Devotion

I don't always do what is best for me. Foolishly, I often realize it as its happening. Lord help me.


I often think back to the time that I was in Long Beach and remember it with a sense of romance. I remember what God was doing during that time and felt quite close to Him. I felt that my ministry in church was meaningful and even powerful. I saw God moving in the communities that I was involved in and it was exciting. It was the perfect staging area for my launch into the mission field of Tanzania.

I get these random images through Zemanta. To be honest, this blog doesn't need the seal of Long Beach, just because I mentioned Long Beach, but I did it anyway. Image via Wikipedia

I now often find myself taken aback and feeling like over a year and a half later, I'm further from God. I of course chalk some of this up to seeing the past through rose-colored glasses, but I know that there's more to it than just that. As I've been reminded of the last several days, that distance has a lot to do with the way that I spent my time back then. Namely that during that season, I committed myself to spending a hour with God everyday.


I remember it quite well. I lived in the upstairs of a four unit apartment complex. Our balcony was merely a walkway, but I would set up shop there and look over the city of Long Beach. On top of my spot on Signal Hill, I could see downtown LB and beyond one direction, then Belmont Shore down into Seal Beach and beyond the other way. I set up my little fold out chair, my Oswald Chambers devotional and of course my study Bible. That time was so special, so restful and in the most important way, believe it or not, productive.


Now I find myself too busy to set aside that much time. Its disgraceful really. How I spend my time is indicative of my priorities and not spending time with the Lord is a bad sign. Now, the truth is I still read my Bible everyday and I of course pray everyday, but I'm far less intentional and the time has waned considerably.


I was convicted of this through a couple sermons that I listened to the other day. I always listen to a lot of podcasts, but during my time in the states, I fell way behind. The first was by Darren at the Garden where he challenged the congregation to do very simple disciplines that would bless God and draw us close to Him during Lent ("So two rabbis get into an argument..." on The Garden Church Long Beach iTunes podcast) and the second was by Becky Tirabassi at Rock Harbor, emphasizing the importance of the Bible and having that daily time in the word ("The Good Book: Love It. Read It. Live It" on ROCKHARBOR Messages iTunes podcast) . I knew that these two messages were just for me.


I had been holding out on starting my "read it in a year" NIV Bible, because I wanted to finish reading through my entire study Bible first, which has been a multi-year project (I'm down to three Old Testament books and three New Testament books). I had read through the Bible in a year before, but was feeling enticed to do it again. I decided after listening to the sermons that I didn't need be finicky about it and when it comes to reading the Bible, I don't need to finish one project before starting another... so I'm doing both.


Still, even after all that on Friday, I'm not spending adequate time with the Lord. So the Lord put me on my back today... literally. I pulled it the other day, but re-aggravated much worse this morning bending over for shampoo in our very small shower. Melissa has been gracious enough to take care of me, but I thank God, because I haven't been able to do much other than sit around for the day. Not only did I have time to finish Rita's book on Pastor Zablon (Its great! Go get it!), but also got to read in another book, my study Bible and my daily Bible. Furthermore, I had personal time in prayer and had devotional time with Melissa too. So necessary.


Its amazing what these times of devotion can do. Today I feel refreshed spiritually and more like God and I are on the same page. I know that if I continue to do it, its going to build me up spiritually. The fifteen minutes I've been spending has been good, but I know that there's more for me as I put more emphasis on my time with Him. I'm looking forward to returning to TOA next week not only because I'll get to be with the kids, but because for the first time this year, I'll be on a normal schedule. In that schedule I can give God my first fruits of time, quality and quantity, and make sure that I'm connected to Him daily.


Its a love relationship. We spend time with people that we love and God is anything but an exception to that. I intend to spend more time devoted to Him, just us together. I know that its in those times that we find purpose, rest and focus, for this we give praise.

Productivity

My name is Brandon and I have a problem. Something’s not clicking and I’m not sure what to make of it. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been go-go-going and am struggling to see the fruit of my labor. In my vain attempt to be productive, I feel as though I’ve succeeded in exhausting myself but failed in getting some meaningful things done. Allow me to divulge a little…


I’ve been focusing a lot on fundraising as of late. So many of those dates that I had posted on my blog site have now come and past and the big things that I’ve wanted to accomplish in the office are now done as well. I have been so focused on fulfilling my commitment to Hidden With Christ that I question if I haven’t had a bit of a trade-off and have missed something along the way. In my foolish analysis of every single thing in my life, I too question my effectiveness in what I’ve been doing for the organization; walking a way from a few consecutive events with only $30 and a new Facebook friend.


