Life is stressful.
There’s no getting around it.
It doesn’t matter what country you’re in.
And being on new ground experientially can add to the
pressures of life, too—even when you welcome the change.
This was the first time Tracy and I took a team with us to
Africa, albeit a small one. Our daughter
Anna has gone to Africa with us before, first when she was ten years old, then
again when she was fourteen. But this
trip we had the privilege of taking three women with us: Jana Durham, a long-time
friend we used to attend church with and a 32 year old mother of two; Casey
McMahon, a 20 year old college student I met in Texas when I spoke at her
church’s women’s retreat; and Sara Nowlan, our oldest daughter (33 yrs.) and
mother to three of our fantastic grandchildren.
The five of us were eager for our adventure as soon as our
plane touched down. But advice from
other missionaries reminded me of two things: 1) it’s best to check your
expectations at the door on a mission trip, because it is always different from
the way you envisioned it, and 2) nothing happens fast in Africa.
Picking up our luggage at baggage claim, we discovered one
of my suitcases was missing. We filled
out the necessary paperwork and hoped for the best, then headed for Dollar Car
Rental, where we picked up a white, ten passenger van. The only reason we needed that much space was
for our bags; each of us packed as much as possible to give away to the
children we’d be meeting.
Stepping outside was a shock. Even though we always visit during the South
African winter, in the past we’ve only needed sweaters for cool evenings—it’s
usually in the 60’s and 70’s. But we
were hit with a frigid wind, and the girls and I were uneasy about what we’d
packed. I felt responsible, having given
them the list of what they should bring.
My imagination took off, first picturing five shivering short-term
missionaries huddled together, blowing on our cold fingers, and bobbing up and
down on our toes to try to get warm; then envisioning Tracy pulling out his
wallet at the mall in Johannesburg to pay for a pile of coats. Not
in the budget. Gulp. Gave myself a speech: It won’t help to stress about this; you can’t change it now. Trust in the Lord. Everything will work out. He’s ultimately responsible for the team—even
for you. Ahhh. I felt better.
Everyone was hungry, so we headed for Nando’s, where the
girls had their first taste of Peri Peri sauce.
Casey became an instant addict! J I’d forgotten how hot it was, and even though
I’m no wimp when it comes to spicy foods, I couldn’t finish my chicken and rice
dish. Reminder to self: wear plenty of lip balm and order the medium
next time we eat at Nando’s.
Since we arrived in the evening, we spent our first night in
Africa at the Baptist Guest House in Johannesburg, South Africa, instead of
traveling in the dark to Swaziland. Thankfully
there were electric heaters in our rooms and plenty of blankets. We awakened early the next morning and headed
to McDonald’s, where we ate a breakfast that looked familiar. Smile.
Then we loaded up again and began our five hour drive to Pastor Lewis’s
house in Motshane, Swaziland.
Border crossings can be stressful, but the Lord had a
special blessing waiting for us as we went into Swaziland. At the customs counter, a young African man behind
the desk made eye contact with me, perking up when he heard me telling the
officials what our business would be while in their country. We were delighted to realize that this was a
dear young man named Comfort whom we’d met at Hope House two years ago! He was also glad to see us, and everyone in
the customs office lit up with smiles because we knew this fellow. He was working there temporarily doing
surveys for the government. He showed us
his office and gave us information about the tourist attractions. And although his job was keeping him from
church most weekends, he promised to come see us that Saturday when we were at
Hope House again. All of our paperwork
received the proper stamps, and we were through in good time.
The girls were as eager as we were to get started in our
work with the children, but we had a bit of a predicament. Nothing serious, but still a detail we felt
was important. Jana is a zoologist and directs
the Hutchinson Zoo, so it seemed imperative that we take her to the game
reserve to see the African animals. But
she was only staying for the first third of our trip, and Pastor Lewis had
scheduled us to go to the game reserve after Jana would be gone. The only day with a schedule we could change
was the next day—our very first day that we could have begun our ministry.
