A Promise of Home Through the Unknown
A poem for those longing for heaven. You’ll never belong to the place that you came from and never belong to the place that you go. You’re stuck in the middle with no place to feel safe, with no people or town to call home. When God called to Abram, he said, “Leave your people. Just trust me: I’ve got you. Now go. I’ll show you a land full of blessings and hope. If you trust me, I’ll make it a home.” So Abram set out full of questions to roam through the earth and the path set before him. He tried and he failed to do things his way, but he called on the name of the Lord. He built… Read more
Living Water
After this outreach I was thinking of how much I needed to rest and yet knowing all that needed to be done. I then came down with the stomach bug and spent three days in bed and I can truly day it was the most healing week. No sickness is ever a victory of the enemy or a slip in the Father’s plan, it’s apart of it. The past two times O have gotten sick during these eight months of being away from home has always been an act of love from the Father. He knew my need to talk with Him and just be held as I weeped. Crying over fear, unmet expectations, and the ache of longing… Read moreFar From Home ไกลบ้าน (Klai Baan)
I walked down a corridor in the Thai history museum I was visiting with my language class. The air conditioning made me shiver and I paused as a poster on the wall caught my eye. “In 1907, King Rama V of Thailand traveled to Europe and kept a journal of his visit. He titled the book “Klai Baan,” which means “Far From Home.” I read the title again, frowning. I had learned that phrase in just the past week in school, and I cocked my head in realization that I understood what those words meant without a translation. Far from home. I understood what that meant too. I stood in silence for a moment… Read moreThe Statue that Needed Water
During my second week of language school in Bangkok, Thailand, a small Buddha statue sat decorated in the lobby of my school. For Songkran, the Thai New Year that is celebrated from April 13th to 15th, people pour water over a Buddha statue's head as a gesture of honor to cool the Buddha off from the brutal Bangkok heat. All of the students milling around in the lobby during class break lined up to do it. I stood there, smiling politely, but something in my spirit said, not you. My turn came, and a teacher tried to usher me to the Buddha and gestured that I should pour water over its head,… Read moreBelly Fat...
In the United States, or at the very least in my hometown, you often find women talking. I know that is a shock to you since women are normally silent..... So please know I truth when I say that women can often be found discussing the following: (a) children, their own or hopes for their own, (b) men, both those in their lives and on the big screen, and (c) body fat, either the desire for less or more. As I am here in Africa, I am fast discovering that these subjects are also the topic of much deliberation for women here. Now, forgive me for being shocked; since life here in my new home has… Read more
6 Months in Country
April 17th marked 6 months on the field! Life recently has held meals with new local friends, taking on new roles, making plans for the future, and discovering new skills. I have felt the growth in my Arabic and seen my ability to hold a conversation and meet my basic needs. The city is feeling more like home, and I’m more settled and comfortable. The arrival of spring’s flowers ushered in a change in perspective as well. After a cold, rainy winter that brought up lots of loneliness and uncertainty, the blooms of spring were a refreshing reminder of the impermanence of life. Just like the… Read more
A Season of Firsts
Throughout this season of training, one of the biggest lessons that the Lord taught me was how to depend on him. It is a lesson that I have been learning for many years, but this season of life has been one where the Lord has deepened that level of dependence. There were a lot of hard firsts… my first time being away from home longer than 4 months, my first Christmas away from home, and my first time experiencing the loss of a close family member. But through it all, God was so evidently near. This was the first time I fully experienced the comfort of the Lord in a season of true heartache.… Read more
6-month Reflections
It is hard to believe it has already been about 6 months since leaving home! It has felt like an instant and a lifetime all at once. My first 3 months were spent in the United States preparing for the field. We covered a variety of topics, from the character and nature of God, spiritual warfare, missions, and sharing the gospel. We were given training for our roles on staff. The next 3 months, we spent in Papua New Guinea putting into practice the things we learned. Our team had the opportunity to minister through prayer, house visits, street evangelism, church ministry, children’s ministry,… Read moreArm Hair
Now, I’ve never put too much thought behind arm hair. I know that there are varying standards, but it's certainly never something I have noticed about people. Although I'd say, it's obvious that there is a range from hairless cat to werewolf. Now that I’m in Africa, however, I have lovingly discovered from the local 3-5 year olds that I must be close to a werewolf. For these children, arm hair is strictly a muzungu, a ‘white’ person, attribute; therefore, it is something to thoroughly investigate as a sign of goodwill and friendship. So as with most curious children, this process involves… Read more