Day 18: Something I miss

While talking with an M in Bali about doing international missions in my hometown, I was blown away when he told me that God had brought the nations to us when He sent international students, immigrants, and refugees. In a sense, He is giving us no excuse to share Christ with the nations. Immediately after I returned home I began a race toward reaching international students on my campus with the Good News, and it brought life and purpose to my daily living in ways that I never knew existed before. Pouring into sweet friends who are away from home... I loved it.

2 years ago we hosted 2 Asian students at our home for Thanksgiving Break. This weekend, I thought about how long it had been since I really invested in many international students. If you've read even a few of my blog posts in the last few months, you'll know that I've been full of excuses for why I should only focus on my schoolwork and how overwhelming it all is, brushing aside all the other responsibilities that Christ has placed before me. It took a long date with Jesus last night and some desperately needed alone time to remind myself that serving Christ is a choice that I must make and a priority that I must place before anything else.

I feel the temptations pressing in on me to forget about Christ and the joy He gives me. I see so many good things to live for- teaching, homemaking, doing well in school, loving the people closest to me, etc. They are all good things, and each can glorify Christ in unique ways. But are those good things my motivation for living? What gets me out of bed every morning? Why do I act and plan and talk the way that I do? What is it that gives me life, breath, and joy each day? Placing Christ as my top priority is a choice. I must choose to meaningfully get out of my bed each morning and purpose my steps in a manner that says "today I live because Christ gives me breath, and so I will breathe for Him."

This isn't so much about missing international students as it is about missing the focus that I once had on the One who gives me breath. I miss arranging my schedule around quiet time with the Lord and service to Him. Arranging my schedule around work for school is exhausting, yet often necessary, so I pray that my heart would be steadfast on Him even on the days when all I do is write papers.

If I truly say that I live for Christ, I pray that my heart and mind would be steadfast and focused on Him, moment by moment.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." -Col. 3:1-4

Day 15: Somewhere I’d like to move/visit

How big of a blog post am I allowed for today's topic? I could go on for DAYS.

Ultimately, I'd love to move out of the country. To those who understand my mindset of international missions and have been surrounded by others who have moved across the globe, it seems normal, but it's hilarious to watch the reactions of those who have never really met someone really serious about living overseas. I love 'murica, but I love other people and other places so much more. Here's just a few places that I would love to move to or visit:

Llamas and panchos, mountains and jungles, take me to PERU.

Ahhhh Greece.

My heart hurts for Central Asians. I would go to Afghanistan in a heartbeat.

I went to the Louvre in high school, but we weren't there near as long as I would have liked- D and I are going back one day!

Home to Adoniram Judson and my refugee friends, I would LOVE to visit Burma/Myanmar. Plus, it's absolutely beautiful.

Those are just the ones at the top of my list. I highly doubt I'll ever make it to all of those places, but we can't help but hope, right? :)

Day 14 —A moment I felt most satisfied with my life

What does it feel like to be "most satisfied with my life?" I have milled this question around in my head for the last few days, and it has recalled some interesting memories to mind. The first moment that came to my head happened this summer, when I held sweet Zaaratu in my lap and sang "How He Loves" to the little girl who hadn't a clue how much her Heavenly Father is jealous for her soul. It was satisfying simply because I knew that I was doing the best I could to share that precious Gospel with her, to the best of my meager abilities, and God would do the rest. But after thinking about it, I found something better.

It was cold, and I didn't really feel like spending the afternoon reigning in all the rambunctious kiddos. I prayed for their mom, and I wondered about their dad- what must life be like to come home from school in a foreign country, pass the time until it gets dark, and finally see your parents when they get off work around the time you're supposed to go to bed? As I climbed the steps to their apartment, I shuddered thinking about how many cockroaches I would see on this visit. I even thought about turning around and going home, waiting until next week to visit them again.

Top floor. Locked doors. I knocked, but no little beady eyes peeked through the blinds; no African voice calling out "it's Miss Em-a-lay." My only welcomer was a bright yellow note, which read "VACANT." My heart sank.

After a month of buckets of tears and hopeful prayers, I was able to find a forwarding address for my sweet and crazy refugee family. Driving to an unfamiliar neighborhood, I prayed and cried and hoped and begged that God would lead me to their home. I prayed that, after finding them, He would use me to show Christ's love in a new and rich way... and He answered my cry.

