8 Day Recap

July 4, 2011 – American Independence Day!!

            We’re about to eat our Fourth of July meal with Mason, Norma, Chris, Gordon, Angela, myself, Bianca, and the environmentalist guy (I don’t know how to spell his name). We have QUITE a table full of food. I seriously have been so blessed and so spoiled with a full meal every meal here – thank you, Father! We have some filet, hamburgers, sweet potato fries, sweet corn casserole, peas and carrots, spicy roasted potatoes, and jello. Unbelievable. Go America! I think they are making Mason and I sing the national anthem so that’ll be interesting.

            Tomorrow I finally get to go in to the schools and read with and teach the kids some English!! I am ecstatic. I have been working on these picture vocab cards and comprehension questions for these little storybooks for ages from pre-school to 6^th grade I’d say. While Chris and the environmentalist are doing their workshop at Dobi school, I will walk in to classes, ask to borrow the children, take them to a tree outside, sit, read, and teach. How wonderful!! I am excited to see what sort of passion the Lord sparks in my heart after tomorrow, because this summer sure has been FULL of the teaching theme. There was Heather who did a teacher’s workshop on literacy here at Morning Star, Chris wanting me to work on these books and cards to read and teach the children, a teachers group coming in from Atlanta serving around here for a little under 2 weeks, and who knows what else will come up. I have definitely gained a new appreciation and I am interested to see just how far that goes. Sorry it has been so long since I have posted on the blog!

July 3, 2011

- Today I finished picture vocab cards for a second book and chose next next 2 books I will try and complete tomorrow. 2 down, 7 to go.

- We planned our 4th of July meal and so far it is hamburgers, 2 or 3 flank steaks, my sweet potatoe fries, green beans, maybe mashed potatoes, and Norma's DELICIOUS orange jello with vanilla yogurt. We are also running a 10K up to Dennis and Sandy's and back to represent the infamous Peachtree Road Race. Oh, and everyone has to wear red, white, and blue and best they can. I wish we had fireworks! Happy 4th of July from Zimbabwe!!!

- I ran again today and this time I did MUCH better. I made it all the way down to the first creek (roughly 2.5 miles I think), then walked for 10 mins and ran the last (roughly) 2 miles back to Morning Star. Woohoo!!

- Nkosi helped us plan our return to S.A. where we could potentially save lots of dollars, so let's hope that works out! Lord, I pray for big things in these next 31 days, and I pray that I see extravagant blessings every single day.

- We're supposed to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise with Nkosi tomorrow morning but I don't think that's going to actually happen.

- Unfortunately, Nkosi goes back to Bulawayo tomorrow, but Chris is picking up an environmentalist from Harare on the way back to the farm! He will be doing a workshop in the schools to help them conserve what they have on Tuesday and Wednesday.

July 2, 2011

- First day of running and it was rough

- Relaxing day with Nkosi, Mason and Heather just talking and sitting in the sun. Everyone needed to recharge before our big weeks this week. I was even able to fit in an hour and a half nap. Unbelievable.

- The newly installed solar geyser started working today so now everyone can have hot showers and Chris and Norma's water bill will be much less!

- Rode Tawny and Tallulah this morning and Tawny was FEISTY.

- Watched the Rugby game during dinner. New Zealand (Crusaders) beat S.A. (Stormers)

- Had a powerful conversation with Heather (one of the missionaries with us right now) about not living captive to my fears. She said we are only told to fear one thing and that is God. And we fear Him with trembling knees at His feet because HE is so righteous and pure and holy. She told me to do a fear study and just say, "Ok God, I have 5 weeks left at this place where I am isolated with You. I want you to heal these things in me and fill these fears with Your love." And to do something symbolic of leaving my fears behind me here and never going back to them. I feel challenged now.

- Listened to Nkosi tell us about the adversities YL faces here in Zim and we have a powerful time of prayer for him after dinner. Mason and I also learned a lot about the Ndebele culture.... simply fascinating.

July 1, 2011

- Went Dossie hunting but failed

- Found a chicken fetus in my cracked egg when I was making a cake

- Started my notecards wth comprehensio questions and vocab for the primary schools to use when we come and read to them

- Ate burritos for dinner

- Dreams about home that made me miss home a LOT

June 30, 2011 - Relaxation           

            Today I woke up not feeling well at all. I slept through my alarm by an hour and when I did wake up I had no appetite at all. I just sat there with my morning pills in hand and didn’t move at all for about 30 minutes and didn’t even realize it. I finally pushed myself to take my pills, read my Jesus Calling, and get dressed. When I went outside I saw Chris and he asked me about my symptoms and said a prayer for me. It was such a sweet prayer and exactly what I needed to hear. I told him I just needed to move, so he let Mason and I take his and Norma’s bike out for a ride. We meant to only go about 4 miles, but we ended up going 12K and it felt SO good to just have my blood flowing and really breathing the air.

When we got back, there wasn’t much to do. We took advantage of it because this next week is going to be busy and active. We read, talked, laughed, sat in the sun on Chris’s porch, prayed, and had some meditation time. It was so healthy and revitalizing for our minds and hearts. Chris also decided that he would start calling me “Fred” from now on because it is easier for him to remember and he won’t keep mixing my name up with Heather’s. He is now referred to as “Georgey.”

