Josh and I have had a tremendous talking to and learning from our country director and his wife (this week, we are doing orientation). They are firm in their opinions, and love Jesus with all their hearts. They are not just nominal Christians, but followers of Christ. It has been a privilege listening to what God has shown them.
I have begun reading a book I borrowed from them this week, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, by Shane Claiborne. Although I agree with only about 60-70% of what he says, I wholeheartedly recommend it. He has the most important stuff right. Even when you don’t agree with the author, this book will challenge you to examine your beliefs, and how you live them out. It doesn’t hurt that he has an entertaining writing style, and lots of fun anecdotes.
Here’s what the book has reminded me of: I want to be radical. I want to genuinely love the people no one else wants to love, not just in Africa, but at home, too. One person at a time. And I mean REALLY love them, not the I-don’t-hate-you-so-that-means-I-love-you fallacy that has invaded the Church. I want to be a friend to them, to share my life with them and theirs with me. I want to give generously because it is my heart’s desire, and not just an obligation. How many coats do you need anyway? (see Matthew 5:40)
“Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality, as with the ordinary church
member. Courage without love and wisdom is foolhardiness, as with the ordinary
soldier. Wisdom without love and courage is cowardice, as with the ordinary
intellectual. But the one who has love, courage, and wisdom moves the world.”
-Ammon Hennacy
The term “christian” has lost its flavor (Matthew 5:14-16). I want to be a radical follower of Christ. Semantics? Maybe. But for those who are serious, the world needs to be prepared for a change.
To be continued…
Saturday, April 11, 2009
My Random Little Blog Schedule
Computers in Rehoboth are different. And, it seems, also on Africa time (more about that later). It is due to this that I beg you to bear with me. Pictures will often looked clumped together. Text may look funny or be oddly spaced. I can only upload about once a week (so, you may get 10 posts in one day).
We are still figuring this out here, people. I estimate all errors will be ironed out in 6 or so months. Definitely in 10 :).
We're in this together.
We are still figuring this out here, people. I estimate all errors will be ironed out in 6 or so months. Definitely in 10 :).
We're in this together.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
On Being African
I am not sure if I’ve ever been someplace more different from the U.S. Sure, Barack Obama and Britney Spears are known to some here, but beyond that, life is just…SO different.
We walk everywhere. We don’t have a car, so it’s an absolute necessity. We are getting used to it. I had never realized how much vehicles isolate us from those around us. We have had many pleasant, spontaneous conversations with strangers on our strolls through town.
It is sunny all the time here (LOVE that). And hot (less fond of the heat). Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Afrikaans is the main language spoken in Namibia. It is a combination of Dutch and tribal languages. However, it is not uncommon for someone to speak 8 or 9 different languages here, due to the multitude of tribes in a relatively small area.
The currency is the Namibian dollar. The exchange rate is around 10:1 with the US dollar, but it fluctuates quite a bit.
Family is seen somewhat differently in Africa, and you find few examples of the traditional nuclear family. Often many generations will live together in one house, or a child will live with their aunt and uncle, or with an older sibling. Sometimes couples are married but live apart due to employment (this is especially true with mining).
Food is different here, very basic. Plain pasta, plain potatoes, plain rice, etc. And lots of meat. Every kind of meat: beef, lamb, goat, pork, zebra, ostrich, alligator, snake, you name it… In fact, they don’t consider chicken or fish to be meat. I am pretty much desperate for Mexican food. And Italian. And Chinese. And especially Mom’s cooking. The familiar…
Grocery store stock is very fluid. If you see something you want, buy it now, because it won’t be there later.
People here are… cautious. They want to be friendly, but they have been hurt so badly in the past that they are sometimes suspicious.
There is this thing called “Africa Time.” Basically, it means that time is not the focus. It is not unheard of for someone to show up 3 hours late for a party, but that’s okay, because the party doesn’t start until people get here. They are very relational people, and finishing a conversation in more important to them than being on time to their next appointment. Let’s just say I will be glad to return to American time. I can embrace Africa time while I am here, but I have no intention of adopting it as a permanent lifestyle. Josh, on the other hand…
We walk everywhere. We don’t have a car, so it’s an absolute necessity. We are getting used to it. I had never realized how much vehicles isolate us from those around us. We have had many pleasant, spontaneous conversations with strangers on our strolls through town.