Little brick house. Long sidewalk. A hesitant knock at the door, familiar beady eyes peeking through the blinds. This time, the usual voice of recognition sounded like a siren, as the entire house shrieked my name and scrambled to open the door. I was hugged and kissed and hammered with questions: "how did you find us?" "we thought you would never come!" "we did not know how to tell you that we left." I cried a couple tears of sweet joy, and I thanked God that He was able to reunite us. This was a sweet moment, but ultimately the satisfaction came when one sweet boy asked me about Jesus. One sweet boy asked me about Jesus. Did you hear that? After a month away from my sweet African family, the first thing they wanted to talk about was the Savior who led me to find them! We talked about the Bible, and they were very curious. Good conversation and curious hearts led us to Bible stories and talk of God's love for us. God was able to plant a seed and show how much Christ searches after them, just as I searched for them on earth.

It is satisfying to travel across the world and spend time loving on children I may never see again. It is satisfying to share Christ with a nation that is unreached and/or unengaged. But it is most satisfying to trust that the Lord will work in me, right where I am, to accomplish His good purposes. In all things, He works for the good of those who love Him and He always works things out according to His perfect plan. The most satisfying moment for me: watching God work, and coming along for the ride.

Day 7: A favorite photo

This will ALWAYS be one of my favorite pictures, because it reminds me to be silly every once in a while- it makes people smile :)

Standing in front of a Hindu temple singing & dancing to "Singing in the Rain." Doesn't get much more random than that.

Day 6: Something I have learned

Seeing as I am in college, and thus learning something new everyday, answering this question is like grabbing one drip of water from a fire hydrant. I'll just share with you the first thing that comes to my mind:

Tonight in my linguistics class, I realized how much Zarma I learned over the summer, and I was actually rather proud of myself. The rest of the class couldn't figure out how to use the "ng" sound in any part of the word except the end (like in "sing"), but I threw out the words "ngwaari" and "ngoya" and felt pretty darn proud of myself! I've learned to communicate in an African language, and tonight it just hit me how cool that is! Honestly, it makes me want to rattle off a couple Zarma sentences to anyone who cares to listen- I don't want to lose that skill!

Because I was feeling all cool about myself but also rather humbled because I've already forgotten the word for water, I refreshed myself on a great Zarma website and had a little throwback to the hot days of Niger summers! It's a little crazy to think that it was almost second nature at the time to speak in the African language rather than my native language while I was there just a few months ago.

Although I often say I hate that English linguistics class because the professor is extremely brilliant and challenging (she is working on creating an official dictionary for the national oral African language of Liberia... she's intense), I think that's the reason I love it. I have been challenged to think and to apply everything I've learned about different languages to the lives of my future students- and it excites me to no end to think about all the ways that the Lord could use the study of phonetics to glorify His name. Sounds cool, right? :) She is so dang hard and sometimes I want to dislike her because she has such high expectations of me, but I learn more and more every time I walk into that passionate, enthusiastic, brilliant professor's classroom. It makes me want to go out and translate a Bible or something- seriously, linguistics is so cool.

So that's something I've learned lately :) And just for old times' sake, a picture of one of those sweet (and crazy) Zarma-speaking people that I came to love in a unique way by living with her all summer:

Miss her. Praying that she'll see the Light and understand.

Day 3: If I had a million dollars, how would I spend it?

I actually thought about this when my crazy fiance decided that he actually had a chance at winning the McDonald's Monopoly game... ha :)

Being a college student, even the idea of suddenly acquiring $500 seems miraculous, so the thought of possessing 1 million dollars is a bit overwhelming. I'll admit, the first things that come to mind when I think about having that much money are the expensive and super cute articles of clothing that I've seen on various websites and in cute mall boutiques, and I think about all the trips I could go on without having to scratch for every itty bitty penny I own in order to buy a plane ticket, and I think about going to visit my sweet little Guatemalan sponsored girl one day. What happy thoughts!

Those are definitely the first things that jump out in my mind, but there are so many ideas that swim around in my head when I think about having that much money. Since foreign missions became important to me, I've had this idea in my head of opening a school/center in the middle of nowhere in a faraway place where "forgotten" women and children could come to be loved on and learn something. Ultimately, that is what drives me to learn more in my education classes, regardless of how many mountains of "busy work" they give us every week. I got excited about reading Three Cups of Tea because I thought that it would give me more desire and excitement to actually do something like this someday, but I was ultimately disappointed because the guy was glorified for his work, not Christ.