I am kind of glad that I am not fighting this whole womanly side of me coming out like I once would, because I think it shows a certain malleability I have right now with transformation and accepting the real me – the God-designed me. I am also thankful because it is bringing out a more gentle, servant-minded me that I don’t feel in touch with nearly often enough. My prayer is that the Lord would teach me how being a strong woman (from the inside out) can and should be used for the best work for His Kingdom. You made me, Father. Please help me take advantage of this freedom and little distraction to get in touch with the raw me and have YOU piece me back together little by little. I am yours.

At dinner, Heather and John told me about 3 medical missions agencies to look in to so that makes me really hopeful. Heather also said something very interesting. She said that in prayer for their decision on locations for missions, she had to make sure they made the decision inside God’s will rather than out of their own passions. Meaning, someone who just loves Africa can say, “Africa, here I come!!” so willingly, but that does not mean it is God’s will for them to be in Africa. Oh, we do that all the time, don’t we? Please show me where I stand. I praise you for this day.

June 29, 2011 – Bulawayo, Airport, Workshop

            Yesterday Norma, Mason and I went in to town to run errands and stock up on food. We had to restock our food for the orphan feedings and that took us to a scary part of downtown. Mason and Norma went in a while as I waited in the car to make sure no one tried to break in. We also went to a stock feed place where Norma bought horse feed. We went to Dennis’ and he got the internet to work on my computer so that was fantastic! We also got ice cream on our way out of town and it was alright. You could really taste their cream. Before the ice cream, we went out to Air Zimbabwe airport to collect my bag and Mason was taken back with my bag and asked many questions and I’m sure he did MUCH better than I ever would have. Thank you, Mason.

            Today was the first day of Heather Witherow’s literacy workshop with the teachers in the general area and it has been really humbling and neat to listen to how smart her thinking, speaking, and analyzing is in terms of teaching methods. There is no doubt that having 2 almost autistic sons has not helped her and blessed her abilities in some way. Praise the Lord. One of her 3 boys loves Andy Stanley and he gets up on some of the rocks and just recites his sermons word-for-word and it is just a hoot! Heather and her husband John are really net people with a real passion for following the Lord step.by.step. I’ve learned a lot just observing and listening to them. How cool. Missionaries from Oregon now living in South Africa.

            A few nights ago I ate guavas for the first time in my life and they were SPECTACULAR. Especially with vanilla yogurt. I seriously have a new obsession. And today I also made pudding for cake icing and mayonnaise for coleslaw for the teacher’s workshop. I hate mayonnaise so that was interesting to have to taste test . . . YUCKIE. I have to say, though, that I have really enjoyed being with the women and doing what these women do and just letting the boys be men.

June 28, 2011

            Today I learned that I no longer want to live to please everyone’s emotions because those always change. They are temporary and typically unpredictable. I want to live as a vessel worthy of helping the Lord move people’s hearts, because You are eternal. My biggest roadblock right now is pride and unforgiveness, so if you could please be praying for those to be broken down in me and replaced with humility and grace, I would greatly appreciate it. I want to stop living for myself and my own comfort and instead live as a declaration of the beauty of Your Son’s death. I pray for this land and for these people that You would mend it back together with Your right hand, and You would frustrate the plans of the wicked. And also prayers that Mason and I can learn how to be peacemakers with one another and become better and better supports and encouragements for one another.

            Thank you for reuniting me with my bag today and thank you that Mason left the interrogation at customs safely. Please sustain my body without my one prescription – You made my body so please help me with the upkeep J

June 27, 2011 – Step In Trust

“ Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” – Psalm 143:8

“‘What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I promised you.’ . . .Then Jacob made this vow: ‘If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshipping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.’” – Genesis 28:15. 20-22

Mason and I just had a conversation about our personal schedules the last 3 days. He has been very busy at work with the guys and doing a fantastic, whole-hearted job all 3 days. Whereas, I have been able to go for a ride each morning, help cook and clean dishes a little bit, set up the solar panels so batteries can be charged, and work on some behind-the-scenes tasks for the teachers workshop tomorrow. Even though my schedule is different to my plan and Mason’s is exactly as planned, I am thankful for the help I could provide these past few days and I trust that all other plans will play out exactly as needed.

When I came in and read Jesus Calling I felt even more comforted because I do believe that as long as you are looking to Him in every moment, contemplating things of heaven and serving Him, then the Lord honors that and every moment will be fulfilled and full of life and joy. To me, there is no greater feeling than serving my heavenly Father with a humble heart. Then when I read the verses (my favorite part), I was even MORE excited for what the Lord has in store for me here! Coming on this trip I had a general idea of how I wanted to serve these people, but I knew everything was subject to change considering my location. So in a sense, I’m not really disappointed at all at the way these past 3 days have gone because I have been able to enjoy and experience the type of home life I have always wanted to live. I have been able to see how I react in different situations, my own level of humility, honesty, and selflessness amidst a new setting and environment, and what sort of things do and don’t grab my attention or reach out to my heart. So where I may not be personally serving Zimbabweans in the community yet, I have been learning extremely important things about myself that I must be in touch with and working on if I choose to live a life of missions and service under the name of Christ. I am now, as the verse says, trusting the Lord and looking to Him with each step of each day, trusting and knowing that I am covered in His grace and love.

And I just love the second verse because I would love to know that God promises to bring me back to Africa!! And He most certainly has provided me with more and better food than I prepared for, enough clothes to keep me warm until I can reunite with my own, Morning Star is SUCH a place of worship and service, and I feel the same way that He is protecting me each day. I have no fears or no doubts about my safety here. Love you, Lord!