It is sunny all the time here (LOVE that). And hot (less fond of the heat). Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Afrikaans is the main language spoken in Namibia. It is a combination of Dutch and tribal languages. However, it is not uncommon for someone to speak 8 or 9 different languages here, due to the multitude of tribes in a relatively small area.
The currency is the Namibian dollar. The exchange rate is around 10:1 with the US dollar, but it fluctuates quite a bit.
Family is seen somewhat differently in Africa, and you find few examples of the traditional nuclear family. Often many generations will live together in one house, or a child will live with their aunt and uncle, or with an older sibling. Sometimes couples are married but live apart due to employment (this is especially true with mining).
Food is different here, very basic. Plain pasta, plain potatoes, plain rice, etc. And lots of meat. Every kind of meat: beef, lamb, goat, pork, zebra, ostrich, alligator, snake, you name it… In fact, they don’t consider chicken or fish to be meat. I am pretty much desperate for Mexican food. And Italian. And Chinese. And especially Mom’s cooking. The familiar…
Grocery store stock is very fluid. If you see something you want, buy it now, because it won’t be there later.
People here are… cautious. They want to be friendly, but they have been hurt so badly in the past that they are sometimes suspicious.
There is this thing called “Africa Time.” Basically, it means that time is not the focus. It is not unheard of for someone to show up 3 hours late for a party, but that’s okay, because the party doesn’t start until people get here. They are very relational people, and finishing a conversation in more important to them than being on time to their next appointment. Let’s just say I will be glad to return to American time. I can embrace Africa time while I am here, but I have no intention of adopting it as a permanent lifestyle. Josh, on the other hand…
Faith & Reason (written 3/25/09)
“Even if there were no Heaven and no hell, would you still follow Jesus? Would you follow Him for the life, joy, and fulfillment he gives you right now?”
- Tony Campolo
When I read this quote, it caught me off-guard. I mean, we basically use the fact that Jesus can keep you out of hell as a main “selling point” for why people should believe (see Pascal’s Wager). If you had asked me, when I first acknowledged Jesus as my Savior, why I did it, I would have said something like, “Because Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins.” The theology’s not perfect, but I was only in elementary school.
No wonder the church has such a difficult time getting Christians to live out their faith. We turn choosing to follow Christ into a one-time deal. If I just accept Christ, then I’ll be covered. I can go on living life as usual, AND be saved from hell! I don’t blame people for being confused; the emphasis often seems to be on making that “choice.” How many times have you been in church when the congregation is asked if any of them chose to follow or led someone to Christ recently. We have public alter calls at concerts and conferences and revivals. I even know of several churches and missions organizations who include the number of new “converts” in a yearly report. Is that how we measure success? Now, I know we like to see hard data, even in religion, but I think we’ve gotten a little carried away.
In reality, faith is not a one-time choice, but a choice we must make everyday, sometimes many times per day. It is a lifetime conversion process. The choice is not only about acknowledging Jesus as my Savior, but choosing to follow His will instead of my own, choosing to follow His directions instead of my own ideas, and choosing to turn away from sin. It’s talking to dirty beggars, playing with lice-infested kids, not being bitter to those who have wronged us, sharing what we have, choosing to spend time focused on God rather than watching TV or surfing the internet, smiling at people we pass on the street, touching those infected with HIV/AIDS, who are rarely touched, loving the least…it is not easy to follow Him.
But as they say, “Easy things are rarely worth doing, and things worth doing are rarely easy.”
The catch is that the payoff comes once we have already made the decision to follow, to sacrifice, to obey. That’s when we are shown the “life, joy, and fulfillment” in Christ. After all, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we cannot see” -Hebrews 11:1
How would you answer Tony Campolo’s question?
First Day (written 3/23/09)
Today we got the first glimpse of what a normal Namibian day may look like for us: we woke up in our host home, went to the youth center, worked with Brittany and Steven, worked on remodeling the building, said good-bye to Lulu, ate lunch, played with the kids after school, walked home, shower, quiet time, etc.
Although ours is mostly a relational ministry, there is something to be said for manual labor. It gives us an activity to complete, a temporary purpose, which is helpful during this time of transition.