I would love love love to have a million dollars to start a center or school like that, but when will that ever happen, right? Like I said yesterday, I have so many plans but it is the Lord who determines my steps. Whether I am teaching a group of Afghan women how to sew or teaching a bunch of rambunctious kiddos in an American public school, I know that the Lord will lead me to exactly where He wants me in order to glorify Him the most.

...but I would probably still use some of that million dollars to buy that $100 dress I've been drooling over.

Day 2: Where I would like to be in 10 years

This one is so much easier to write about than yesterday's topic! Since the day my elementary teacher gave me an agenda to write down my assignments, I've been hooked on planning- in fact, I'm pretty sure I wrote my friends' assignments down in their agendas in 4th grade. It's that bad. I still have the planners I used in high school and my freshman year of college for 2 reasons: 1)I'm that attached to my planners and 2) it makes me laugh to look back at how much I wrote down and how ridiculously organized I was (and still am, really). I was a busy girl, but the organization of it all is what keeps me together.

Not only do I hold tight to my planner in order to know the next few weeks of my life, but I also hold tight to plans for the future with a grip that the Lord is slowly loosening and releasing. I can remember a time in high school when I told a friend that I would be perfectly content to be a "soccer mom" for the rest of my life- minivan and all. I just knew that my life would involve public relations, children, and a husband. And a minivan, of course.

After spending a week in Guatemala and having my heart tugged in a thousand different directions by God through the faces of sweet little kids, I found my "soccer mom" plans to be tremendously shaken and questioned. I began to wonder just what the Lord had in store for me, and realized that I had been holding on to my future plans with a frightening grip that relented any tender whisper from God to give them up. I considered going on a summer-long trip that would take me away from many close loved ones, and I almost talked myself out of it. In fact, many people tried to talk me out of it. But I found a short and profound quote by Corrie ten Boom in the front of my Bible, and I immediately applied to go to Asia:

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

It seems like a simple concept, but when you're in college and literally feel like the entire world is at your feet, it can be overwhelming to peacefully submit an entire life and future to the Lord. Since going to Asia, I have learned that people have many plans, but the Lord determines every single one of their steps (Prov. 16:9). Since then, I've made so many plans and had so many expectations, and it just seems to me that all of those plans never seem to work out the way I intend for them to. Therefore, when I tell you my plans, I will most definitely put the disclaimer of "Lord willing" in front of it- and it is incredible what peace has washed over me as a result of laying all of my plans in His hands! I wish I could go on for a few more days about the incredible lessons I have learned from the Lord about resting on the promise that He sees and knows everything that will happen to me, and He is in control of every bit of it.

So yes, I have those fun ideas about where I'd like to be in 10 years- I'd love to be married to David Carl and have had a few precious little children by then, and I would love to have a couple years of experience under my belt of teaching ESL and special needs kids, and I would LOVE to be in another country where the name of Jesus is rarely spoken, and I would love to have learned how to cook like my momma and sew precious little dresses for precious little girls, and it would be great if we were all healthy and happy and little world travelers. But I know that God does not promise for everything to turn out the way I plan, so I'm resting on the promise that He allows every good, pleasing, and perfect purpose of His own to come to completion (Romans 12:2).

Of course, I would decide to give the long answer to a seemingly easy question.

Since Fati left town

It took an entire month of recovery from West African bush life for me to discover the reason why I was there and how God truly worked in the hearts of the people of Boubon. Last week, a precious group of women were able to spend time with some of my favorite Boubon ladies, and there was even more exposure to the Gospel. My heart swells with love for these sweet villagers, and I am thrilled to know that God continues to work on their hearts even after Fati & Mariama left the village.

"The poor & needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar & the acacia, the myrtle & the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir & the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it." -Isaiah 41:17-20

After hearing how God is still at work in Boubon, I am ashamed to remember the doubt that Satan sometimes slipped into corners of my heart while failing for the 3500th time to conjure up the right words in Zarma to share the real reason we were in Boubon. Satan's lies always included whispers that God didn't care about the Songhai, I was inadequate for the job, or that our work in the village was useless. It was easy for my exhausted body to listen to the lies. Thankfully, God is faithful when we are faithless- and I rejoice in that!

