Zanzibar

We got to go to Zanzibar again this past weekend! We kind of just decided to pick up and go...I was talking to Whit one day and just said let's go to Zanzibar and since we weren't going to Zambia anymore we knew it was quite plausible. It was a great weekend to get away since a team is coming in this weekend. So we packed up and left and this time we stayed on the beach on the east coast, the area is called Paje Beach. It was amazing! Absolutely clear blue water and white powdery sand, who could ask for anything better? We got there Friday, laid on the beach for a while then walked along the coast for a while and that was about it. And all day Saturday we laid on the beach and walked the other way down the coast and that was about it. What a life huh? I'm so grateful that the Lord provides these kind of opportunities! A rest from life in Dar is definitely what I needed at this point. I love it here but going and going can be quite tiresome especially when the Lord is stripping you of yourself in the midst of being somewhere completely unfamiliar and uncomfortable. And it was so great that as we rode home in our taxi we all said that we were glad to be home. There's really not much to say about the trip...the Lord provided rest and refreshment and taught me a few more things about myself...things that were more of a reassurance of the truth that I hold fast to, reassurance in that I am here to bring Him glory...that through that I persevere and am able to be holy because He lives within me...anyway, just a taste of what He showed me through this weekend. So here are some pictures...

heading out on the ferry...this was the much calmer ferry ride, we all made it without any hitches (Whit didn't feel so well on the way home)

This is BEAUTIFUL Paje Beach...probably can't tell from the picture that it's so beautiful, so I'm thinking you should just come visit me and I'll take you there

yup...them's are some cows, taking a stroll down the beach...i live in Africa, nothing surprises me anymore

the three of us during our stroll...that's Keri, me and Whit by the way

you know this girl has to have at least one picture of a sunset posted...don't worry kids, i've got plenty pictures of the sun setting, this isn't the only one!

The Valley

For the past week and a half I've been learning a lot about valleys and mountaintops in relation to this walk as a follower of Christ. And basically what I've learned is that for the most part I've been striving to climb the mountain and get to the top and stay there while really I should be in the valley. I do strive to get to the mountaintop for that is where you see the glory of the Lord and I desire for that. But being in the valley is where you bring glory to the Lord and that's the whole purpose of this life anyway. I've also realized that when you are on the mountaintop there aren't any people around to share the truth with, they are all in the valley. And I've been called to go and make disciples so I shouldn't be on the mountaintop for long. So my perspective on the valley has changed and that's where I desire to be. Little did I know that when I shared this with God, He would bring me there. For in the valley is where you learn a lot about yourself and when you are being refined. In the valley is where it is tough and where being stretched hurts. And that has been happening a lot in the past few weeks. As I said in one of my recent posts I'm being stretched and refined and I can feel the pull and it hurts. I've realized so much in the past week of how selfish I really am and I don't like it. And it's something I lay down over and over again yet pick it back up. Why do I continue to pick it back up? I don't know but I do. So it's something that the Lord is trying to refine and I'm trying to fight it. I don't want to fight it anymore. I desire to be made completely His and my selfishness can be something that stands in the way. So yup, I told the Lord to take me to the valley and refine me and that's what He's doing. And to the valley I go because my purpose in life is to bring Him glory.

No Go on Zambia

Yet again I was told that I should prepare to go to Zambia for a month and am no longer going. Which I am very excited about. During the month of November I was suppose to take off to Zambia and go through some more training. Basically they wanted to send me back to "the farm" except it would be located in Zambia and not in Virginia. And while I was there I would again be learning about culture and how to learn a language and health issues, etc. Things that I thought I learned back between March and May. I wasn't really happy about this because I didn't want to have to leave the relationships I have started to build and then have to return and almost have to start all over again. And on top of that I was going to be out of what I now know as familiar during a month that will most likely be very hard for me due to Thanksgiving and my birthday taking place then. I had let go of my selfishness on this though because I knew that if the Lord wanted me there He was going to take me there. I came to a point where I realized that you know what I'm doing here in Dar is not really my ministry and my doing anyway, it's the Lord's. And so if He wanted me to go somewhere else and speak truth into the lives that I came across there I would go. He did tell me to pick up and move to Africa and here I am. Who's to say that for the next two years He's going to keep me here the whole time anyway? Only Him! So by His power I was able to say ok if Zambia is where I am to be during November then to Zambia I will go. And I just trusted that He was going to take care of the relationships that I had already started building. You know He was here before I got here, He's still here while I'm here and He will still be here when I leave. But the minds of some people were changed and here I am not going to Zambia. So basically want to leave you with this...wherever the Lord leads I will follow...He is what life is all about anyway!

