Reflections

Peering into the icy creek, the reflection of the trees creates an inverted perspective of reality. Reflecting upon the past can sometimes distort reality as well. We tend to remember events through a lens that bends our memory to fit a reality we long for.
While in Mozambique this summer, a most extraordinary thing happened between God and me. Words fail me when I try to explain what took place~ As I spent time with God after a particularly difficult day, I found Him calling me to a new level of obedience. He called me to a place where He was not going to give me a five-year plan or any plan at all. My life is to be lived at a new level of trust~ a new level of being more completely submitted to Him. While it does not seem possible to be totally submitted on this side of heaven, there is for me a deeper awareness of my moments of stubbornness and disobedience which would most likely have escaped my consciousness in the past. Gratitude for God's grace overwhelms me as I enter into a new phase of my life on earth. In the coming year, it is my hope to be ever more aware and ever more obedient to that still small voice that may not be in the wind, but surely blows through me like a hurricane when I allow.

Last light, last snow

The beauty of God's creation is beyond words.
Enjoy!

Winds of Change

Change for some of us is exciting, stimulating; for others, it is disconcerting, frightening even. Yet, life is change. Living organisms are always changing, either developing or disintegrating, but always moving. It is only when an organism ceases to change that it ceases to live. That is true in every area of life it seems.
There are some forces that bring about change with observable power. One of those forces is the wind. The wind moves the branches of the mighty trees until they bow low to the earth or they break.
Living among the trees provides a special understanding of flexibility when it comes to the power of the wind. When it blows, dead and useless branches are wrenched from their places. It threatens the old and weak as it tests the young and flexible. The landscape changes after a big blow. These changes are usually subtle. Occasionally there is a giant strewn across the road, but usually it is barely noticeable unless you really look. If you know the view by heart, you can see the missing branch, the altered landscape.
In the Kingdom of God, the wind has a special place. In John 3:5-8, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about being "born again"~ being born of the Spirit. He says, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." When we are totally yielded to God's will, the Spirit of God can blow freely in our lives. The landscape will be changed. The result will be the working out of His purposes in us and through us. Welcome the wind.

A Different Kind of Call

There are all kinds of "calls" in this life. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the "call of the wild". This week has been a challenging week of self-examination and discernment. Whenever I look at the photos of our time in Mozambique, I feel an incredible tug to return. Knowing if that tug is a "call" is difficult. I want to serve God wherever I am, and I am fine with staying home and serving Him right here in the most ordinary of ways. But, what do I do with this "tug" in my heart?
I was reading Isaiah today and came upon a Scripture that spoke to my desire to serve "to the ends of the earth". In Isaiah 49:6b it says, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Every time I see or hear that phrase "to the ends of the earth", my heart swells for Mozambique.
But is that "swelling" a call of God? Not necessarily~ That's where the discernment and self-examination come in. What are my motivations? Is there anything in me that is wanting to serve in Mozambique that is selfish or part of a personal agenda?
In reality, it would be much easier to stay home, to be sure. I would have to raise funds again, work on writing content, and keep a bunch of commitments I already have in place~ not to mention attending to my family. So why am I even thinking about going? It's this "tug". . . If God does call me to go, He will provide for all of it. My response for now is to simply be willing to go and willing to stay home. I want to do whatever God calls me to do, when He calls me to do it. For now, I will pray and seek His direction.

