Kingdom work

Hi guys!

 I have met so many amazing people here serving the Lord! It’s like the stuff of legends, but it’s real.  I wanted to share one of the many stories I have heard of God working through his  people to share his love. 

Esther Williams feeds orphan babies here in the capital city and surrounding areas. God has laid this on her heart to help save these babies’ lives, she brings the milk to the caretaker who is unable to purchase milk otherwise. Generally the mother has died and the baby is living with a grandmother or aunt, who simply does not have the money to buy formula.  

Sometimes, it is a combination of poverty and ignorance,the baby in the picture was fed nothing but the medicinal tea for the first month after his mother’s death, it is a miracle he is still alive. Esther has made an exception and taken this baby for a week in order to feed him hourly to get him to gain some weight.  It isn’t that his grandmother didn’t care about him, she was just doing what she thought was best.

 God has laid it on Guineans’ hearts to become involved as well, as was the prayer from the beginning. They are now working on the paperwork to become a recognized NGO, but until then they must raise all their own funds, and the team now has over 230 babies. 

This stuff is the real deal, and I really just wanted let you know about this chance to be a part of saving lives! Please pray for this ministry, pray that God will bring more and more Guineans into the ministry, that this work will be done by Guineans whose hearts are moved by the Spirit of God to work for the Kingdom.

 If you want to contribute to this ministry, you can give online at the PBT website at www.pioneerbible.org   click “give” then “give now” then “projects” then “African orphans” 

 Anyway, hope you guys were blessed by this, keep praying! Love you all!

Shopping

Yesterday we began our shopping orientation. We visited two grocery stores, several roadside stand type places, and two markets. The real experience is at the market: lots of people in a small, covered area, with different animals, both dead and alive! I was totally overwhelmed, but I had expected as much. 

Paying is a new thing too, since there is certain etiquette (right-hand handing, hard for this leftie). Also don’t flash your money around, which is harder than it sounds when 7000 GF is worth 1 dollar, you get a big wad o’ cash fast.

There are expatriate grocery stores, where I have found things I didn’t expect to see in Guinea. But at present we are in the capital, so we won’t have access to these things where we are in the bush, two days away. At these stores some stuff is more expensive than it would be even in the U.S., but generally still cheaper than it would be to have it shipped over, so I imagine I will just pay that much if I want something like chocolate or frozen strawberries or cheese.

When we get home from market we soak our fruits and veggies in bleach water for about 20 minutes before rinsing and drying them.

We didn’t do any bartering yet, which is what we will do in the village. Not gonna lie, I am not looking forward to that, but it will come. 

Today we went downtown in the city, that was a long day! We made lots of stops since that what they do because no one likes to go downtown more than necessary! Traffic/parking is a huge issue, as well as pickpocketing, especially for us white people.

Anyway, those are my experiences so far! Jet lag is getting better, though I still was wide awake for quite a while last night. I am going to try and run regularly while I am here, I don’t know when I will be able to do that next, and lots of people here at the compound run the perimeter fence road, so it is nice and motivating to see a lot of others!

First Impressions

First impressions, it is probably too early to be writing this- but I have a free evening and internet, so viola! I am still going through jet lag, but  I wanted to record what I have experienced so far here.  The trip: it was such a blessing to have traveled with the Brolliers, it made the trip so much less stressful! The Conekry airport was probably the low point for me, and it wasn’t even that low, I was just so tired and it was super hot.The only things I lost were handles off my trunks that must have broken off two of my trunks: not bad at all!

The drive to the guesthouse was quite the introduction to the city, it was about seven and dark out, and that portion of the city didn’t have power (they go by sections and generally you have power in the morning or afternoon, and then alternate the next day) so the only lights are outdoor lights or flashlights and headlights, but it was cool out since the sun went down, so everybody was outside, just hanging out, or crowded around a TV watching a soccer game, or taking advantage of the stopped up traffic, selling apples or something car to car. On the twenty minute or so drive from the guesthouse I asked Pete all manner of questions about the city; the answer to which I probably won’t remember as I was fairly beat!

