this spontaneous travel stuff! So, I hope we can celebrate the birthday of Catherine again on Sunday. Mer, hope to see you Saturday afternoon. I will call when I land.
Love,
Me

Brrrr in J'burg

It's cold here! It is really freezing and we are all in summer clothes and flip flops. We are sharing clothes and bundling up. We enjoyed the lodge here last night and the owner had a driver pick us up and take us to the mall this afternoon. It was far from our western mall but was still a major culture shock to us. I bought clean underwear as I only had the one pair and a book to read if I ever get on the flight home. We will be leaving for the airport shortly and will do our best to get on standby with BA or have them give us vouchers with another airline going to London. There is a small possibility that the flights in London may have long layovers so we are working out accomodations with our friend Sam Rogers who lives in Surrey. So I MIGHT stay in London over the weekend and just not rush the flight since it has all been so up in the air. I will just roll with it and have a back up plan. So now if they do not provide accomodations or our connecting flights are a problem, I will have a place to stay in London. I would love to see the city with someone who knows it well.
Yet, I would love to be home for Catherine's birthday party. If I don't make it, give her a huge hug and kiss for me.
XOXO

PS...IF anyone has a DELTA hook-up, I would love to get on the direct flight out of here to ATL and bypass London altogether if possible. I will check it out tonight but just wanted to put that word out and see if anyone can pull some strings.

Pomona Lodge?

I am at the Pomona Lodge in South Africa. I was scheduled to take a routine flight from Pemba to J'burg wih a stop in Maputo. We stopped about two hours after take off and I assumed this was Maputo. We didn't disembark. We stopped again an hour later and I thought the scenery looked a bit remote to be J'burg. We were in Maputo. We evidenly stopped in Biera and I wound up missing my flight from J'burg to London!! I grabbed my luggage and ran to the check out counter at lightening speed. No one was there and they were boarding the flight. So, the Mozambican Airlines (LAM) has put me in an adorable little B&B in South Africa. I am with Nick (Hawaii), Chrisdene "Cloud" (Alaska, and Georgenia (N. Ireland). We are actually having an amazing time. This place is quite quaint and we just had an amazing meal of spicy chicken over rice that was delicious! So we are all together and very safe. However, British Airways seemed to doubt we could get on the flights tomorrow either, so we are on standby. There is a small possibility another airline will carry us. BA will pay other airlines to take us, we just have to find another that is not full. So we are going to the airport tomorrow at 5pm to start the process. PRAY HARD! I will do the same and hope to see you all soon. Don't worry about picking me up at the aiport. I will call Meredith when I arrive and if she can get me, great. If not, I will cab it.
PRAY PRAY PRAY
XOXO
www.pomonalodge.co.za
Hope to be home Friday!
Worse case scenario, I have to buy a one way ticket? But I truly believe it will all work out. In the mean time, I am enjoying this place, the culture and hope to see a little of South Africa and look forward to being able to put another pin in the map.

Final Days

I am currently at the Pemba Beach Hotel, having breakfast with my friend Merrylee who leaves today. She is out looking at the ocean one last time. My visit to Marenganha was amazing. I could completely see myself living there. I will post photos! Iris has a small base there with 9 young boys living there. They also have plans to create a small community for orphan kids who are 18 and older. They intend to build housing for these kids and help them become self sufficient. I could also see Mom and Dad living at this base. The beach is so beautiful. I could see Dad giving science lessons to the young boys. The houses are energized via windpower...

I will spend the day packing up my things and will check in here at the hotel tomorrow to get that much desired hot bath. I dread leaving. This has become such a way of life and the lifestyle here is relaxed and so incredibly fulfilling. I will be most likely leaving from the hotel on Wednesday and arriving in Atlanta Thursday afternoon. Get out the water hose Meredith.

Will post detailed updates and photos soon.

Love,
Me

Plans as of today

I am still uncertain about plans to Rome. It is so difficult to make arrangements from here that it may just be something I have to pursue another time. Still have not heard back from travel agent and I can't find that flight to Rome as I had seen before.
I am skipping class to try to make the arrangements and only have 5 more minutes of my very expensive internet service left...hope you enjoy the photos. Hope to have many more to come and will add more stories when I get home.

These moments I will miss...

Village Baby

Sunday Service with Mel Tari

If in Rome...

There is a small chance I may have the opportunity to go through Rome on my way home! There is a monastary just outside of Rome where I can stay for free. Flights from London to Rome are supposedly very inexpensive. I may be able to store luggage at a friends house in London, stay a night there and take the train to meet a friendm Mary from Canada, in London and we will fly to Rome to stay for a few days. The thoughts of backpacking it for a few days sounds amazing and I cannot imagine what the monastery will be like. This is a HUGE IF and requires me to attempt to deal with my travel agent which will be hard from here because internet communication is so limited. If it does work out, I won't be home until the 22nd. This also requires a ton of grace from my employeer. We shall see. Pray for favor. I will know more tomorrow when I hope to get back into town to see if the flights can be booked and my current flight delayed without being penalized.
All things are great! I don't want to leave here. It will be hard. My friends are leaving this week and it will be hard to say goodbye. My roomie is going to Kenya to stay until Christmas and I have to send her off on Wednesday...so sad. I am sending her off with my cellphone so you can't call me anymore. I will try to update the blog to let you know if I do this Rome thing or not.
Mel Tari is here this week and spoke today and will be speaking again tomorrow. He and Rolland Baker baptized me yesterday. It was probably the most amazing experience of my life. Words cannot describe.
So the plans for this week are to FIND my lost ticket from here to J'burg. Say a prayer. It has to be somewhere in my room. I am headed to the LAM office now to see if I can get it reissued. I will make my decision tomorrow on the Rome trip as I hope to hear from the travel agent by then. Official graduation is Wednesday. This is supposedly a big deal, big celebration. Friday, most of the students going out to the bush bush for the two week outreach leave. I am going to try and spend the weekend at Maranganha, camping for the weekend. It is a beautiful pristine untouched beach! I will then come back and pack up my things and spend my last night here in a glorious night at the 5 star Pemba Beach Hotel thanks to UNCLE JOHN and AUNT PHYLIS!! I am dying for a hot bath. You have no idea. I try not to say much about it but we currently have no water...I am at a record for most days without bathing.
Will try to update again this week. Will also try to put some photos on....just so difficult. Will be home, eventually...
LOVE,
ME