God will not forsake the poor & needy souls of Boubon- of that I am sure. Although I would give my right arm & leg to be able to return to that sweet village soon, I know that God's plan for me right now is to finish school and plan to marry my fiancee in May. Rather than spending my days wallowing in the fact that I cannot see my village momma or hug the necks of my favorite little ones, I want to be able to serve right where God has placed me. He has put hundreds of international students and refugees and classmates right in front of my face who need Jesus just as much as the people in Boubon. My heart longs to be sharing Christ in a place where people would never get the chance to hear of Him, but for now... I pray that the Father will give me humility & willingness to serve right where He's placed me.

God is good, and He has not forsaken Boubon.

Back in America!

It's weird to be back in America. Upon arriving in the US, I was literally speechless when the guy at McDonald's asked, in English, "what can I get for you?" Walking into my room at home was strange, as well- I couldn't remember what clothes I owned or what my bed felt like or where my wallet was or what my wallet even looked like. But, as I settle back into the American way of life, I am slowly coming to remember what life was like for me 9 weeks ago.

We attract all the village crazies- young & old

9 weeks ago, I did not know the names Ibu, Halima, Mariama, or Fadida. The word "Fofo" had no meaning to me, and I couldn't speak a lick of Zarma. I knew what it was like to sweat, but I didn't know what it was like to sweat. 9 weeks ago, I prayed for the Songhai, but I didn't see the need for prayer as much as I do now.

A few weeks ago, I found myself holding a precious little girl named Zaaratu as all the other kids fought for crayons to color with. Zaaratu was a snuggler to the max, so I sat and rocked the cuddly girl as I sang "How He Loves." Will the little girl ever understand that God is jealous for her and how truly great His affections are for her?

Henna! I get a lot of odd looks now in the US

We are merely the vessels for Christ's work; the megaphone to carry Christ's glory to all nations. Without a voice, the megaphone is useless; without Christ's glory as our goal, our work is useless. Because of our work in the village, so many women heard the name of Jesus. Because we loved on kids, they know a bit more about Christ's love. Because we were light in a dark place, the Light is beginning to conquer and overwhelm the darkness on the dirt roads of Boubon. I was a warm body that God placed in a very hot place, and He did all the work through me. Although Zaaratu and I did not speak the same language, I can trust that God did something on her heart during our time there. I am overwhelmed with humility because of the ways He used me this summer!

Fadida- sweetest little girl

The journey is most certainly not over. God is not finished with Boubon just yet. Continue to pray that the women we encountered will be convicted by the words we shared. Continue to pray that children will experience the love that only Christ can provide through His disciples. Continue to pray for understanding. Continue to pray that people will rise up to the call and will go to work with the Songhai. We are so thrilled to know that there will be a family living in Boubon and that there will be several teams visiting the village in just a few months! God is not finished with His work. I am back in America, but God is still in Boubon!

Big giraffe, little Nadia

Week 7 in Africa (and 1 week left!)

We're down to the final days! We've been here for long enough that I've come to think of West Africa almost as home- it isn't all that odd to me anymore to see cows walking into the yard or Zarma chit-chat outside my window. I actually touched the walls of our mud-brick house the other day and told myself I might actually miss living in there. We've got one more week in the country, then it's back across the ocean for these two girls! I'm sad, to say the least.

Hanging out with the "family" on a rainy and "cold" day

This past week has been so much fun and pretty eventful! Our friend BB was able to come out the village and stay for 2 nights with us in our humble abode of a mud house. It is interesting, to say the least, to live with a West African. She found our food choices (peanut butter crackers & granola bars) hilarious, so we lucked out and got a few African meals. Like I said, we loved having her around!

Not as easy as it looks

With BB by our side, we were able to share Christ's story with a group of women and plenty of kids! There have been so many women who have been able to hear Truth, and we are thankful for that. We shared several Bible stories with the kids who routinely visit our compound, and they drank in every single word of every story! It was so amazing to watch their attentive faces as BB translated the stories to them. Please keep praying for our conversations in the last few days we have left in the village. We have 2 full days left, and we want to finish the race strong! Pray that we'll continue to stay healthy (something that the Lord has been extremely gracious about) and that we will have enough energy to give all of ourselves to the women & children around us. Pray for the Fox family, who just got to the country this week and will be moving to our village in just a few months. We can't wait to hear how the Lord grows what we have planted by using this family!

Once again, thank you so much for praying for us throughout the summer. The Lord has heard every single prayer and has been answering them very specifically. We are so so thankful for it! Keep praying for the Songhai, even in these last few days of our service here in West Africa. God is good!

