AFRICA TRIP: WHAT I LEARNED

August 31, 2008

At our last team meeting yesterday morning, we went around and each team member shared one thing that really impacted us about the trip.

I shared about how God seems to be everywhere! He has taught me, through the YWAM staff, what it means to live in a spirit of worship. They are continually singing worship songs throughout the day - in the morning when they wake, as they are bathing their children, as they are doing laundry, when they are cooking or washing dishes, when they are doing construction (even after a long day of hard work), at night as they're about to go to bed, etc. I constantly heard music around the base - and it way always worship.

And to speak even more to their faith, these people showed me what it truly means to pray continually, as in First Thessalonians 5:16-18...Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Boy did they pray - before meals; before and after bus rides; before, during and after a long day at clinic; before bed; at all times of the day! They really do live in a spirit of dependency on God, as many of the staff do not have sponsors to cover their $50/month cost of living at the YWAM base. Still, God is faithful to them and they can speak to how He always comes through for them. Wow!

A few days ago, immediately after we had visited the Samaritan Village orphanage, some of my team members were havig a really hard time because of the experience we had there. There was one little boy who even tried to get in to the van with us, which was heartbreaking because we wanted to take all of them home. Emotionally, I was doing fine because God has given me a lot of peace about adopting an orphan someday. It has actually come up quite a bit on this trip, because one family on our team has 3 adopted kids (the Hoffers), and another family adopted a little boy from the Philippines (the Ryans). Even though I cannot rescue every orphan in the world, I continue to have hope for them. Jacinta, the wife of one of the head honchos at YWAM Arusha, was an orphan (from birth to teen years). She and her husband, John, talk about hope for orphans all of the time, and visit orphanages to specifically encourage orphan children that they matter to God.

You know that story about the little girl who was walking along the shore of thousands of beached starfish? Well, she began to throw them back into the ocean, one by one, and a man came up to criticize her: "You can't possibly save all of these starfish; why do you even bother with what you're doing?" The girl picked up a starfish and threw it into the water. "I made a difference to that starfish," she replied.

In the same way, I believe that making a difference in the life of one child without a family would make a world of difference! This whole topic also makes me think of one of my favorite quotes (my apologies for not knowing where it came from):

I AM ONLY ONE

BUT, I AM ONE

I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING

BUT, I CAN DO SOMETHING

WHAT I CAN DO

I OUGHT TO DO

AND, WHAT I OUGHT TO DO

BY GOD'S GRACE

I WILL DO.

That quote is pretty applicable to this trip, too. The reality is that there seems to be little time to make a big difference on short term missions. Still, God remains so much BIGGER than that, and we must do our part as God calls us to. Also, we must not underestimate the power of God's grace...the power that saved the Massai chief 3 weeks ago, the power that healed many people on this trip, the power that transformed so many hearts before my very eyes. The power of God's grace has also changed my life in HUGE ways, even on this trip. He has showed me what it means to walk by faith in all of the matters that concern me, as David says in Psalm 138:8, The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

That's just a glimmer of what God showed me while I was in Africa. It's the major, most important stuff, anyhow! Africa now has a huge place in my heart. I'm very open to talking more about it and answering any questions you may have! Just ask!

Upendo Sana (much love),

Mandy