All the while, spiritual things are taking the back seat. Last time I was in the states fund raising for Hidden With Christ, the most “productive” thing that I did was taking a week to fast about it. I haven’t done that and have actually, embarrassingly, only fasted once since my three week fast back in October. My prayer life has been a bit distracted and my time reading the Bible has been diminished as well. And yet at the end of the day, I’m exhausted from all my “productivity” with all the spiritual meat essentially stripped to a minimum in my life.

Distractions

I seem to have come up against a wall of some sort here in the golden state. I keep wanting to do things and then ending my days feeling like nothing is getting done. The American culture is quite the life to be thrust back into after spending the last year in the laid back life of East Africa. I’ve always said that I love southern California, as opposed to northern California or the East Coast, because of how much more chill life is here. I’ll tell you that it doesn’t even compare to the chillness of Kilimanjaro. Its all flying by and every flashing advertisement, new fancy gadget and have-to-be-there event is only accelerating this precious experience we call life.


I had dinner with my friend Rodrigo the other day and he asked me if I felt American culture has more distractions. I said no at the time, citing that in my experience in Moshi, I was pretty constantly distracted by my loneliness and what not. That makes sense in my personal experience, but I would say that American culture has many distractions that are ingrained into the very fabric of society.


When I was cleaning out my house in Moshi, I came across my planner from 2009. As I flipped through the pages, I saw so many coffee dates, church events, errands to be run and the like all penciled into my full schedule. One might say that a planner could keep your head from spinning, but more accurately its just the thing that keeps your head spinning at a decent speed without falling off the swivel. I bought a 2010 planner before moving to Moshi and didn’t use it once. As soon as I came back though, I knew that I should get one for 2011 and sure enough its filling up and I’m trying to get stuff done without becoming too distracted by all the things vying for my attention.