We have become quite the home decorators

Week 6 in Africa

This week, I am so thankful to have seen and gained a bit more understanding of how "the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise" (2 Peter 3:9). Although our work here in the village seems slowwwww at times, God is still working fervently on souls and our work is not in vain! We were able to play "Good News" tapes in many compounds this week for interested women, and we were privileged to have a few conversations about Christ with various villagers. After several weeks of seemingly "unfruitful" conversations with women, we are thrilled to have seen so much progress! We praise the Lord that He has guided our steps and given us visible rewards for our work, but we know He is not finished with our village yet.

Women pounding millet

Although we have played tapes and attempted to share in Zarma, we are not entirely sure how much interest the women really have in learning more about Jesus. But, in the upcoming week, our language teacher and national partner BB will be heading out to the village with us!! We are thrilled to have her along as a fluent Zarma speaker to add depth to the conversations we have already had with many women. Plus, it will just be fun to have her around! Pray that the Lord will guide us to the right women and that they would be willing & open to hearing from us and from BB. We can't wait to see what God will do through our little group this week as we finish up our time in Africa- we only have about 5 full days left in the village!

Oh, just another normal day in the village

It's amazing to me that we have almost finished our time here. Really, I wish I could have just a few weeks more because it seems that we are just now starting to break through "survival mode" in the village and are finally learning to thrive here! Africa has become a home that I will not easily part with. Although this trip has held its fair share of struggles and obstacles, I have never experienced joy in such mass quantities until I came here. "Joy unspeakable" has an entirely new meaning to me! The sweat, tears, and frustration that come from Satan's grip on this village are all strangely worth it because of the incredible amounts of joy that I receive when serving these people. One of the sweetest things is when Fadida, a little girl who follows us everywhere, starts singing "Jesus Loves All the People of the World" (to the tune of "Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World") in Zarma, her heart language. Although that precious girl may not know now what she is singing, I find joy in knowing that I could at least convey the message to her that Jesus loves her. I could not be spending my summer in a more fulfilling way!

It's rare, but we do occasionally let our hair out of the bandanas!

In these last 2 weeks, pray for us! Pray fervently for the hearts of these people and for our perseverance. We want to be able to make as large of an impact on the village as we can in our final stretch, and we know that God is not slow in keeping His promises. Pray that the Message would be conveyed clearly and thoroughly! We can't wait to see how God works!

Week 5 in Africa

I am almost moved to tears about how wonderfully the Lord has heard and answered prayer! In the past week, He has given me confidence to speak Zarma (although it’s not exactly fluent or even understandable at times, and my dictionary is well-worn) and I have found myself resting in the knowledge that He is always, always in control.

This week we began playing Gospel tapes for women around the village. We use The Good News for Women, which shares Bible stories about women Jesus encountered, plays a song or two, and shares testimonies from various African women who have become Christ followers. We ask women to listen to the tapes as they work, and most have graciously allowed us to play them! When they hear that the tape is more than just fun music, they often become disinterested, but we are praying that the Lord will bring us to the right compounds.

Ministry looks different every day. Although playing tapes is a huge part of our reason for being here, we are in this village to shine light in a dark, dark place. Whether I am playing with a precious kid, peeling garlic for a friend, or praying for a young bride, light is being spread when I do it all in Jesus’ name! It is incredible to me how even the smallest action here makes the largest difference- I sow a seed every time that I tell a child that Jesus loves them, even if they do not know who Jesus is. I was encouraged this week as I read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9:

“…the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, [another] watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building.”

Regardless of the fruit we see at the end of the summer, God is growing the seeds that we plant across our village. He is working on hearts in ways that we cannot even imagine, and He knows the names of each person He will call to Himself. I am so thankful to be a part of a ministry that will one day see many Songhai believers in our village! Thank the good Lord Jesus that salvation is not up to Erin and I- if that were the case, we would never see a single woman believe in Jesus. I’m so glad that God is in control of every single heart and situation!

Please please pray for us as we spend 3 more weeks out in the village. Pray for endurance. Pray that we will have patience with the people. Pray that the Lord will give us strength, health, and motivation to live each day to its absolute fullest, nearly exhausting ourselves from ministry!

