My trip to Africa was a mixed bag of frustration, realization, eye-opening and touching experiences.
Frustration: I was injured (ankle) and then I got sick, spending two days throwing up and ending up in the ER with an iv b/c of dehydration. I was thinking going into this trip that my role was going to be more physical. Playing soccer, physical labor, running around with the kids is what I envisioned. Two days before we leave I turn my ankle pretty badly, the doctor recommended I reschedule my trip. OK, I change my focus, thinking my role can be relational, connecting with our team and the people working for 10,000 Homes. Nope, as soon as we get there I spend two days by myself and unable to really connect with the team.
Realization: With all the throwing up and time alone, I realized that the things I am doing here, at home, are the things that God wants me doing. On every other trip I have felt fully alive and in tune with God's will, but now I am in the middle of God's will in my every day. I realized that what I love about trips is the intense community that it creates and that I can't wait to go on a trip with the people I am in community with.
Eye-opening: I have been on trips where I have seen extreme poverty. The area's in Africa that we visited did not live in the extreme poverty that I have seen, don't get me wrong they have very little. However, the eye-opening thing is how disease is destroying this culture. It is hard to establish systems, economically or socially, because you cannot build on people, they are sick and dying. HIV, malaria and other diseases are ripping the heart out of Africa and it's heart breaking.
Touching: Attending church in Africa was awesome. They do not have a band, lighting, thermostats or some dynamic speaker, but they all fully engaged every second of being together. In America, if the song isn't what we want, or it was too cold, or the speaker wasn't funny, or the people get on our nerves, we check out, we leave, we get in our car and drive to the next church hoping they can do things just how we want them. The believers in Africa inspired me to appreciate community, to engage with all my heart, and to love and worship God under any circumstance.
The people in Africa told me they were praying for me. For my work and for my ministry. Join me in lifting them up, that God will be near to them and keep them strong in the face of much adversity.