Poetry Corner: Maud Muller

Amazing linguist with a righteous beard, sorry ladies, he's dead. Because this is my blog and I do what I want, I decided to post my one of my favorite poems by one of my favorite writers. This is something that I plan to do somewhat frequently (hence the whole Poetry Corner title). John Greenleaf Whittier has some great stuff and I'd recommend him. This poem paints such a vivid picture and it has a meaningful ending. Instead of babbling about it, I'll let it speak for itself. Poetry enriches our lives, breathe deep. Maud Muller, on a summer's day, Raked the meadow sweet with hay. Beneath her torn hat glowed the wealth Of simple beauty and rustic health. Singing, she wrought, and her merry glee The mock-bird echoed from his tree. But when she glanced to the far-off town, White from its hill-slope looking down, The sweet song died, and a vague unrest And a nameless longing filled her breast; A wish, that she hardly dared to own, For something better than she had known. The Judge rode slowly down the lane,  Smoothing his horse's chestnut mane: He drew his bridle in the shade Of the apple-trees, to greet the maid, And asked a draught from the spring that flowed Through the meadow across the road. She stooped where the cool spring bubbled up, And filled for him her small tin cup, And blushed as she gave it, looking down On her feet so bare, and her tattered gown. "Thanks!" said the Judge, "a sweeter draught From a fairer hand was never quaffed." He spoke of the grass, and flowers, and trees Of the singing birds and the humming bees; Then talked of the haying, and wondered whether The cloud in the west would bring foul weather. And Maud forgot her brier-torn gown And her graceful ankles bare and brown, And listened, while a pleased surprise Looked from her long-lashed hazel eyes.  At last, like one who for delay Seeks a vain excuse, he rode away. Maud Muller looked and sighed: "Ah, me! That I the Judge's bride might be! He would dress me up in silks so fine, And praise and toast me at his wine. "My father should wear a broadcloth coat; My brother should sail a painted boat; I'd dress my mother so grand and gay, And the baby should have a new toy each day; And I'd feed the hungry and clothe the poor, And all should bless me who left our door." The Judge looked back as he climbed the hill, And saw Maud Muller standing still. "A form more fair, a face more sweet, Ne'er has it been my lot to meet; And her modest answer and graceful air Show her wise and good as she is fair. "Would she were mine, and I today, Like her, a harvester of hay; No doubtful balance of rights and wrongs, Nor weary lawyers with endless tongues; But low of cattle and song birds, And health, and quiet, and loving words." But he thought of his sisters, proud and cold, And his mother, vain of her rank and gold; So, closing his heart, the Judge rode on, And Maud was left in the field alone. But the lawyers smiled that afternoon, When he hummed in court an old love-tune; And the young girl mused beside the well, Till the rain on the unraked clover fell. He wedded a wife of richest dower, Who lived for fashion, as he for power; Yet oft, in his marble hearth's bright glow, He watched a picture come and go; And sweet Maud Muller's hazel eyes, Looked out in their innocent surprise. Oft when the wine in his glass was red, He longed for the wayside well instead; And closed his eyes on his garnished rooms,  To dream of meadows and clover-blooms.  And the proud man sighed, with a secret pain, "Ah, that I were free again! Free as when I rode that day, Where the barefoot maiden raked her hay." She wedded a man unlearned and poor, And many children played around her door; But care and sorrow and wasting pain Left their traces on heart and brain. And oft when the summer sun shone hot On the new-mown hay in the meadow lot, And she heard the little spring brook fall Over the roadside, through the wall, In the shade of the apple-tree again She saw a rider draw his rein, And, gazing down with timid grace, She felt his pleased eyes read her face. Sometimes her narrow kitchen walls Stretched away into stately halls; The weary wheel to a spinet turned; The tallow candle an astral burned; And for him who sat by the chimney lug, Dozing and grumbling o'er pipe and mug, A manly form at her side she saw, And joy was duty, and love was law. Then she took up her burden of life again, Saying only, "It might have been!" Alas for maiden, alas for Judge, For rich repiner and household drudge! God pity them both! and pity us all, Who vainly the dreams of youth recall; For of all sad words of tongue or pen  The saddest are these: "It might have been!" Ah, well! for us all some sweet hope lies Deeply buried from human eyes; And in the hereafter angels may Roll the stone of its grave away!

Preparation

I find myself having to continually remind myself of a very simple task. Its not something I had to do or ever made a habit of doing when I lived in California, but in my effort to adapt to this different culture, I try to be conscious of it. I drive down Lema Road every morning on my way to work and there are many people that I pass on the road; women with bananas on their heads, school children and the like, just starting their days. In the states, even poor schools utilize school buses and most people get around by their own vehicle or heaven forbid public transit. While we do have cheap public transit in Tanzania, if you are super poor it may be something that you cut out of your budget. So people instead will walk and as people in cars pass, the pedestrians often ask for a “lifti”(many Swahili words are English words with an “i” on the end). They do this by stopping, looking at the driver and putting their hand out, palm up (as opposed to our hitchhiker thumb). It is common practice to give these people rides and I am training myself to always be prepared and ready to give them a ride.

I want to be the kind of person that is always ready to bless someone, always prepared to fill in and do what is right at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, I have not arrived yet in being the person that is always prepared to do so.

Monday through Friday, we start of the days at TOA with devotionals. Eli takes Monday, Lydia does Tuesday, I get Wednesday, Jodie takes Thursday and one of the staff teaches on Friday. With Lydia gone, Jodie and I are alternating on doing her Tuesday. I like to teach, but the devotionals are a bit of a discipline for me. Coming up with something to teach on a weekly basis, is stretching me and I sometimes feel ineffective. Nonetheless, I didn’t want Jodie to bear it on her own in Lydia’s absence so when Lyd left I offered to alternate with her. I did it two weeks ago, but then last week the Tuesday was done in Swahili by a staff member. Yesterday, Jodie asked me if I was going to do it the following day (Tuesday) and I squirmed out of doing it, by virtue of her having not done it the week before. She caught me off guard and I wasn’t prepared to just bless her. Jodie is a wonderful woman and a hard worker. She is doing great with added responsibility in Lydia’s absence and is also coming off a bout with malaria. Despite that my lack of preparation to just bless at a moment’s notice didn’t bring her any relief. I felt convicted of it that night and I texted her to apologize and tell her that I would be happy to lead the devotional if she would like me to. Jodie, in her grace, told me that it would be okay and that she would do it anyways.

