marhuba

Salaama lay koom!
(hello in Hassanyia – a dialect of Arabic, the language that is spoken here in the Sahara)
I have been in Africa for only a few days, and have already been hit with a graceful smack of how big God’s heart truly is. His people are not only white. His people don’t only speak English. His people don’t only sleep in beds in nice houses filled with nice things. His people sleep in the dirt, cold and shaking, His people speak in every tongue, every language, His people are of every race, every color, every tribe, every village, every nation, and what does He ask us to do? To love one another as He has loved us. He requires us to go and walk humbly, act justly and love mercy.
The Saharawi peoples of Smara have made a huge impact on me as I have adjusted to life here in the refugee camps. This place seriously looks like it could be straight up out of the Bible, minus the occasiona satellite dish and solar panels. When I read the Old Testament, this place is what I had always envisioned Jerusalem and other places Biblical events take place in, to look like. Because of that, Sarah (another one of the English teachers – I know, a team of 4 teachers, and half the team has the same name) and I decided to read through the Old Testament during our time here. I always read a Proverb a day, according to the date and I also have been spending a lot of time in Psalms – specifically the Psalms of David. God calls David a man close to His own heart…which is so breathtaking – how could you not want to read the Psalms of David? My prayer though this trip is that my heart would be made more like my Abba’s heart. He is the One who loves perfectly. What an example we have to follow.
We had registration for the second day in a row today at Essalam English center today. Jess (one of the other English teachers, who has been coming for 2 semesters every year for the last 4 years) registered almost 30 in between the 2 classes that she is teaching! I, on the other hand, have only 5 students signed up. Which is just fine with me – more time to develop lasting relationships and more opportunitiess for door to be opened to talk about our Abba. If I could teach only one thing, I would hope to encourage that their Abba or ‘Allah’ is very fond of them and furiously longs for them to be in His kingdom. He love each one of us with a crazy, relentless, all powerful love. What a gift.
When Sarah and I walked home for lunch today, I was greeted by my littlest host sister, Sellama (2 ½) who smiled that cute smile and planted a sloppy wet kiss on my cheek. Our host mother’s name is Embareeka and her other two daughter’s are age 19 and 21. Embareeka has many siblings and nephews who come to visit us and see the ‘foreigners’. In fact, Sarah and I have not been alone once yet…which is a little overwhelming but all the same, we feel loved. The food here is crazy. I think this may be my African fat camp! They eat breakfast…and tea every day around 8AM, lunch…and tea is anytime between 1 and 3 PM and dinner…and tea is anywhere from 11PM – 12:30 AM. Sarah and I have decided to keep track of how many cups of tea we have while here. With each tea, there are 3 rounds. Having tea here in the camps can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours. Talking with the people here is a lot like playing mad Gab for me – I am always trying to guess what they are speaking. Just the other day, I met a guy who spoke a little Arabic, Hassanyia, Spanish and English – it was an interesting conversation to say the least.
I am talking with Omar right now – we just climbed up some sort of tower to watch the sun set…there is nothing like an African sunset…God is soooo creative. How can someone watch a sunset and not believe in our sovereign God? His hear t is so big for His people.
If you’ve read this far, thank you…and grace and peace to you,
Love wins,
Sarah
P.S. Omar asked me to teach him some new English words (he already has very good English), so I thought I should teach him some slang – he will now be using, bling bling, holla, up in here, and lawl in his vocabulary. A little harmless fun is going down ‘up in here’. :)

greater things have yet to come

I just returned from a two week mission trip to Thailand yesterday. It was incredible and profound. I'm still trying to find words to describe the experiences I encountered. God is so tangible in the darkness there. He's the God of that city, the God of those people and as the song, 'God of This City' so beautifully declares - "greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city." That song was written by the Christian band, Bluetree, in Bangkok, Thailand! How amazing is that...only God. A memory from the trip that comes to mind is when I was counseling teenage girls who had come from a background of sex trafficking. We read Bible verses about how we are God's beloved, His chosen people, and how we are God's princesses. I told them that God is especially fond of them, that He is always holding them, loving them and will never let go. The best is yet to come. Those girls are an inspiration - they have been through so much in their young lives, but are still smiling and beginning to learn what love reaally is like and learning how they should be treated. Through these young, beautiful princesses of the King, I know more, care more, am inspired more, and now must do more. The kingdom of God is always expanding.

whatever it takes, bring it on

As the end of 2008 crept closer and closer last night, I was filled with the feelings of excitement and wonder of the year to come. I couldn't help but think as my friends and I danced the night away in a warm yet cozy, overstuffed, downtown apartment, where I was last year at this time. I couldn't wait for 2007 to be over. It was a year filled with changes - moving to California, moving back from California, a brother being deployed and extended in Iraq for almost all of 2007, a summer filled with death and the ugliest of grief, a challenging, new semester at Concordia greeted with a week in the hospital, the articulate balance of God, classes, leading a high school ministry, work, family, and a social life?! I thank God for never letting go of me that year, because I was barely holding on. 2008 started with a dating relationship and God breaking my heart for his children overseas. This led to many conversations, prayers, restless days, being filled with awe and wondering where the Holy Spirit was leading me. I continued my college education and prayed like a warrior. The changes began again, Jared, my dear brother being deployed to Afghanistan, the high school ministry growing so much I wanted to put it on pause, two more hard semesters in school, filled in between with winter and summer classes, an end to a dating relationship, a close friend of mine moving to Italy, another friend leaving for mission work in the Philippines, friends getting engaged, and me with a restless feeling full of passion and hunger. As I type, I know God's got my back, and I know His love is strong. Oh, the blessings He gives - pours out to me every day! I have been blessed, now I want to be a blessing to others. Bring it on 2009, whatever it takes, I'm loving God and loving others down to my toes, with every fiber in my being.

it's a beautiful thing...

I went to a lovely Christmas Tea tonight in Waupaca with the ladies in my small group. I adore community and enjoy fellowship. I sat next to an aged, beautiful woman whose heart was wise, yet searching. We shared our stories and drank Christmas drinks and watched the snow delicately fall outside. The women at this church were so kind and giving. How fun it was to be a part of that special night. We all have a story to tell, and you never know what kind of impact your story can have on someone, or the kind of impact other's stories can have on you. I watched a beautiful story play out in Christ the Rock's 'Random Acts of Christmas' play this afternoon. I hear stories from the high schooler's I work with daily, and the friends that I do life together with. I hear stories about about a lost brother and stories of orphans and widows in third world countries and my heart hurts. I hear stories about people with no family, or no experience of love, stories of shame and repentance, stories of lost loved ones and broken relationships, stories of joy and stories of sadness. My heart aches with a compassion that rattles the very fiber of my being. God is leading me somewhere...and it's a beautiful thing.