Today I stood in the doorway to the youth center, and just asked God what we are here for. Why has He asked us to make sacrifices to follow His command to come here- comfort, time, energy, vanity, financial security, leisure, control, being with family and friends… How will He use that?
There is so much to be done. We really don’t know anyone here very well yet. We miss our friends and family. There is no place we have found (yet) where we can be completely alone with God, where we can sing or dance or cry free from judgment. We are learning a knew language and culture…it is overwhelming.
All that gets me through right now are God’s promises: that I am His child, that I cannot be separated from His love, that He has a perfect plan for my life, that I can do all things through Christ…
I usually read the same number Proverbs as the day of the month (Proverbs 1 on the 1st, 2 on the 2nd, and so on). For some reason, today I thought I should do the same thing with Psalms. It didn’t hit me until I saw it: Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
Doesn’t that just say it all?
I could have stopped there and gotten the message, but I continued:
He makes me lay down in green pastures,
He leads me beside the still water.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
For you are with me,
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil,
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
I shall not want. I have all I need. Even in emotionally challenging times, He is all I need.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all our wants are met: a dinner at Casa with family and friends would be lovely.
This adventure in Africa is a reminder that our desire for comfort, familiarity, and control must always be superceded by our desire for Christ.
Although ours is mostly a relational ministry, there is something to be said for manual labor. It gives us an activity to complete, a temporary purpose, which is helpful during this time of transition.
Today I stood in the doorway to the youth center, and just asked God what we are here for. Why has He asked us to make sacrifices to follow His command to come here- comfort, time, energy, vanity, financial security, leisure, control, being with family and friends… How will He use that?
There is so much to be done. We really don’t know anyone here very well yet. We miss our friends and family. There is no place we have found (yet) where we can be completely alone with God, where we can sing or dance or cry free from judgment. We are learning a knew language and culture…it is overwhelming.
All that gets me through right now are God’s promises: that I am His child, that I cannot be separated from His love, that He has a perfect plan for my life, that I can do all things through Christ…
I usually read the same number Proverbs as the day of the month (Proverbs 1 on the 1st, 2 on the 2nd, and so on). For some reason, today I thought I should do the same thing with Psalms. It didn’t hit me until I saw it: Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
Doesn’t that just say it all?
I could have stopped there and gotten the message, but I continued:
He makes me lay down in green pastures,
He leads me beside the still water.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
For you are with me,
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil,
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
I shall not want. I have all I need. Even in emotionally challenging times, He is all I need.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all our wants are met: a dinner at Casa with family and friends would be lovely.
This adventure in Africa is a reminder that our desire for comfort, familiarity, and control must always be superceded by our desire for Christ.
The REAL Namibia (written 3/22/09)
Everything I thought about Namibia is wrong.
Well, mostly. It is really hot here.
As it turns out, the resources we relied on most heavily are more focused on eastern Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, etc.). So, not here…
Anyway, after we unlearned what we thought we knew, we were inundated with all sorts of new information. A sprinkling of what we now know is true:
It is hot. REALLY hot. And very dry. It was around 90 degrees yesterday, and this is Fall.
The seasons are opposite here. However, given that the temperature will be in the 60s and 70s, “winter” will feel like summer to us.
At one point, we thought we were going to be coming here in early February. Around that time, we had a cold snap in which wind chills were around -60 degrees. It was around 110 degrees here, which would have made a difference of 170 degrees. I think God just didn’t want our bodies to combust.
We are living with a host family in a small house. Our host mother has a grandson.
We have a toilet! After serving in China (see squatty-potties), you can imagine the jig of joy I wanted to perform. I didn’t know anyone here at the time, so I kept it to myself. They say you can only make one first impression. I didn’t want to be known as the girl who gets really excited about plumbing. Incidentally, when toilets flush in the southern hemisphere, the water apparently swirls in an opposite direction than those in the north.
We begin working with the youth center building tomorrow. We are so excited to meet the people involved!
The highways in Namibia are in very good condition. Driving rules tend to be a little more (ahem) relaxed, but we will adjust.
Here we drive on the left side of the road. Actually, we don’t have a vehicle, so we ride on the left side.
Dye on Namibian sheets is not colorfast. I have the blue hands and feet to prove it.
Apartheid ravaged Namibia at the same time it did South Africa. There are still very deep wounds as a result.