India Post #4 - Opportunity

I have come to a deeper realization over the last week about just how precious our time is and how much we ought to take advantage of every opportunity we have to advance the Kingdom.

My short term mission in India is a world of difference between my long term ministry in Tanzania. I see the Lord’s work in both of them for sure, but they are different. Its something that I was talking to Lauren about and we were both seeing the stark difference. In Tanzania, it’s the long haul and so much of what we do is based on long term relationship building and seeing the day to day progress being made by those we minister to. It is a blessing and I rest assured that Tanzania is where God has called me to deeply impact the lives of my Treasures. Then there’s India right now. I feel as though I have to take advantage of every opportunity to ensure my mission is the utmost successful. It seems to put a little pressure on me.

Before this time, I didn’t have the most thorough short term missions mindset and now I’m having to develop it out of the larger mindset that I am indeed a long term missionary elsewhere. Before this, I had been on three outside of North America missions trips. The first one was to Poland was blessed, but it wasn’t because I felt called there, but rather I was going where my girlfriend at the time wanted to go. The following two were to Tanzania, where I had learned God would call me long term, so my focus on the here and now of those trips was overshadowed by the larger ministry to come. Because of all that, my best picture of short term missions has actually come from observing short term missionaries come in to Moshi and minister amongst the people there. That picture is hard to take in because some people walk in their short term mission with excellence and others for the most part waste their time. I know that sounds harsh and I admit that I can’t see the whole picture, but nonetheless, for all intensive purposes, it appears they would’ve missed out on what the Lord really wanted to do. Trading the Lord’s highest purpose for a few good pictures and a stamp in their passport.

Time

Birthdays always seem to get a person thinking about their lives and how they’ve been spending their time. For us as believers it poses a perfect time for us to reflect on our lives in the last year and point to God’s faithfulness in that time. Such was the case for me this week.

I am no longer 23. I have officially entered my mid-twenties. On Thursday, I was thinking how I spent my 23rd birthday. I was in the dumps a bit actually. A girl I had been dating and I broke up the week before and so went my plans for my birthday. The big highlight ended up being going out with some of my guy friends to ESPN Zone to watch the Dodgers game and I actually think they lost. That was the day that started my year as a 23 year old; the year that definitely saw the most change in my life. I moved from Costa Mesa to Moshi to Long Beach back to Moshi and here I am.

That same woman, who I remain close friends with, emailed me this week and asked me for my thoughts on that season in our lives. I enjoyed thinking back, but now it all seems so odd and distant. Well, okay, that was my last year in Costa Mesa, I struggled with feelings towards this person and I was working this job and I was going to this church, my final year rooming with Josh and Cody. Yeah, that was a good time in my life, but its gone and things will never be like that again. Do I wish some things of that season were still a part of my current life? Totally! I’ve never had roommates that I laughed with and grew with like Josh and Cody. I’d love to have that again. I’d love to have many parts of my past to be parts of my present.

You know what I remember about that time? Alta. With Clesi, with Ash, with whoever. I remember the sights and smells of preaching and doing evangelism at Newport Pier. I remember getting calloused fingers for the first time while learning to play guitar. I remember songs from worship times with my life group. That’s where I was when I turned 23. Isn’t it funny how all these different aspects of our physical lives are linked together? Like a certain song brings you back to such and such time or reminds you of this person. Blue Fruitopia (do they still make that?) is forever linked to my freshman year of high school and I get sad with any similar smell because that was a lonely time for me. Amos Lee’s self-titled album is linked to my internship in Moshi, it brings back memories of my roommates and the excitement of getting hired at TOA, whereas Matthew Mayfield makes me somber as I found his music during a very hard and sad time in my life. The Lord constructed us to remember things and remember His faithfulness in every season of our lives.