The Call of the Wild

Living in the woods has its moments and last night as David and I settled down for the evening, there was a sound we had never heard before ~frenzied yipping interspersed with howls. It was loud and discordant and lasted for quite a while. Once we determined our TV had not picked up some weird signal, we turned off the television and opened our bedroom window. It was clear that a pack of coyote was close, very close. We listened.
Over the years, we've seen a lone "adolescent" male once or twice roaming the hillside. Young male wolves are excluded from the pack when they begin to vie for the attention of the females, so I imagine it's the same with coyote. We had heard an occasional howl in the summer evening as the sun set behind the ridge, but this was the first time either of us had heard anything like the chaos of the coyote gathering.
Dogs "telegraph" one another in the evenings, at least that's what we call it. One will bark, others reply. There's a sense of communication. The voice of a fox will make the hair on the back of the neck stand on end when it screams into the silence of the night. Owls hoot with a consistency that can be comforting, if you recognize the source. One can fall asleep to the lullaby of owls. Coyote, however, come across as wild and disorderly. I wanted to listen longer; I wanted to make sense of what I was hearing.
I know there is order in the chaos because it is nature and nature makes sense. It is the part of God's creation that never disobeys! Every creature in nature does what it is created to do without question as long as humans don't interfere.
Oh, but we have interfered. We have encroached on the territory of wild animals and they cannot survive our invasion. On any given day, all you have to do is drive along the highway to know that we compete for space with the creatures of the wild. We are so jaded to the frequent, bloated corpse of the deer that we hardly even notice, and we complain vehemently when we hit one because of all the damage to our vehicle! A couple of days ago, there was a news item on the nightly news about a black bear struck down along a highway near Pittsburgh~it looked large as the overhead camera scanned the area. Wonder if it was a female journeying to her "cave" to hibernate and give birth to her young.
I will never tire of living in the woods. I still experience a certain awe when I see deer~ a daily occurrence in my world. I am glad that last night when we did a "pet check" that our little dog was snug in her chair and our outdoor cat was curled up in his usual spot. Coyote like to feast on cats and maybe even little dogs....but, they are just being coyote.
I look forward to the day when the world makes absolute sense~ when the "wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion will yearling together . . . They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11: 6-9.

Living Water

Water in Mozambique is a precious commodity.
Recently, they have had a serious drought and people are dying of thirst! Crops are turning to dust. It rained last week for a bit and the people rejoiced! Continue to pray for enough rain.

While we were there this July, Titus showed us the pump that needs repaired or replaced in order for him and his men to continue to drill wells. Our Clean Water Team from Crossroads UMC is preparing to go in April to facilitate some wells being drilled and hopefully equipping the Mozambicans to continue to be able to drill wells on their own. Like anything else in the world, it will take money, planning, and technical abilities to accomplish this.
But we are seeking to provide so much more than manpower and economic power for the provision of water there. We are seeking to provide the people of Mozambique with water that will quench their thirst forever ~ the Living Water. How wonderful it is that we do not have to have a pump; we do not have to drill a well; we do not have to wait for rain to drink this Living Water. So as we provide materially for the people of Mozambique, let's not forget for a moment that our mission is provide spiritually for them as well. Let's pray that as the wells of the land gush forth with water for their bodies, that the Living Water will flow abundantly into their spirits. Amen.

Tenacity

One lone Nasturtium survived the killing frost this week. The desire of nature to grasp that last possible moment to bloom, to pollinate, to procreate...there is something to be said for tenacity here.
We gathered the harvest from our garden and I am grateful for all we have. There is another "harvest" that is even more important than this. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha tells the widow who was about to lose all she had, including her two sons because of debt, to gather jars from her neighbors ~ "Don't ask for just a few", he says. He tells her that when they have gathered all the jars they can find, to pour the little oil they have into each of them. Of course, the miracle was that they poured and poured, and the oil didn't run out until they ran out of jars. Now, they could sell the oil and would have enough money to pay off the creditor and live on what is left! As I read this, I began to see the jars as the people in my life that aren't filled with the "oil" of knowing Christ. God will provide for as many jars as I can find. I just have to pour what I have into them, and He will do the rest. He will provide the harvest.

The Power of Prayer

This is Lucas. During our first two days of teacher training, he slept. At first, I thought he was just a good baby but Tuesday morning, I saw that his eyes were crusted shut and his nose plugged. He clearly was not well.
My heart ached for him. On Tuesday, he was still listless, and I asked a woman who was a nurse from a different team if she had seen him. She had and said his mother was giving him some medicine and that lots of people in his village were sick; even his mom didn't look like she felt well.

