Adventures in thought- A Beautiful Life.

Some girls romanticized love and marriage their whole lives; I romanized missions and Africa. I love the stories of people like Jim Elliot, who gave his life and death for the gospel or Amy Carmichael a single women who left all behind giving up everything so that she could serve with her whole heart or the Moravian believers Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann, who volunteered to go as missionaries to work amongst the slaves in the West Indies, actually selling themselves into slavery, with their famous scream “Is not the lamb who was slain worthy to receive the reward of His suffering?” These men and women did not seek to be idols they sought to be examples. I love these stories because they are brave, sold out, completely focused on God’s glory. 
The reality is, living daily like that is hard. Giving “all” is a lot, in fact, it seems to always become more and more, I’ll be honest, I’m not there yet. The more I know, the more I know I don’t know and more I see what God can do through a devoted heart the more I want to have a fully devoted heart. What made these people great was not them, it was what they believed about God, it was God’s Spirit in them. It wasn’t that they were perfect but they looked to Him who was. What we believe about God will shape are every day...Pray that I would believe God and that I would trust and follow Him. I pray the same for you. 
                                                                                                          True Christianity is a choice to believe, a choice to be all in, a choice to follow no matter what the cost, no matter what the repercussions, no matter how small or large the sacrifice may seem, no matter many times we fail, repent, come back and follow. We are only on this earth for a while, this is not our home, this is not our inheritance, this is an opportunity… an opportunity to see God's glory, an opportunity to suffer, an opportunity to be part of something glorious, rise up, choose to believe, choose to obey, choose to follow…For our King and His glory. 

A Cry for Help...A Cry for Prayer.

Now, that’s just sick!

A lot of you have expressed some concern about me being sick a lot. I want you to know I believe God has used me “Getting sick a lot” to teach me a lot about him. I also want you to all know that I am doing well now. It comes and goes and it’s part of life here. I am actually thankful that God has allowed me to be sick…It has taught be to be thankful for being healthy also it is a small price to pay to be where I believe God wants me to me. I pay it gladly…Pray though, that I would be effective in ministry and that I would honor God in what I think, feel, say and how I act and Pray that the Didinga people would come to believe in Jesus Christ that they would hunger and thirst and seek after God.

Sunday School.

Sunday school has been a blast, If I could do anything in the world forever, it might just be teaching Sunday School. We have been going through the Bible and just finished Noah. My co-teacher is Merafu who translates as well as teaches himself. Merafu has been probably one of the biggest blessings to me in Didinga. He has been a direct answer to prayer for a translator, and a good friend. Pray for Merafu that he would know and love God and rise up to be a Didinga leader who is faithful and who has a heart devoted to God.

Bible study      Merafu and I get together once a week and go over the Sunday school lesson. This has become like a small Bible study, we pray together then I’ll read the Bible in English and he will translate in Didinga.  Then we’ll talk about the story and our favorite parts. Every week God is opening new things in His word to me and well as learning about the Didinga culture. Merafu also loves these times and is so excited to go through the Bible chronologically, every week he comes with questions (hard ones too!) he has talked to me about expanding the group and starting a Bible study, Unbeknownst to him that is exactly what God had been placing on my heart as well as Kim's and we ask you to pray with us as we take steps to do just that.

-A bit of reflection

School- The thought of teaching was intimidating to me…I have never thrived academically but my worries were quickly put to rest when I realized I didn’t need to teach calculus, and I actually love teaching. I love my students and seeing them was the highlight of each day. I feel like this first semester was more learning then anything, learning to communicate in a different language, learning names, leaning tactics of teaching, learning how to handle a classroom of differing ages of kids. It was a fun and I loved it.  I am excited for next term.

7 days Journey

 I am here in the middle of a big city sitting alone in a small guest house the past few days have been full of reflection. What I am wanting to do in this next seven days is to take you along with me in this reflection of the past 7 months in Africa. I am praying that God would open my eyes in the next week and prepare me for going back to Nagishot. I am praying that this will encourage you, give you a better idea of how to pray for me and update you on what I see God doing in Nagishot. I warn you, I am going to be boldly honest, my blog shall be my journal, it could get ugly but I trust you and more importantly I think this is what God wants me to do, so here we go.

HE IS RISEN!

I’m sitting here overlooking the Didinga hills as I wait for my brownies to cook.  I see the last bit of purple light quietly shutting the door of day and allowing the moon to have it’s moment of splendor. It’s cool and humid this evening.  The clouds are threatening to lose their prisoners of liquid, giving us the blessing of rain and the promise of green. For the last few weeks the smell of burning fields and gardens has been a constant aroma, a smell speaking of the anticipation to be found in planting.  

As I sit here, I think of you, knowing that you may just now beginning your Easter traditions and preparations.  This thought makes me smile.  I do hope your day will be as blessed as mine was.

This morning I put on my best dress and then promptly spilt coffee on it.  We had an amazing feast of pancakes and sweet bread and homemade yogurt and canned peaches.  Kim did my hair. I went to church and taught Sunday school. Though I was tempted to skip ahead to Jesus’ resurrection, I didn’t…  We just finished studying Creation and I want to go all through the whole Bible chronologically, to ensure everyone has a firm foundation and understanding.

After church, Kim and I went into the woods, took pictures and enjoyed the trees and cool air.