In all our reflection, we should be sure to evaluate our effectiveness for the Kingdom and take note of what God was doing in that time. God’s movement of course can look so different from person to person, same with the advancement of His Kingdom. Maybe the last year His Kingdom and His Spirit was expanding in your life personally and this next year will see the fruit affecting the lives of the people around you. Or maybe, the Lord spent the last year radically using you and changing you and the Kingdom grew because He chose you. Or maybe, you spent the last year sitting on your hands, trying to see if you could get the coolest new gadget, that significant other you‘ve been longing for, or any other arbitrary thing that pulled you away from what the Lord was trying to do.

I am 24. Our lives are short. Its funny how we always want to think about the future and how we hope things will be. Typically that goes about five years in the future, we’d like to be there because then we’ll have our spouse, our own house, our family, our own business, our whatever. We don’t like to look to the future that is fifty years from now. The truth is that those things you plan on having in five years may be further than you expect and that fifty years is coming quicker than any of us realize. In fifty years, I may very well be dead. It wouldn’t even have to be anything particularly tragic or odd. I’d be in my seventies, people just die in their seventies. If I am just an average man, I’ve essentially lived a third of my life and yet in so many ways, I feel as though my life has just started.

How morbid of me, the Lord has given me another year completed in my life and I’m talking about death. I’m not trying to be morbid or foreboding, but it is biblical to realize that our time on this earth is fleeting, a mere vapor in the wind (James 4:14). So how are we spending our time? Are we capturing every moment for the glory of God or are we just trying to keep our heads afloat? Are we intentionally seeking to enjoy our time in accordance with His spiritual fruit of joy and peacefulness? Or are we constantly longing, even lusting, after whatever thing we think will satisfy, therein driving us to the point of misery? When your life is said and done will people be able to tell that you existed? If so is it because you made a positive impact or is it because you became an infamous waste of God’s creation?

Our tendency is often to look to mediocrity. I don’t have to be like Mother Theresa, so long as I don’t become like Hitler. You’ll have to forgive me, I’m a bit of an idealist, but I would hope that more people would strive to reach levels of goodness and worth-living life that would reflect that of a saint like Mother Theresa. But rather than trying to be like her, lets try to be like the Guy that was her inspiration and walk in the same Spirit that empowered her. Let’s live our lives in front of God and only look for His satisfaction in us. Mother Theresa did that. I feel like much of the world missed out on her passing because it was overshadowed by the wasteful death of Princess Diana around the same time. But that wouldn’t matter to Momma T for one second, because she didn’t spend her time thinking about publicity or what people thought and noticed about her. She lived her life and spent her time with her eyes on her Creator and the life to come.

I don’t want to waste my time on earth. I don’t want to get old and look back and see a garage full of cars and realize its all vanity. I don’t want to wait for tomorrow to be great in God’s sight, because tomorrow might not even come. I don’t know how much time I have on this earth, but I know that whatever time He gives me, that time is important and I should use it wisely. I realize this is only a vapor in the light of eternity. I realize that “the Christians who did the most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next” (C.S. Lewis) I thank the Lord for the last 24 years. I pray that He is glorified in me today and that I can focus on Him and Heaven so that I don’t waste the moments He gives me.

----------------------------------

The Rundown: My birthday was very blessed and memorable. I started off the day at devotion and Jodie prompted people to do affirmations for me and I was affirmed by Eli, a few of our workers and one of our kids Irene, then everyone prayed for me. My parents gave me some money and after an ordeal for a few days, I was able to download a really sweet editor that I will be using to get quality videos of me and the kids out to all of you. Lyd and Jodie took me out for lunch which was nice. We also celebrated altogether at TOA where we ate cookies the older boys had made the night before and Mary prayed a blessing over me. I had a good time of English Bible teaching with the Form One students. And that night I had dinner at the Helblings and Lauren made a cake for us to enjoy after worship. A very blessed day overall. The only other two things would be that Friday, I played pickup soccer for the first time with a bunch of Tanzanians and that was fun. Playing with Tanzanians is similar to playing with Mexicans, which is what I’m used to. Its like they’re good, but its not like they’re necessarily better than me and I just have to get used to speaking in a language other than English. Tanzanians don’t celebrate as much though, I will say that. I scored my team’s only goal. I will be preaching at Pastor Unity’s on Sunday and will be bringing Innocent and Awadhi with me which will be great. I’ve preached there before and I really love Pastor and his wife Grace, who is like my right hand at TOA. That’s it!