Pray fervently for the hearts of the Songhai. Pray that we would be led to the right women, and that they will see more than just our white skin as we talk about our Savior. The Lord hears prayers and has answered them in miraculous ways this summer, so we are extremely grateful for your partnership with us in prayer!

Week 4 in Africa

In a place where privacy is harder to come by than a Panera, I’ve found my “happy place” by myself underneath a mosquito net each night. By the time the sun sets each night, Erin and I have set up our mats outside the house, hung big white mosquito nets over them, and crawled inside. Although we sometimes get the occasional curious old woman or happy child visitor, I can pretty much guarantee that when my sweaty head hits the pillow at night, I will have until sunrise to spend with my thoughts and the Lord. It’s at those times, staring up at the stars and listening to neighboring donkeys, that my heart overflows with an odd mixture of love and pain for the people of this village.

Imagine never even hearing the name of Yesu before in your life. Imagine living your entire life being told one thing about the Son of God, never to be told otherwise. How can you know and believe unless you hear? I have seen this firsthand, and my heart is broken for the people of this lost village. When I ask the people if they know who Yesu is, they think I’m asking them about next year- yeesi! Many have never even heard of His name! As I attempt to strangle out some Zarma words to explain the reason why we have come to their village, they wait with eager ears. I love these sweet and welcoming people so, so much… and yet my weakness limits me from sharing to the fullest with a people who have never even heard His name!

The good news is that I am not here to display my strength of language to a lost and dying people. I am not in this village to proclaim good things about myself or to prove my own abilities. I am here to proclaim good things about Yesu, and to share it with a people group who may never have had an opportunity to hear of it. I am simply a loudspeaker for a God who, in His mighty strength and sovereignty, has already been working on their hearts for years and years! Who might have softened hearts, ready and willing to accept if they could only hear? I love these people, and I long for them to hear truth. How can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Hamisa, anyone?

In those special times under the stars & a mosquito net, I pray diligently for the people in my village. The prayers we are offering up are not void- they are producing results! Erin & I are learning to thrive in the village, and we have found it to be almost like home. We are being led to groups of women who seem to be interested in hearing more about the Gospel, and people are being introduced to Jesus! Celebrate that with us, and continue to pray fervently for their hearts to desire Yesu, the promised Messiah. We are thankful for all that He has done so far, and we can’t wait to spend one more month with the people!

Dust storms temporarily drop the temperature 30 degrees- thank the good Lord Jesus!!!

Week 3 in Africa

We have officially spent our first 3 days in the African bush! It's been an interesting adjustment, to say the least. In the matter of a week, we have moved in with an African family, taken lots of bucket baths, blown lots of bubbles with precious kids, slept under the stars at night, and eaten lots of peanut butter sandwiches. We are thrilled to finally be out in the village, meeting sweet African women & children and attempting to show them a bit of the face of Jesus and His love!

This all sounds good and wonderful, and it certainly is. Living in obedience is definitely fulfilling, and it makes me love Jesus more. However, I can say with assurance that the life of a cross-cultural missionary is often less than glamorous. Maybe it goes without saying, but Erin and I have gotten a quick lesson in obediently serving Christ no matter what it may cost- and it has been a difficult lesson to swallow!

First stage of African initiation: get yo hair did! Braided hair makes scarves more bearable in the heat.

Sleeping under a mosquito net, power outages, attempting to speak a completely foreign language, and constantly getting stared at (constantly) become immediately frustrating when you add temperatures of over 100 degrees to the mix. Our patience, love, and grace have been tested in many ways in just the past 3 days. Even children have verbally opposed the Gospel to us. I have learned a lot about how selfish I am, and I have learned how great of a task it is to love people enough to come to them and share Christ right where they are. 2 mornings ago I woke up looking at a donkey 3 feet from my mat. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

My absolute favorite verse, Acts 20:24, became real to me in a whole new way this week:

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

In this life, I've only been given one task from God- to tell others of the beautiful grace He has provided me with. We're commanded to share it with others- but what will it take? I consider my life and comforts worth nothing to me, as long as it means testifying to what Christ has done for me. In a race, the runner is not always feeling absolutely superb, but the finish line is certainly worth the run. I've decided that, no matter how many times a rooster wakes me up in the middle of the night, getting the Good News to the Songhai people is 100000% worth it.