"Well, it's good he's getting medicine. Surely, he will get better"....
But little Lucas kept tugging at my heart. During one of the breaks, I found Pastor Jonathan and asked him if he would ask Lucas' mother, Julia, if I could pray for him. He did ask and I prayed.
The next day, I arrived in the classroom to this sight:
Lucas was up and around, bright eyed and ready to play! He looked like a different child.
I am sorry to say I was surprised~
Since I left Mozambique, I have been bothered by my surprise that Lucas got better after being prayed for. What am I praying for if I don't believe God will do the work? So, I have since been praying "expectantly"~trusting God to heal those He brings into my life for prayer. I continue to pray for Lucas and his mother. I thank God for the power of prayer!
Amen.

Devil's Den

Most people drive to my home and never see this waterfall, Devil's Den. Local lore says it is named after a similar waterfall in Gettysburg. Most of the time it is a trickle or a muddy run that remains hidden if you don't know where or when to look. But it is always there, whether we notice it or not.
There is something significant to gain from this hidden treasure. So often, we move through life at an astounding rate, zooming from place to place, missing so much of the beauty and glory of the Earth. Next time you come out my way, take your time and look for the hidden den on the right. Where ever you travel, slow down and look for the treasures that are tucked in the hillsides and over the ridges. The beauty is there. We just have to seek it. Praise God for the incredible gifts found in His creation!

Speechless

This weekend, 22 spiritually adventurous women gathered at Jumonville for a silent retreat. The weather was daunting~wild winds and cascading rains~not exactly what we had hoped for, but God was there and He was awesome. It was perfect~even the weather. Those of you who know me, know that the wind is special to me; and I learned that it is special to many others as well. Even though God speaks in a still, small voice, the majesty and power of His creation can indeed get our attention and cause us to get a glimpse of who it is that we worship!
As the women "fasted from talking" and entered into intentional listening, the results were amazing. Like Moses coming down from the mountain after he spoke with God, their faces were glowing as they shared their experiences on Sunday morning after worship. That I could be a part of such an incredible experience leaves me "speechless".
Kanimambo Xikwembo Xamatemba (Thank you, Powerful God!)

Passion

While in Mozambique, I discovered a "passion" for sewing. It was not my passion, but the passion of those around me. Darlene brought her love for sewing to the women (and men) we met there. Some already may have had the desire or ability to sew before we arrived with our two new machines, bolts of cloth, sewing kits, and thread; but if they didn't have it before we arrived, they certainly had it afterward. The women were eager learners and worked through breaks and into the evening, racing against time because the electricity went out at 9:30 each night when the generator shut off.
Gito was Darlene's translator. What a great guy he was. He worked hard through the teaching sessions to assist Darlene in teaching the women in her group the things they needed to know to master the sewing projects before them. But Gito wanted to sew himself! He wanted to make himself a pair of pants. And so, it began~whenever he was not needed to translate, he would work on his pants. In the evenings, before the generator shut off, he could be found with several others who could not let a moment of electricity go to waste, sewing in the classroom.
Passion is contagious. The energy of the teachers in both classrooms (the sewing and the teacher training) was inspiring. The Mozambicans and the Crossroaders were all working hard; all of us were learning all that we could in the short time we had together. All too soon, we would have to leave them and they would have to return to their villages where there was no generator, no sewing machines, no concrete classroom with paper and markers and supplies.
But, in a very short time much was accomplished. In the classroom for teachers, the results were somewhat less tangible. Time will reveal the impact of the training. They learned ways they could group their students and use their community resources to increase the effectiveness of their teaching, and much more. But the sewing class was another matter. At the end of three days, they were wearing the clothes they had made. Be sure to check out Gito in his brand new green pants!
Joy is clearly the companion of passion. There was a lot of joy in Beth-El that last day as we all headed out~back to our homes with all we had learned.
We will be back, my friends to learn more from you and to share what we have with you because we have a passion for Christ and He has a passion for you!