I felt torn. I knew
it was right to take Jana to the game reserve, but I struggled with what others
might think. How would it look if we
spent our very first available day relaxing and enjoying the animals at a place
where the children couldn’t even afford to go instead of working? How would our donors feel about our “lounging”? Not to mention the people who worked so hard
on our fundraisers! But no matter how
many times I reviewed the schedule, I couldn’t see any other day that would be
suitable. Pastor Lewis had worked so
hard to ensure we had time set aside for meeting with all the children; we
couldn’t change those dates. He was
gracious about rescheduling our time with his board of directors, so we made
our reservations at Mkhaya Game Reserve for the next day.
The weather was perfect!
(Thank You, Lord!) Our guide was
extremely knowledgeable and personable.
Jana loved chatting with our guide about the habits of the animals . . .
Sara took detailed notes about the many varieties of trees . . .
. . . and Casey was just happy that we got to see so many giraffes—her favorite.
Tracy and I were glad to have no responsibilities as we bumped along in the jeep and let the sun kiss our cheeks pink.
And in the midst of the beautiful African terrain, I was
reminded again of a lesson the Lord has been faithfully teaching me for almost
four years: He wants me to rest in Him. Truth
be told, He’s been trying to get this one through to me during my entire
journey with Him, but I’m in the remedial class. Sometimes slow to understand that
I can’t control everything—not even our schedule. I can plan, but He directs our steps. I live to please Him, not anyone else. He is well able to get us in the right place
at the right time doing the right things with the right people for the right
reasons. (Like our friend Woody Woodson
says.)
He was pleased for me to sit back and enjoy His creation
without a care in the world. He doesn’t
want me to “do” all the time; He also wants me to enjoy life. No matter how much I love my service to Him,
I can’t do it in my own strength. And I
can’t be effective if I’m running on empty all the time.
Nor if I torment myself with what I think everybody else
expects of me. Most of my concerns are
only real in my own head, not in what others actually think about me or our
ministry. My worrying can’t add even one
moment to my life. In fact, it takes
moments away, stealing the joy Jesus means for me to experience.
It takes more than Bible study and prayer and worship to be
prepared to minister. Our physical needs
are also important. A familiar Scripture
took on new meaning: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He restores my
soul.” (Psalm 23:2) Yes, I admit that sometimes He has to make me.
Smile.
Even in Africa, where I was ready to jump into service, He
wanted me to be still and know that He is God.
Cool my wheels. Wait on Him. Trust His timing.
Even though another meeting had been added to our schedule:
a women’s meeting at the International Church on the College of Theology
Campus—for that night! I had to trust we’d get back in time. I had to trust that His Word dwelt in me
richly, so I’d be able to share from that abundance even with very little
preparation time. And I had to trust
that even if my bag hadn’t yet arrived, I’d be able to fit into something of
Sara’s and get ready without the outfits I’d selected for the trip.
Which was exactly how things went. I arrived at the meeting in my daughter’s
clothes, my husband’s deodorant, and my Savior’s love. I already knew that during this trip, He
wanted me to speak from Matthew 6:33-34, seeking first His Kingdom and His
righteousness. For these women, He
fine-tuned that message to show them that seeking His Kingdom first means
seeking to make Him King in every area of their lives. That it’s a love relationship with the King
of kings. That as our King, He only
wants what is best for us. His will is good.
Holy. Lovely. Right.
He’s crazy about us. We don’t
have to earn His favor; just love Him back. He waits for us with blessings
beyond anything we can imagine—all for those who truly put Him first.
And His message came home to me, too, as I shared with these
precious sisters across the ocean. “So the King will greatly desire your beauty; because
He is your Lord, worship Him.” Psalm 45:11
Seeking His
Kingdom means seeking to let Him have dominion as King. We don’t carry the weight of the world on our
shoulders. No, the government of the
entire universe rests on His.
We worship a God
so powerful that He holds it all, yet so loving that He considers us beautiful,
even with our imperfections. So
beautiful that He desires an intimate relationship with us!
Sort of takes the
stress out of the little stuff, doesn’t it?
It did for
me.
And the day of
rest, physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually, set the tone for
the rest of our trip.
Mmmmmmm, I think
I want another helping.
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