That being said, please pray for us. Pray that we'll be able to adjust to the heat, miraculously learn a ton of language quickly, and that God's sheep would hear His voice and be drawn to our compound. Pray that our bodies would adjust so that we can focus on our ministry rather than just trying to "beat the heat." Praise Him that we have had such a welcoming host family here in the village, whom we share a compound with and interact with daily! We are so so so so thankful for your prayers!

Some of the precious kids in our compound

Week 2 in Africa

You know that time last summer when I took a 3-week French 101 class, and I almost drowned in notecards, and I was soon speaking basic French in my sleep? Try cramming that amount of information into your brain in one week. Erin & I have spent the last 4 days with our cawundiko (teacher), B, learning Zarma- and it has been sooooo much information! We are so so so thankful, however, that we have this opportunity. Because I have a notebook full of Zarma words, it will make the transition to Boubon so much easier. For instance, when someone asks where my bellybutton is, I'll be able to show them because I know the words for "where" and "bellybutton." Or, if someone tells me there is an unhappy hippo in the village, I'll be able to run to safety rather than being trampled before I have time to pull out my handy-dandy Zarma-English dictionary and figure out what's going on! So you see, we are very thankful for this week of language training.

B has been so sweet and incredibly patient. We have asked her question after question for 6 hours a day, and she still has patience even when I mix up the phrases "I'm hungry" (Ay harey) and "my ears" (Ay hangaey) at least 12 times a day (because I get hungry often). I'm so thankful for B!

So far, my favorite phrase to say in Zarma is "atinni atalata." It actually just means Monday Tuesday, but it's fun to say with an African accent. So, when I come back to the States, if I say some fun phrase but you don't know what it means, don't be impressed- I'm probably just saying a bunch of nonsense! My most-used phrase so far is definitely "bong londi," which is brain, because my bong londi has often felt a bit heavy from all the new words inside of it!

Throughout the week, I have often found myself asking why on earth I am sitting in an un-air-conditioned room studying the days of the week in an African language. There are certainly times of frustration (especially when I can't distinguish between ears and food). But when those moments come, I am reminded of the ultimate reason we are even on this continent, and I am encouraged to keep a grateful and enthusiastic heart. The call of Christ to share the Gospel with all nations is worth the work. It's worth slaving hours over foreign languages and driving 14 hours in a hot car. It's worth saving my money to even go on this trip. It's worth missing family and friends back in the States. Although I do love to travel, I would not be in this country if the Songhai people did not need Christ. Why are we here? We are here to share the Gospel with an unreached people group, and it is certainly worth the work. And amidst the notecards and sweat, there is no place I would rather be than in the will of my Master bringing glory to His worthy Name.

Week 1 in Africa

With a home in Boubon quickly approaching, we are eagerly gobbling up any kind of wisdom and advice we can receive on living in the hot African bush! It has been such a blessing to have the Living Hope team here with us for our first week in Niger as we learn language, get acclimated to Songhai culture (and the heat), and find our way around the village. It'll be a huge blessing when we actually move into the village. Speaking of, allow me to introduce you to our humble abode, yet to be named:

And of course, true to form, I go to kids like a magnet. I don't know why I ever doubted that I should be an elementary teacher! One of the most frustrating things about the animism in this culture is that you can't call children "beautiful." To those without Christ, it is believed that the demons only come and take the most beautiful children. So, of course, it is an offense to call someone's child beautiful! This kills me, but it causes me to want to love on those kids even more and show them that "Yesu ga ti ni cado"- that is, Jesus is their gift! That being said, pray for the children- pray that they and their parents will hear and believe the Gospel. My heart breaks for the futures that these precious Songhai children have.

This picture is of some sweet kids in Ayorou, one of the villages Living Hope-ers are very familiar with! Some of these kiddos have parents who are boldly following Jesus, despite persecution. Pray for them.

If you haven't noticed, prayer has become a common theme in this blog. We have shared the Gospel (the story from creation to Christ) countless times with over 100 women in Boubon, and we have found a few who want to hear more. The few believers who do live throughout Niger are persecuted in ways that make this American girl feel like a wimp! The Gospel is not just some ordinary thing over here, and I've come to value it so much more. PRAY that these people will understand the message and will have a desire to learn more! Pray that they will desire Jesus more than anything else. Pray that the believers will be strong and courageous, despite being practically thrown out of their communities.

It has been an encouragement to see the four villages we have heard about for so long: Ayorou, Karma, Tagiboty, and Boubon. While Ayorou has about 12 firm believers, Karma and Boubon each have only one. Can you imagine- being the only believer for miles around? Satan has his grip on these places, but Christ has conquered Satan. Our prayer is powerful and it can change things through Christ alone!