Wow, I think my blogs keep getting longer and longer…

Stillness

I have been busy this week. Too busy.

When I was in Long Beach, I instituted something in my life that was imperative to my life. I was hanging out at Thursday night Life Group with the Modern Loving Family and we were talking about prayer. We talked about the need to spend time in prayer and devotion everyday and of people that make a point to spend a hour a day. At the time I was faithful to my nightly devotional and it was maybe 20-30 minutes a night. Although after that Life Group, I decided that it would benefit me and glorify God to set aside one hour everyday to spend quality time with the Lord. I was indeed busy with church stuff, but my schedule allowed me to wake up and spend time out on the terrace with just my chair and my Bible. It had become a rhythm of life.

I had so much time on my hands while I was in Wisconsin and while I did spend time with the Lord daily, I got lazy and didn’t discipline myself to spend that specific hour. Because of my laziness there, my specific hour a day no longer was a rhythm in my life. This last week has been go go go and so much has happened, so much except that hour a day. Now, I find myself with no clarity of thought and I’m quite confused and unable to focus. Even last night, I was going to blog and started off going down one train of thought and then stopped and said no I’ll go with this angle and then got frustrated with that and stopped writing altogether. When I would have my hour a day (which is sometimes longer and sometimes divided between two times) the time is spent 20-25 minutes in silence and free prayer, 20-25 minutes in the Word and 20-25 minutes in directed prayer. Because I’ve cut back on all these areas, especially the first, I find myself a bit of a mess. Because I haven’t spent time in silence and allowing my brain time to think and pray my thoughts, I’m confused. Because I’m not reading as much in the Bible, I’m not meditating on His Word and growing in knowledge. And because I’m not having my directed prayer, I feel guilty because I know that I’m not praying for others as much as I should be. This is no way to start missionary work.

Last night I had a dream. A very confusing dream. It is the only thing that I can think of that is too personal for me to discuss in a blog, but we’ll say that it has been something very important to me for over four years now. I woke up so frustrated and so confused. This is something that I prayed for countless times and the Lord apparently said “no.” I have tried to forget it and get on with life, and thought that it was a done deal, then out of the blue it pops up again and since I haven’t been spending as much time with Him, I wasn’t prepared and it was hard and uncomfortable. I should have and need to be in this blessed communion. If I’m not spending quality time with Him, I’m at best a confused, disoriented mess of a man and at worse living in sin.

Here I am in flippin’ Africa, living out a promise that He spoke two and a half years ago and I’m not even spending time with Him here like I should.

So what is it that has me so preoccupied? Everything. For one, jet lag. Also, spending about seven hours a day learning a new language, practicing guitar, sleeping, moving into my new house, going to the airport and picking up my luggage, going to church, catching up with friends in Moshi, speaking and eating with new friends at language school, emailing and trying to resolve this identity theft thing and all the normal daily activities that everyone does. Make no mistake about it, I am quite busy and all of it is necessary for me to be doing right now. Yet I look at that and can’t say “okay, that activity is definitely more important than spending time in devotion.” There is nothing more important to do daily. And this is what I can’t get about my life, or anyone else’s, we have to pencil in solitude time with the Lord. Its always frustrated me hearing people saying “I don’t have time for devotion” or “I only have 15 minutes free a day.” And while I didn’t say it myself, for the last month, I’ve been doing worse than that, I’ve been living it. Take this as my confession to the brethren.

Last time I checked, if we are Christians and our main purpose is glorifying the Lord and advancing His Kingdom here on earth, then how is it logical that we only spend, at best, 15 minutes (out of a possible 1440) with the Chief, the King, our Father, our Savior everyday? I hear people say and justify myself at times with the same notion, “I talk to God throughout the day, driving, eating, hanging out with friends, working, whatever, so I don’t need a daily devotional.” If you are doing that, that’s good. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says to “pray without ceasing” and we should do that. But Psalm 46:10 says to “be still and know that I am God.” How can we be moving towards full knowledge of God and hearing His thoughts on our life if we’re not also spending time being still before Him? The two are not at all mutually exclusive, but rather are the markers of a healthy prayer life.