We were welcomed by all the wonderful PBT colleagues with a dinner, and showers and our rooms. The guesthouse is kind of like a little piece of America in the middle of the city. It has kind of a big family feel as missionaries come and their kids all play together and there is a common kitchen and common living room. 

Today we unpacked, and another PBT family hosted us for lunch, a heavy afternoon storm rolled in and we watched it from the porch, it was amazing how fast the temperature dropped! Then tonight we went to the American church service that a lot of the missionaries working or staying in Conekry attend, and then PBT had a welcome potluck for us, and I met more colleagues. There are two other girls about my age here, one doing a two month accounting internship and one teaching missionary kids for two years.

And that is it for now, thanks for the prayers, keep them up! Tomorrow our orientation begins!

Eat your McDonalds, and don't forget your vitamins!

disclaimer- all views are strictly based on my experience only

Ok, if you are expecting a lesson on French cuisine, I am sorry to disappoint. I love love love the bread, cheese, and pastries France feeds me. But if you were to ask me to give a short concise answer on what is French cuisine, I still can't do it! Google it, I am sure there are many French people who would love to let you know! But I will tell you what I have gleaned and observed here concerning food.

In general, the French have a very fixed schedule when it comes to eating- a light breakfast, nothing too substantial, but chocolate can be a part of this meal (yes!) Lunch is the big meal of the day, traditionally- workers generally get at least an hour for lunch. Fixing your lunch at home and bringing it to work/school is the norm. Then at 4:00, there is the gouter (snack) for school kids and possibly adults as well. And then dinner around eight or nine o'clock, which is generally lighter than lunch-pasta or soup are common.

The French eat more veggies than most Americans, I am pretty sure that is safe to say. And while the frozen food phenomenon is on the rise here, it is still much less prevalent than the U.S., same thing with fast food restaurants.

Something that has really impressed me is the fact that pasta with butter and maybe some cheese can be considered a complete meal. I am not talking about some woman on a diet, I mean that is a common dinner, from what I have seen. I feel like I have been used to being served/cooking too much food in comparison.

One of our French teachers told us two common stereotypes the French have of  Americans is 1. They all eat Mickey D's often, and 2. they take lots of vitamins. What do you think? I couldn't disagree, I mean personally I don't take vitamins, but when I am in the states, the dollar menu is hard to pass up! We will see when I go home next month how I handle fast food, I am not ready to commit to any swearing off yet, but I know that would be ideal for my body.

Happy Eating!

The Pressure of the Ordinary

Have you guys heard of "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis? It is a book written in the form of a series of letters between a "demon-in-training" and his boss in Hell. I realize it sounds a little strange or frightening, but it is absolutely full of insights on human nature and our daily life with Christ.

I read it years ago, but being here in Europe has brought it back to my mind recently. Of course, of course, there are unbelievers everywhere, but I have just been struck by the number of "good people" around me who seem to have no interest in God or finding out more about Him. For better or worse, in the Bible belt I feel like every citizen is confronted with Christianity in many forms and fashions everyday- from billboards to T.V. evangelists and bumper stickers. But here, if I weren't a believer it would be much easier to pass the entire day without thinking about God. People pursue happiness in the form of good relationships with family and friends, providing financially for their family and giving to others- all good things, but none of them really the point in the end.
 C.S. Lewis really emphasizes the fact that Satan doesn't necessarily need to tempt us to do something evil to sin; he just needs to show us anything (no matter how ordinary) that will take our eyes off God.

Here are a few quotes from "The Screwtape Letters" -' this is a demon talking to another demon on how to keep a Christian from growing and maturing in Christ- the Enemy' is God in these quotes.


Remember, he is not, like you, a pure spirit. Never having been a human (Oh that abominable advantage of the Enemy's) you don't realize how enslaved they are to the pressure of the ordinary.”