Kanimambo Xikwembo Xamatemba

The title is translated "Thank you, Powerful God". While in Mozambique, we sang this sweet song together as a team often as we ended our time together in prayer each day. The tune runs through my mind frequently and especially in times when I am experiencing the amazing presence of God in nature. Today I snapped this photo of one of my Morning Glories reaching for the sun. It seems as fall approaches, the flowers bloom with an intensity reserved for their final fling before the crisp frost that ends their brief tenure here on earth. Perhaps we should all bloom as if tomorrow is the frost~with everything we've got for as long as we last. Thank you, powerful God for today!

Listen to their eyes

Last night I shared my photos (DVD style with African music in the background, thanks to Michael, my son) with my friends who are teaching in the area. When it was over, someone asked "What can we do?"
That is the question for all of us to ask: What can we do?
Crossroads UMC is planning another trip in the near future. We will be drilling wells and researching ways to supply clean water to the communities. You can support that endeavor prayerfully or financially; however you might be led. There is much to be done, to be sure.
Be wary of the tendency to feel overwhelmed (I am coming from experience here). Do not feel guilty that you were born into such abundance~simply share the abundance. Feeling guilty does not help. It will immobilize you. We are called as Christ followers to act, to "do" something when we recognize social injustice and poverty. If you want to do something to make a difference in Mozambique, let me know. I'll get you connected with someone who can direct your desire act on your feelings.
In contrast to this photo, I also want to share this one:
There is a lot in their eyes, too. I see laughter and joy living in the midst of despair. It is difficult for us to comprehend, but let it sink into your heart. Don't be afraid to respond to what you feel. That is the only way you will ever begin to make a real difference in this world.
Look around you in your own community. Look down the street where you live. Let what you see tug at your heart and respond. That is what you can do. Thanks for listening!

Transitions

This lovely little flower seemed so familiar~The sun was blazing through the Southern Hemisphere where everything is different; yet here was this reminder that we are not as far from home as we might think. The corn plants, the pigs, the raised beds of the Methodist farm property where the well-drilling machinery resides were all part of our transition toward home. There was still a long way to go on our journey: through Maputo, through the border into South Africa, through Kruger Park, through Johannesburg, through the air, through Charles de Gaulle airport during the height of a security alert, through regular customs, through agricultural customs ~ through it all we were rising like divers from the deep, trying not to rise too fast, trying not to forget what we saw and felt, trying to breathe in all we were experiencing, trying to reconcile the contrast between one border and the other. Suddenly, we were bouncing into Pittsburgh, rushing into familiar time zones, blinking, crying, laughing ~ happy to be home~longing to hold on to something so fleeting, so beyond our grasp.
Experience changes us~profound experiences change us profoundly.

Transitions

Some things seem to be the same all over the world. As we l

Transitions

Some things seem to be the same all over the world.

Dawn in Kruger/as close as I got to photographing the night sky.

Night Skies

One of the things I miss the most from my time in Mozambique is the night sky. It was beyond amazing~it seemed like the Southern Cross was over my head every time I lifted my eyes to gaze at this incredible view of the Universe. One night, while the cooking team was cooking wood sausages over an open fire pit at Bethel Center, we gathered to stare into the flames and wait for dinner. One of the guys from South Africa began naming the constellations and introducing us to this new night sky. He used a flashlight~a flashlight! It was as if he had a pointer and could trace each constellation with this simple beam of light.
Imagine~something as ordinary as a flashlight, in the right hands, could make such a difference. I hope and pray that God uses me in that way.
I miss the night sky like I miss the wind.

Along the way

In my "School Daze' post, I mentioned that we had a stop along the road to tie a water drum to the top of the truck we were traveling in. As soon as we stopped, the children of the local area came up to the truck. They thoroughly enjoyed having their pictures taken and seeing the results.