How we spend our time is how we spend our lives. How we spend our lives is what will be the second judgment for Christians after we enter eternity. How we live our lives shows what we count as important. Anna showed God she thought talking to Him was important and served Him by spending 84 years in fasting and prayer in the temple (Luke 2). That’s righteous. I don’t know what the Lord is calling you to, I am not even sure what He’s calling me to, to spend in daily devotion, but I imagine that if it’s the same God that Anna served, its probably more than 15 minutes a day.

Don’t get me wrong, if you give Him 15 minutes He’ll use it. But I want more of Him, that’s important to me, and I know that so much of that will come from waiting on Him and spending quality time with Him.

So today, I spent quality time with the Lord and I feel at peace. He didn’t boom with a loud voice, but He spoke and I was still. I was able to slow down and meditate on what it means to be serving Him in Tanzania as I watched wild monkeys jump around in the trees overhead. I was able to speak honestly about the dream and my confused thoughts became a sacrifice lifted up. I was able to smile and thank God that He has me working here with these blessed children. It was what it should be. It was beautiful.

-------------------------------------------------

Welcome to a new segment of my blogs that I call “The Rundown,” as in “Hey Jim, could you get me a rundown?” (The Office reference, anyone?). During this segment, I will give the 411 on what I’ve been up to physically. I feel that the most important part of my life is what the Lord is teaching and doing in me spiritually and how that relates physically and that’s what the bulky first section will be. But along with that are physical things that won’t get put above the dashed line, so I’ll put them down here. So let’s just pretend that I didn’t do the dashed line yet and when I do it again, you just know what I’m doing.

-------------------------------------------------

The Rundown: Language school has been going well. It is so much information but a lot of it is sticking. I really enjoy learning new languages and none more than Swahili. Anybody want me to translate something for them? I enjoy the people that are in my class and we have fun. There is one other American (from Ohio) and his name is Brendan. Because mwalimu Gouden (teacher Gouden) can’t really pronounce the difference well, we are Brandan kwanza na Brandan pili (First Brandan and second Brandan). There is an Italian man named Stefano, a Scottish man named David and a German woman named Daniela. Walimu jina lao Mama Gouden na Mama Frida. In free time I’ve been studying, playing a lot of guitar and taking advantage of the above average Tanzanian food they have here. This weekend, I went to Moshi. (Man, as I write this I feel like I’m supposed to be writing in Swahili). I took the coaster which is always an adventure. Lydia picked me up and we went to TOA so that I could see the kids and they were all excited to see me. Awadhi had just got out of the shower and was wrapped in a towel soaking wet when I first saw him, when he saw me he was surprised and smiled. I went up to him and gave him a big hug and got a wet mouth giving him kisses. I love him. After that I went to my new home and met the missionary family, whose back house I am living in. They are from Maryland and their names are Noe and Amanda. They have three Ethiopian adopted children named Moses, Noah and Laylo. They are really cool and we get along well. Saturday morning, I went over and visited with Ryan, Stacy and the kids then I spent time at the orphanage and got my bed set up at the house (its really comfortable). The last two of my three bags came in, so Lydia, Jodie and I went to get them at the airport. I went into get them and was happy to see that they were never opened along the way. The guy at the desk was nice, but told me that I had to go get them looked in at Customs. When he called the agent, who should come out, but the same guy that tried to have me “tip” him for taking my guitar over this summer. The most expensive thing I had in the box was my big djembe Jonah, but I purposely put him towards the bottom of the bigger tub. The customs agent must have been being lazy, because he didn’t go that deep and didn’t find anything worth bribing me for. So praise God. Having all my bags helped me as I unpacked more Saturday night. Sunday, I went to church with Stacy and the kids to ICC and saw some of the Fountain of Hope kids that I know. After service I went out to eat with some of the local missionaries, all of which were female. I feel like I’m a Liberal Studies major all over again. Then I went home, packed for the week and then drove my piki piki to TOA to drop it off and see the kids before heading back to Usa River. And oh yeah, my identity was stolen this week. That was fun. I’ve been praying that no one in my email contacts sent any money to England and I laughed at seeing what an awful job the guy did impersonating me. At any rate, I am happy to have gmail now and I am in talks with Facebook and it looks like I should get my profile back soon. All is well. Hamna shida. Life is good. God is good.