It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

Humans are amphibians...half spirit and half animal...as spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time, means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation--the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks.

I have just been thinking about this use of everyday nonsense to crowd out voice of the Holy Spirit a lot lately as I talk with international friends. I pray that God will use me and other people around them to help them to see past the "pressure of the ordinary" and find the Creator and Savior!

Hard Stuff

 This weekend I met a girl who was visiting the church I attend. For this post, we'll call her Molly. Molly lives in a nearby town in  government funded refugee housing. She is 21 years old, and comes from Rwanda. Her parents died when she was three, she was raised by a family that mistreated her. Later, Molly was told her grandmother was still alive, and she went and lived with her grandmother until the grandmother died a year and a half later, and she was alone again.
 All this time Molly was battling health issues herself. The Rwandan doctors diagnosed her with leukemia and gave her less than a year to live. Molly told me everyday for six months she woke up thinking it could be her last. After six months, she figured they must be wrong. When France granted her refugee status, the French doctors took her off the leukemia medicines and are now working on finding out what is wrong. She is still very weak and sick.
 How do I respond to stories like these? This girl is 21 and has had a life similar to that of Job. I know I will encounter more seemingly overwhelming heartbreak and need as I live and work in Africa- and I realize that I need to have a kind of plan so I don't just wallow in other people's misery until Jesus comes back. That doesn't seem like it would paint a very attractive picture to non-believers seeking the Kingdom!
So here is what I hope to do with Molly and future situations:
~Pray!
~Figure out what I can do, and do it
~Realize that I won't be able to fix everything
~Remember that God IS in control and DOES have a plan for Molly's life, and we don't know it right now, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know the plan!
~Use this amazing young woman's story to remind me of how incredibly God has blessed me, and help me remember that to those much has been given, much is expected.

France needs Jesus!! (and so does the rest of the world)

Well, here I am again, awake at an abnormal hour due to a weak moment and a can of Coca-Cola this afternoon.

God has been giving me all kinds of opportunities to share his love lately. I am not writing this post to boast about what I have done, because I really didn’t do much except be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and follow his leading, and pray I didn’t say anything stupid/confusing to the other person in the process- I know that last action isn’t very spiritual sounding, but it is true. 

So, this past week I have gotten to have a conversation with two women who follow two other major world religions, and two women who believe in nothing at all. While I will be interceding for all four women- I have to say my conversation with the two atheists has really left my thinking and praying. 

When I came to France, I was determined not to let all the hype I had heard about the spiritual decline of Europe taint my views. After seven months here, I can legitimately say from my experiences: it’s not hype, unfortunately it is true. While there exists a group of passionate followers of Jesus- the common mindset here does not set much value or seem to be interested in the existence of God in general, let alone a personal Lord and Savior. 

When I was talking to my two French friends about differences between France and the U.S., this of course was a main topic. They both (politely) expressed their incredulity about our nation still being so croyant (God-fearing, faithful). Unspoken translation: “When is America going to finally gonna get smart enough and move out of that phase like Europe has?”(The scary thing is the U.S. is well on our way in that process- but that isn’t what I am talking about right now.)

Here’s my question: When you move past the creator of the universe, what’s your next step from there?

I have thought about this -really-if I were to reject the idea of 1. Jesus as Savior and 2. A creator God in general I would likely turn to science as my God- I think that would be my tendency.  But science wouldn’t fulfill my affective side (I’d say soul, but that’s probably getting too spiritual for me at this point.) So I would begin searching, always searching, picking up things that offer comfort without accountability, only to set them down again due to lack of fulfillment. I would of course “be a good person,” but my happiness would still be based on the circumstances of life and seem a fragile thing.

Sound at all familiar? For me the above describes pretty much every non-believer I have met in my life.

Ok well, it is getting light out, and this is getting super long. I can’t think of a good ending, except-Lets go be lights for Jesus today! Love you guys!