40 days...

I hope that this post finds you well as we are 11 days into 2009! Happy New Year.

As of today, my team is 40 days from heading to Rwanda, Africa! I haven't posted in awhile because I haven't been sure how to put my thoughts into words. Two of the books that I have read recently have put names and faces to the area where we will be heading. I read Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza and Land of a Thousand Hills by Rosamond Halsey Carr. Both books showed me deeper realities of the pain and tragedy that resulted in the genocide in the 90's as well as previous conflicts. Of the two, I highly recommend Left to Tell if you're looking for an eye-opening read. The distance that Rwandans have come as a country in terms of reconciliation can only be attributed to God's love. I am anxious to go and share that.

I have purposefully tried not to think too much about what the day to day will be for our team while we are there. I don't want to establish expectations. I simply want to go and see what God has for us. Our team website will be updated most frequently. It has a recent post by one of our trip leaders. It can be found at www.manchesteronthemove.worldpress.com

As of today our team is 40% of the way to raising the funds needed. I will continue to post updates regarding this progress. Thank you for your prayers and/or financial contributions. This is a God-sized task!!!

Blessings to you.

Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving Eve... Yes, not exactly a hallmark holiday, but a grand day nonetheless. A day of cooking, baking, and anticipating time with family and friends. I love Thanksgiving due to the emphasis on time together. Following Thanksgiving comes all of the commotion that goes with Christmas. I am choosing to avoid it this year, however. My church is embracing advent conspiracy which totally jazzes me. I am not against showing someone that you care about, or appreciate them through a gift, but I am against a meaningless gift just for the sake of it. 

We have a trading post set up at our church which is selling Fair Trade products from around the world through Trade as One. This is awesome to me! If I am going to spend money, I want it to go somewhere needed. Now, I write this as a hypocrite I realize, because all of the clothes on my body were likely factory produced. But, I am saying that I want to begin to be aware, and make more conscious and sustainable choices. Why not start with Christmas!!!?

A bit more revealed.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

This verse has brought me great peace in the last ten years. In school the next thing always seemed a bit predictable. After 6th grade comes summer, then 7th grade, then summer... etc. Since high school, however, it has been a bit more random. And the randomness is a beautiful thing. If you know me, you know I am organized. God has taught me over the years, however, that I need to hold lightly to what I think I know about my present circumstances. As I pray each morning for Him to direct my day, He does; and it wonderfully isn't always the way I would expect. God just shows me enough to light my steps in front of me for the moment, and in doing so, the path ahead comes into light.

The last time I posted I had accepted and understood that it was only going to be a week that I would be in Rwanda in February. Something inside, however, had me ask my administration for a week's leave following my February vacation. It was granted!!!! God has enabled me to go and be on the soil I long to have my feet on right now for two weeks. I am so thankful and quite speechless actually. Thank you God for lighting these next steps for me.

Patience...

So... Tonight I have been reminded of God's time and my time and how they are very different animals...

As I have been thinking and praying about Rwanda, what has "made sense" to me is a February trip, followed by a summer trip. To me, one week just isn't enough... That's where I'm faulted though, the "to me" part. See, I don't understand much about the Big Picture, and thankfully, what "makes sense to me," isn't what always happens. That's a God-sized job. Not one for me. 

After meeting with a PEACE team member tonight, I am seeing that it is looking more like February will happen, but not the summer. February, however, will be an intentional, focused trip where we, as a church, seek out the needs of the community we are serving. We then return home to train purposefully before returning to assist. So, while one week doesn't seem like "enough" to me, one week is what God is appearing to give us to begin a process. A process that will be intentional, sustainable, and Lord-willing, last beyond 2009 for me. So while my time on African soil will be shorter than I anticipated in 2009, I see God's hand at work. I see His timing, and I trust that He is working good in all things.