The only language between us was smiles and laughter. It spoke volumes.















One of the things that persists in my memory is the juxtaposition of the ancient with the modern. The tall young man in the background is taking my picture with his cell phone!

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Mozambique Moment

Some things are the same no matter where you are standing on the planet, Earth. This 'girlfriend' moment in Mozambique is a reminder of that for me. God created each of us unique and special, and there is a common thread woven within each of us that binds us to one another and dissolves apparent differences and things that might separate us from one another.
Jesus speaks to us of unity in John 17 when he is praying for "future believers":
May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (v.22b) We are the future believers Jesus was praying for. How cool is that?

School Daze

As we dropped off the teachers in their communities, we were able to visit two "schools". The first is one that is conducted under a tree. This is one of the last schools that still meet under a tree, but for now...this is it. My group was late getting to this destination because the water drum we were bringing for a distant village came off our roof and we had to stop and tie it back on again. The local kids gathered right away to see us and enjoyed getting their pictures taken and then seeing them in the viewer.


Once the drum was reattached, we were on our way again to join the rest of the group.
We journeyed on toward the second school. It was a long bumpy ride with three of us crammed into the cab and six or seven 3-D volunteers from South Africa loaded into the back. The 3-D volunteers were there to evangelize the kids in the villages. They sang songs, made balloon sculptures, told the story of Jonah and the whale, and played games before passing out some candy(a really big treat!).

The school in the background is the second school we visited. Below, is a picture of the school from the inside out. There is a serious thorn tree in the window which certainly keeps any uninvited folks out of the school. The young people of the village began to gather as soon as the cars arrived and people began to pile out. They pressed to get into the school entry door but were kept out by the older women who "guarded" the door. I am sure they hoped for some of the attention and candy the students were getting. These schools provide a basic (one to two year) education then those who are able can attend a government school. It didn't seem many were able to go on to the government schools from here.


On the way home, I ended up in the back of the truck with several of the young 3-D volunteers. As we settled into the long, bumpy ride home in the dark, I learned that they had made a one- year commitment to mission, and some shared their dreams and plans to continue ministering to the children in Mozambique. It was inspiring.

Early Morning at Bethel

Early in the day

Jet lag is a new concept to me. I suppose this early morning rising is related to "Africa time"; it may just be the time of day when there are no distractions and I can listen to promptings from deep within my being.
Speaking of distractions, one of the things I was most impacted by on this journey into Mozambique was the fact that several of our teachers taught with their children on their backs ~ literally. How spoiled I felt as I remembered the irritation I would feel when the construction outside my classroom would interfere with the learning process! My admiration and respect for the men and women who came to our training continues to grow: there was the young man (17) who walked five hours to be there so he could go back to teach the 60+ children under his care in his village; there was the woman who expressed her concern about the resentment the others in her village may feel about her time away with us. Who was doing her chores? Who was caring for her children? Did they think she had a vacation?
The men and women in our training worked until their" brains hurt". They returned from breaks early and ready to work. They poured themselves into the process and did everything we asked them with diligent effort. In spite of language barriers and cultural differences, they were able to glean and gather all that they could, so that they could go back to their villages and provide more to the children in their care. I am humbled by their commitment and courage.

Sunili's thoughts

The journey to Mozambique was layered with experiences that will take a while to process, to be sure. My favorite memory is from the first night at the Bethel Center when we prayed, sang, and danced together. The sound of each of us praying in our own language will resound in my mind forever. The most difficult moments for me were in Maputo when the "vendors" so desperately wanted to sell us their wares. One young man looked me in the eye and said, "Please Mama; please buy just one from me ~just one." It tore at my heart. I was grateful for our interpreter, Sorau, who knew the best way to handle the situation. I came away from this experience with a new definition of "flexibility" and a renewed trust in the amazing power of God's Holy Spirit to weave all we had prepared into a new and useful form for the teachers who came to the training. The wind that blew through the Bethel Center was a constant reminder of God's presence and His power.