Tonight the whole compound will share in yet another feast (hence the making of the brownies).  We are eating a turkey; I haven’t eaten meat for two months, so this is exciting!

Aside from the food and the pleasant weather, this day brings with it such hope for me. We’ve been praying and I would ask you to pray with us, that the way before us would be clearly directed and that we would not move to the left or right, but move only in the Spirit of God. Pray for us!

May the Son of Man be glorified in all the earth! He is risen, He has conquered death and sin… He is risen indeed!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

                  Abbi

Me and Kim today in the forest. :)

                                    

Never have I ever...

Never have I ever… before moving to Africa:

Washed all my clothes by hand.

Been asked to be a second wife.

Been away from my family for longer than 2 months.

Known more than 20 words in another language

Been a teacher in a primary school.

Eaten grasshoppers.

Dreamt so much about food.

Taught children in another language

Gotten Giardia

Taken a bath in a bucket

Gotten worms

Lived in an area without vehicles.

Had bedbugs

Traveled internationally by myself

Not eaten ice cream or anything cold for longer than two weeks.

Lived in a mud hut.

Hauled water on my head from a creek.

Lived in another country longer than a month.

Craved vegetables.

Bought avocados from a local farmer

Been stolen from.

Had a mouse try to make a nest in my hair.

Cooked everything over a kerosene stove.

Not eaten meat for longer than a month.

 Been so sick of carbohydrates.

Thought of de-worming as an “event”.

Been given a name in a different language.

Worn dresses and skirts every single day.

Been so tan.

Taught English.

Been called “The White Tribe.”

Had a baby named after me.

Been so challenged in my relationship with Jesus.

Been so in love with the Gospel and so desperate for people to receive it.

Been so sure of being where God wants me.

Been so thankful for your prayers, support and your notes of encouragement!

Forsaking All! A Little of What God is Doing in My Heart.

"Do you think I was comfortable when I did this for you?"

Luke 14:26- 33 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

^{I closed my eyes in attempt to drowned out the voice that had been haunting my thoughts all day, but it seemed to only get louder. “Are you my disciple?” It all started the day before when I flipped open my Bible to Luke 14, before long I came to verse 33 and couldn't go on because a question was deposited in my head… “Have I forsaken all?” You might think, “Of course you have honey, you’re a missionary.” I’ll admit sometimes I feel as though I have given up very much…But have I really forsaken all? Things like my earnest hopes, my wildest dreams, my deepest desires, my every thought…Everything? “But my desires are good, probably even Godly!” I tell myself often but the bottom line is, they’re still mine. No, I know in my heart I have not forsaken all of them. The statement is so simple “If you have not forsaken everything you are not my disciple” and to be quite candid, I don’t like the sound of it}                                                                                                                

My excuses are failing me: Excuse #1  

^{I have always identified myself with “The older brother” in the story of the prodigal son. After all I have never “Ran” from God. I've never had one of those “Rebellious phases” of my life. I've lived a righteous life. Because of this false thinking, I always felt like duty was simply not to judge that little prodigal brother who thinks all these “Sins” are okay, when I don’t, and try not to be so “Righteous around them.” As if living a righteous life had anything to do with living a legalistic one. Because of this, I could excuse my simple, really quite pathetic sins which are CONSIDERABLY smaller than my brothers. But In The last few weeks as I have attempted to surrender every moment to Christ, I found in irony that I am actually the younger brother. By my refusal to obey I spit in my father’s face by saying I want MY LIFE, MY THOUGHTS, MY DREAMS, give them to me! I run from God and His ever present arms of love to indulge in my little sins and pleasures … Only I find them empty and degrading. So, tired and miserable I come back and there He is, waiting with open arms and long awaiting eyes.}

Excuse #2 There is this pathetic honesty that we excuse for obedience. I do prefer it when one of my students tell me flat out they don’t’ want to do something, or that they are angry at me, or that they don’t trust me…but I won’t accepted it as obedience. Honesty can become a way of procrastination...We congratulate ourselves for baring our hearts and stop there. I don’t mind saying “I have not surrendered everything to Christ.” because it sounds honest and humble but I cannot say without trembling hands and tears “I am not a disciple of Christ.” When now I am seeing they are inseparable. Oh, God save me!

^{I tell you all this because at present I am practicing at all to follow Christ.” Taking the practice moment by moment as each new situation arises. Surrendering whatever it is to Him and choosing to live in the Spirit. Choosing to trust Him with everything and then full heartedly plunging into obedience. As a result I have found it the most frustrating yet blissful month…Frustrating because I have failed and honestly choosing the right thing isn’t often what I want to do but when I do surrender and obey there is a deeper peace, heavenly and truly I am more happier than ever.}                                                                                                                 

^{I am curious what the reaction to this post will be…Maybe identification or maybe pure horror that I am a missionary. You might think “This simple thing of surrendering all she still hasn’t conquered?”…You may be thinking, "This isn’t anything new in the Christian life.” To that I can only say…I know. Only, I am happy that Christ has exposed more of me that I could give to Him. I love Him….I really love Him. I give because I love Him and the more I give the more I love. Sometimes I so full of love I think my fragile little heart could burst. “God show me more where I trust in my flesh, so that I might learn to live in Your Spirit. For in my flesh is only death but in Your Spirit there is life and peace.}