Reflections

Now that my friend has left I've had a whole heck of a lot of time to reflect and quite frankly I'm not sure that I've enjoyed it so much. There are a lot of things that God is teaching me and probably has tried to teach me for a long time but I've been able to ignore them. It's just one of those times that He's saying, "yup, you can't ignore this anymore!" And well, let's just say my heart is breaking into pieces, but with a broken and contrite heart I come before the Father because that is what He wants. So I've been reflecting a lot on why this past week has been so difficult for me. And this is what God brought me to. The friend that came well she's basically amazing and it's because of Christ in her. I miss the easiness of that relationship. The girls I meet on campus, well they are awesome too, but there is so much more effort I have to put into building the relationship. They have so many walls that I don't know how to tear down and it is stretching me beyond belief so much so that I can feel the pulling. It's a good pulling, but nonetheless it hurts and I don't want to have to go through it. I know that's why I've ignored Him, that's the only reason I ever ignore Him because I don't want to have to go through it, I don't want to have to hurt, I'm a selfish being and it's ridiculous. Who am I that I can think even for a short moment that I deserve anything, that I deserve for things to never hurt? WHO AM I? I am no one, I am but a breath that can be taken away at any moment. But yet, He looks at me and loves me and He calls me His daughter anyway! And through all of this, He sat there and told me, "You know the next two years, you aren't going to have easy relationships. It is going to be hard and you are going to have to put more effort into them. But I'm doing this because you lack in complete reliance on Me. For so many years I've provided relationships that you can turn to when you need. Now I want you for Myself. I want you to completely rely on Me for everything. I'm stripping you of you and I know it hurts, but trust Me. Trust Me, I will hold you through it." So yea, it hurts and I'm not enjoying being stripped of myself but He is good! And even though I have to go through this I will still sit here and praise Him. I will still come before Him in awe and wonderment and I will still walk in His ways, in complete obedience to Him!

Yay for Absolutely Incredible, Amazing, Beautiful Friends!

For about over a week my amazing friend, Amber, was in town! She got here a couple of Fridays ago...in the middle of the night, mind you, but hey we got an extra day out of it so I was happy to stay up until all hours of the night. First time I've done that in quite a few years...man, been out of college too long. But we still got up decently early and headed out to town to do a few things anyway...like a pedicure...that was fun, wish they would have massaged my feet a little longer, but alas, I'm not in America. So we didn't do an extreme amount of stuff around here...mostly we went to campus to visit my friends and we went to the beach, which, of course, is the best ever. We stayed at this cute little bungalow and pretty much just laid on the beach for two days. It was nice to get away for a while and just be able to sit still in the presence of the Lord. And to be able to do that with one of the best people in the world was just awesome...to be honest words cannot describe. It all definitely felt like home with her around. To be able to talk like old times and share what's going on knowing that she understands and could pretty much read me like a book was the best. And to top it all off, the Lord didn't think that the one week was enough for Amber to be here and so her flight was delayed and we got 4 extra days. Yippee! I wish there were words to describe what this time meant to me but there are none that really could portray it so that you might understand...so I will head to the Word of God...no better words than what is in there anyway.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
AND
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." John 15:13

And this is the post that my friend did...she has more of cultural craziness in hers...

TOP 10 DAR ES SALAAM!
So this past week I’ve been in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to visit a good friend and I thought I’d give you my “Top Ten Reasons to Visit Dar” complete with pictures. Then my plane got delayed a few days so I’m still here and thought I’d add another number for the extra days:

11. English Magazines (All the best – Time, The Economist, GQ…you can probably guess which two I bought).

10. On the Road Stuff: awesome billboards, driving on the “wrong” side of the street and ghetto rigged radio (you have to set these things up if your stereo gets stolen).

9. Two words: Dr. Pepper. It just makes the world taste better. (So do A&W rootbeer and crunchy Cheetos!)

8. Bungalows and the Beach. These are at Kipepeo Beach where Mar and I spent one night on the beach. The place is pretty much complete with restaurant/bar, rooms, the beach and the Indian Ocean. You know a girl from FL has to have the beach on her Top 10!