World Vision

Today I went to a World Vision Africa Experience I went on my own and it ended up being a good thing because I left with a lot to process. Check out the on-line experiences if you are unable to go. There was something about being there, however, that spoke to me more than if I were sitting at my desk at home. I feel if I break down the experience of being there in written words it will be inadequate. I do, however, want to write about what the experience continued to do in my heart.

If you've read my earlier blogs you know that I am prayerfully seeking God's purpose for me. I am truly starting to feel however, that He has shown it to me, and now it's a matter of me being able to act on it. This afternoon I spent time at the bookstore and picked up resources that have been recommended to me as I prepare my mind and heart and overall understanding for Rwanda. I feel honored that God has placed such a desire, call, and passion in my heart. I can only hope that He is going to continue to unfold the "how" as the days and weeks go on. 

I pray that I won't let myself, and what I think is best, get in the way of His plans.

Too Small to Ignore

I just finished reading Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford. It was an amazing book that I would encourage anyone and everyone to read. It was life-changing for me and got my heart even more excited for the plans of my church with Rwanda, Africa. 

As I have shared in past blogs my heart has long been for children who are marginalized. I know that it is God who has put this love and purpose in my heart and I pray that He will continue to teach me and encourage me to speak out for them.

In this book, Stafford recounts his experiences growing up as a missionary child in the Ivory Coast in West Africa. His experiences, both positive and negative, inspired him to start Compassion International. To begin to meet the needs of children who are hurting, but who are not given a voice.

In the beginning of the book he speaks of cultural differences. He remarks what a shame it is that we, in America, rush our children to grow up so that they can finally live. In Africa, his experience was much different as he was able to grow up in the adult community, being given responsibilities at a young age that gave him purpose in his community. So often, we Americans encourage our children to play house or play kitchen or play action video games, rather than truly living experiential childhoods. Not saying that safety shouldn't be considered, but I think that children grow into what they know. If we respect them, and give them responsibility and encouragement, naturally, they are going to be positively influential in society. If, however, we "shush" them, and tell them that "when you grow up..." we are stifling an energy that will begin to go away.

There are so many parts to this book. Stafford recounts the heart-breaking injustices of children who are educated and treated by uncaring and abusive people, to which others turn their heads. He also recounts biblical stories that show us that Jesus truly cared for children. Not only that, Jesus often called adults to be more like children (Matthew 18:3) and he also loved for the children to seek him (Matthew 19:14). 

If Jesus is to be our model, and I am striving to live a life that reflects that, I know my heart for children needs to be used in big ways.

I know this is fragmented, my thoughts could go on about this book. If you pick it up and read it, let me know, I'd love to talk!!!

Updates

So, it's October 11th and I am going to sit down and finally write about what has been going on. See, I feel like I'm in a time of my life where every day some new piece of my path is being revealed. So this causes me to say to myself, well, I guess I'll just wait until I know a bit more before writing anything... that will certainly lead to LONG breaks between posts so I decided to write today. 

You see, a few weeks ago the Elders at my church approved our plans to get involved with Harvest Church in Rwanda!!!!!!!! This has been something that I have been hoping for and praying about for quite awhile. 

With clarity in one area, however, has come some more areas of question. Melissa, my dear friend, and partner in a possible Orphan Care Initiative, has had a setback in her health. It came up TOTALLY randomly, and was not something we had anticipated in our "plans." This has resulted in prayer and remembering our total dependence on God for this all to happen. There are still some details to be worked out, but Lord-Willing a team of us from my fantastic church will be going to Rwanda, Africa February 20-28, 2009. Some of them have been before, for others of us, it will be a brand new experience.

I will use it as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow in culture awareness, and truly see where God wants to use me. Plans now will have my friend Melissa staying in Rwanda and me returning to be a "point-person" for the Orphan Care Initiative here in Manchester. I will then (again Lord-Willing) return for my Summer of 2009 to work with Melissa and others.

I can't believe how lit up I am inside about all of this. I am so excited to see how God is going to show me more of His life path for me.

Monday the 13th the team that is going in February is going to meet together to discuss logistics. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!