Bam!

If you know me even a little, then you probably know that I tend to think….think a lot.  Sometimes to the point where it gets in the way and puts up walls (not a good thing) and stops things from going from my head to my heart.  The last few days I got all caught up in the thinking.  The heady, here’s what experience tells me.  I “know” the truth, but I couldn’t shake the all over the board emotions ranging from confused to frustrated to happy to disappointed to sad to lonely to okay to everything else.  I bounced around and couldn’t find my footing on the solid rock.

Until today. I sat in class and I tried to pay attention and engage in conversation, but every once in a while my thoughts would overwhelm me still.  Until I heard these words, “Follow Me.”  Funny thing is that we were talking about ministering to youth and I really don’t remember how that fit in and neither does my roomie (I asked her later).  So then, God immediately brought to mind the verse below:

“…what is that to you?  You follow Me!”

My reaction: Whoa. Lord, you are so here.  You are so getting my attention.  Because really.  What is it to me that ___ is doing this or that God is working in that way in their lives.  Even, who is that to me and what is that to you that I’m working in a way you didn’t expect.  When all I need to focus on is following Him then everything else fades away.  Africa fades away. Lindo fades away. Thrive fades away. Hope House kids fade away. Marriage fades away.

Yes, good things and yes, serving is good, but He just wants me to “be.”  He loves me when I’m just sitting on the floor with Him leaning against my bed.  He wants me to follow Him and be with Him.  He wants to step out only on His firm foundation.

“It had opened her eyes to the fact that right down in the depths of her own heart she really had but one passionate desire, not for the things which the Shepherd had promised but for himself.  All she wanted was to be allowed to follow him forever. “Nothing else really matters only to love him and to do what he tells me.” -Hinds Feet in High Places

Safari Time

I love giraffe!  They are one of my favorite African animals (I’m bad at picking favorites). Do you have a favorite African animal or animal?

p.s. come back tomorrow for some more pictures and thoughts about Safari with my parents.

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

Often when you ask kids what they want to do when they grow up here, you’ll receive and “I don’t know” or some other response.  But, today, I loved the response I got from these two boys.  They both play soccer.  They’re about 13 years old.  One of the boys told me that he wanted to be an engineer and the other wants to be a policeman.  One even had a computer in his house.  I felt like I was back in the States for a second hearing that they play video games, watch Transporter 3, computer games and play sports.  Sometimes I find myself entrenched in the culture that I need a healthy reminder that kids in the States have a completely different life.  They have parents, shoes to wear, toys galore, events to attend, sports to play, new clothes, dreams for the future and so much more.  I love helping these kids see their potential and see that they can grow up to be something amazing.

Snow!? In Africa? Pictures to Prove It

Let it Snow. Let it Snow.

aka I need to move. I need to move.

Somewhere warmer!

I am such a wimp when dealing with the cold.

Though, I will admit that I love seeing the first snow.

I think I just like to visit the snow for a little while and then leave.

Because I hate the slush, mud and the way your pants get wet at the bottom.

So, what about you? Do you like the cold? Oh and where should I move next as long as I’m asking.

Reminder: I live in Africa…

I guess I can’t listen to Pandora here…

Counting Down

I’m trying hard to live in the moment, live in the present.  I don’t want to focus too much on the past or the future.  But, I must say that lately I find myself counting down to a lot of things.  I’m excited, nervous, still thinking that everything feels far away, and so many more emotions.  Here are the numbers in my head that are coming up:

3 days

10 days

16 days

18 days

27 days

29 days

34 days

in alphabetical order the countdowns include: Carrie leaves, Christmas, florida, last day of church last day of work, leave for africa, my birthday

Can you match them up?

I Need Africa

 

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation.  AIDS.  Child soldiers.  Genocide.  Sex slaves.  Orphans.  From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday.  There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe.  But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]

 

Check out the blogroll here

And the video

I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

True? 

False?

www.mochaclub.org

I had class tonight and did not plan well, but I will post my comments tomorrow or the next day.  Until then, I’d love to hear what you think!

p.s. I think this is so fitting since I’ll be GOING to South Africa in less than 2 months!

me, myself & I AM

Sometimes, I’ll admit, I don’t read everything thoroughly.  Accepting this book was one of them!  I envisioned a thought-provoking narrative or at least a devotional type book.  So, when I popped open the box and looked inside (mind you, I was excited about getting this!) to find questions and blank pages, boy was I confused!  At first, I thought lame. I’m an avid journal-er but the whole fill in when your first date was kind of thing does not get me excited.  I put the book on the shelf and did not think about it until I brought it up with my friend.  Unlike me, she actually read the entire explanation and was excited about it!  So, I decided to crack open the cover again and give the book another go.  I’m not fully convinced yet, but my plan is to bring it to Africa.  I’ll let you know how the reading and writing goes.  Until then, here’s a teaser from one of the pages:

If my life today were a movie, these song lyrics would be in the soundtrack:

• Have I told you lately that I love you
• There’s bubblegum in the baby’s hair
• On the road again

If I picture my spiritual life as a journey, I would describe my experience as:

• walking in a circle
• shooting river rapids, just trying to stay in the raft
• leaping through flaming hoops
• pushing a boulder up a steep hill
• still waiting at the station with all my bags packed
• just cresting the summit–what a view!

 

There you go!  Go check the book out at Amazon

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

As of 8:32 a.m., I officially signed and faxed my commitment letters. Well, to be more accurate, I signed them last night, but you get the picture.  Commitment letters for what, you say?  Well, the big news that I have been blogging about and Twittering about is finally official, finally happening.  I’m going to South Africa for a year from January 19th to December 6th.  I will be participating in the 1-Year Internship program through Thrive Africa.  I praise God for all of the ways that He has been at work already in allowing this opportunity to come about and how He will continue to be with me through the preparation and the following year.  I have a lot to prepare!  But, I am pumped!  More than anything, I am excited to see God through this process.  My head swirls with all sorts of details and thoughts, but ever since this morning I wanted to blog about this!  There you have it.  The big news.  More to come as I continue to prepare and process and get there.  For now, please pray for my family as they adjust to this drastic change, pray for me as I prepare and as I raise money and get all the details together.  

Snapshot of some of the things I’ll get to do this next year: 

Teach discipleship classes in rural villages
Facilitate pastors’ conferences and other training events
Attend weekly classes taught by full-time missionaries
Host mission teams and engage in relationship evangelism
Serve in the day-to-day operation of Thrive Africa