7. Pedicures. Yeah, we get gross feet in Queensland and having someone else scrub ‘em off, rub ‘em and paint my toenails a pretty pink was amazing.

6. Mama P’s Gingersnaps. That’s right - my mommie’s package of cookies for Marissa arrived while I was in Dar so I got to enjoy them too!!! They are delicious, and you should request your own box sometime or at least ask for the recipe.

5. Restaurants: seafood, Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, American, Tanzanian…mmmmmm.

4. Short sleeves and no bandanas - all day everyday inside and outside.

3. Green grass and awesome students at University of Dar es Salaam. I got to meet lots of the girls Marissa works with and we had some beautiful bonding time on the grass hanging out under the trees. That is something I really miss from UF so it was just like hanging out at home. I also went to their on campus Sunday service which pretty much rocked it just like GCL (my college church). I felt like I was at home for a couple hours there.

2. Marissa! Yes, the best thing about visiting Dar is my friend Marissa. We basically spent the whole week encouraging each other and getting to work out some of our experiences from the last few months. She took me in and created safe space for me to vent, cry, laugh, joke around and just chill with her for a week. It was refreshing to have such a close friend sing my song back to me when I had forgotten some parts. I am thankful for this week and for everyone who lifted it up.

1. Flying regional airlines that cancel/delay and getting bonus days with Marissa!

Busy...

Hey everyone! I just wanted to make sure you knew I didn't fall off the face of the earth. My friend is in town and we've been having a blast and very busy. It's been great to have her here and be able to be encouraged and to be encouraging. So I just wanted to let you know I'm still here and doing well. Actually doing pretty amazing! One of my closest friends is here what could be better?!? Pictures will come at a later date.

More Internet...

Well, our internet is still just chugging along. Hardly ever working which isn't a whole lot of fun when you are trying to communicate with people back home. At this very moment in time it's working, not very well mind you, but who knows what will happen in the next few minutes. Of course, we did decide to invest in getting an antenna on our roof or wherever they actually put the thing (you'll see why I said that in a minute). But when we called they said they wished we wouldn't because at that very moment our signal was fine. He said he'd call me back in 5 minutes and guess what...he didn't. So the next day we went up to the office to talk to them about getting an antenna. Well the trip to downtown took longer than it did to talk to the guy about getting an antenna. He said he didn't think they had one in stock but if they did they would be out the next day otherwise it would be the next week, but he would call me soon. To my surprise he called yesterday morning to tell me they would be out in an hour. Of course that didn't happen and about two hours after they called the electricity went out. And five minutes later is when they decide to show up. Go figure...they couldn't do anything when the electricity was out. Probably a little less than an hour after that the electricity came back on. But alas no workers to come hook up the antenna. And well the antenna was not what I was thinking it would be and I'm not sure where they actually put it. It kind of looks like a power strip (without the sockets of course) and then has a cord coming out of it to be plugged into something...what I have no idea. Hopefully they will come out tomorrow as they said they would and this will all be taking care of. I'm also hoping that the signal will be so good that the internet works a lot faster and maybe, just maybe I'll be able to keep updated on football scores while the games are taking place. But I'm not banking on it. Hopeful, but very realistic.
On other news...a very good friend of mine is coming out to visit me and will be here in less than 5 days! Woohoo! I can't believe it's almost here. Continue to be praying for our time together, that we would both have words of encouragement and wisdom that only come from the Father.
And also, I'm now studying 5 books in the Bible, well actually 4 but I'm preparing for 5 different things. Currently I'm going through 2 Kings for my own personal enjoyment. And well I could stop that, but I've really been excited about going through the history that I find it hard to just stop. So I don't think I will. But now I'm involved in 4 Bible studies. One, Hebrews, I only have to facilitate every few weeks so that won't be bad but I still have to be prepared for discussion. Another, Peter, I co-lead so for the most part I won't have to do much preparing except every other week and we might try to get some of the girls in it to also facilitate. And then two others, Corinthians and Chronological Bible Storying, that I definitely have to prepare for. Not complaining, just a bit overwhelmed. I've never had to prepare for 5 different Bible studies, let alone read 5 different things simultaneously. I know it will all go well and being that it is what I'm here for, I know I have the time...I just pray that I won't mix things up and confuse everyone else.