Apparently, we are really, really white. Skin color means a lot here. Also, light blue eyes and blonde hair are not common here, so small children love to touch and stare at us, and giggle. We are semi-celebrities in this town. We will never blend in here. I never appreciated the anonymity it is possible to have in the US, but I see it now. Still, I have no sympathy for all the famous people who complain about their lack of privacy. All choices have consequences. Besides, the $100 million salary should take the edge off.
The Rineer family is lovely. We miss them already.
WWYD (What Would You Do)?
According to a sermon I heard a while back, there are approximately 168,000 martyrs each year for the Christian faith. I feel sick after hearing about one, but 168,000. After serving in China, and being a fan of the Jesus Freaks series, I knew there were present-day martyrs. I thought there were may like 100 per year or something. One-hundred sixty-eight thousand people are dying for Christ each year. Oh, and let’s not forget those that survive, but are maimed and tortured for the faith.
I once heard a sermon from Chuck Swindoll on the mountains and valleys of the Christian life. Essentially, he said that if you aren’t in a valley now, you will be.
Why? Because we are enemies of the Enemy.
Paul tells us no to be surprised at our trials, and exhorts us to be glad of suffering because it makes us partners in Christ’s suffering (1 Peter 4:12-13).
Right.
I am guessing some of you are nodding in agreement. After all, this is not a new verse, and you have surely heard it before. But have you ever REALLY suffered for Christ? As for me, I have endured challenges from being obedient to the Lord, but I am not sure I have ever truly suffered. Not that I am asking for it or anything…it just got me thinking: how far would I go to honor God?
What would you do? Don’t just say “anything” and be done- think it through. Would you sell your house and all your belongings to live in a cardboard box? Would you move around the world to a place where nobody knows you, knowing you could never see anyone you love again? Would you accept circumstances that are “boring” and “everyday” without complaint? Would you continue to follow the Lord if you developed a painful disease or suddenly lost all your loved ones? Would you give up your life, like the 168,000 Christian martyrs each year? Let’s make it harder: would you give up your child’s life to honor God?
Would you give up your child’s life to save one person from eternal separation from God? I’m pretty sure I might not. But God would have given His son for just one of us.
I can’t even comprehend that.
How can we lead others to Christ, knowing they will suffer? Of all the cultures we’ve worked with, Americans are the most terrified of suffering. We expect things to be easy: running water, fast food, email, instant text messaging. To suffer by choice is incomprehensible. However, when people have already experienced suffering, they seem more willing to suffer for Christ. To them, it is a small price to pay for eternal life with the Lord.
I have much yet to learn.
I once heard a sermon from Chuck Swindoll on the mountains and valleys of the Christian life. Essentially, he said that if you aren’t in a valley now, you will be.
Why? Because we are enemies of the Enemy.
Paul tells us no to be surprised at our trials, and exhorts us to be glad of suffering because it makes us partners in Christ’s suffering (1 Peter 4:12-13).
Right.
I am guessing some of you are nodding in agreement. After all, this is not a new verse, and you have surely heard it before. But have you ever REALLY suffered for Christ? As for me, I have endured challenges from being obedient to the Lord, but I am not sure I have ever truly suffered. Not that I am asking for it or anything…it just got me thinking: how far would I go to honor God?
What would you do? Don’t just say “anything” and be done- think it through. Would you sell your house and all your belongings to live in a cardboard box? Would you move around the world to a place where nobody knows you, knowing you could never see anyone you love again? Would you accept circumstances that are “boring” and “everyday” without complaint? Would you continue to follow the Lord if you developed a painful disease or suddenly lost all your loved ones? Would you give up your life, like the 168,000 Christian martyrs each year? Let’s make it harder: would you give up your child’s life to honor God?
Would you give up your child’s life to save one person from eternal separation from God? I’m pretty sure I might not. But God would have given His son for just one of us.
I can’t even comprehend that.
How can we lead others to Christ, knowing they will suffer? Of all the cultures we’ve worked with, Americans are the most terrified of suffering. We expect things to be easy: running water, fast food, email, instant text messaging. To suffer by choice is incomprehensible. However, when people have already experienced suffering, they seem more willing to suffer for Christ. To them, it is a small price to pay for eternal life with the Lord.
I have much yet to learn.
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