This parched land needs a bit of Living Water, don't ya think??

"Help us understand"

I am so thrilled to have finally been introduced to our new home in Boubon! The LH team spent an entire day out at the village getting a feel for the town and sharing the Gospel with the precious people. While sharing with a group of women, a common response was "we will pray to God that He will help us understand this story." Each time I heard that, my heart melted. The best thing I can ask from you is that you will pray for their eyes to be opened and their hearts to be drawn to Jesus! We cannot do anything, on our own, to make these people believe. Satan has such a firm grip on their hearts that they cannot even understand the words we have clearly spoken to them. Only the Holy Spirit can do a work in their hearts- we cannot!

A prayer request from their own mouths- pray for understanding. As Romans 10:14-15 declares, they can believe in the one they have heard of, but how can they understand unless God unveils their clouded eyes?

Also, they gave me an African name- "Fati" (fah-tee)... kinda like "fatty" with an African accent. I don't think I'll carry this particular cultural difference over to the US of A!

Finally here!

It took us an entire year of planning, but now Erin and I are finally here in Niger!!! We've basically spent the last 2 days eating, sleeping, and learning to beat the heat. We've met the super great Songhai team and some wonderful African people. I'm on my way to learning a teensy bit of French and a small amount of Zarma, which will hopefully be just the basis for a bunch of language learning next week!

As for this coming week, we have a great week planned with a team from Living Hope in Boubon. This week will be great for Erin and I, as we get to know the women & children before we go to actually live in the village. Once the team leaves next week, we (E and I) will begin a full week of language learning. After that, we will officially move out to Boubon to begin our time there attempting to share the Gospel with the Songhai people and paving the way for a long-term missionary family to move in!

As for prayer, see the Africa tab :) We already have lots going on that needs a HUGE amount of prayer for!!!

9 days and blessed

I'm taking a quick break from packing and studying to say, in the least cliche way possible, how much I have seen the Lord blessing me today.

I didn't ask to be showered with so many prayers, sweet wishes, gifts, or excitement from others in regards to our trip to Niger. In fact, from the beginning of this journey I was pretty set on getting to the desert by my own abilities and powers- working hard, praying hard, and looking ahead with focus. How prideful is that?!?! I felt that the Lord would provide, and I really felt that conviction deep down, but ultimately I felt that He would provide independently of any other person.

...and wow, was I wrong.

He has provided through so many sweet, sweet people- some whom I have only spoken a few words to! Whether it be through words or baby wipes, the Lord has shown how much He delights to provide for His children. I have been lifted up in so many ways, expecting the Lord to teach me great things and work miraculous things through the Songhai people this summer. With only 9 days left until we jet out of the country, I am waiting with an expectant ear for what He is trying to teach me even now. He truly has provided more than I could ever ask for or imagine, and I have confidence that this work will not be in vain- if anything else, I have learned an incredible amount about God by just taking the journey to getting on the plane!

I'm thankful for seeing dear mission-minded friends playing out their faith. They put into action the commandments of Christ by encompassing 2 important aspects of the "Pray, Give, Go" mantra- faithfully praying for the lost who have no access to the Gospel, and generously giving so that others may go. When a 15-year-old gives me $50 for the trip or a mom gives me enough food to last the summer, I know and understand that praying & giving are just as important as going. So, when I am not preparing for a summer trip, what am I doing to spread Christ out to the nations? How am I praying and giving? I have been challenged because of the sweet examples of such wonderful friends!

Beauty from Dust

I am so in love with the words of this song- and plus it just sounds good!

My flesh cries out that I'm inadequate, that I'm not worthy to carry the cross to another country. And the truth is, I'm not worthy! I'm made of dust, of sinful flesh, of selfish ambitions. I'm made of gross stuff. I have a deceitful heart full of iniquities that have separated me from God.

BUT...

Christ has closed the gap for me, and with Him every inadequacy is eliminated. I am nothing without Christ, and He makes beautiful things out of this dust. With Christ alone I am made worthy for the calling that God places upon us to share the Gospel and reach out to other people. I am so, so, so unworthy... but He makes beautiful things out of me!

I don't have to fear whispers from the devil, who with smooth speech says that I am not capable of doing anything. He tells me that I am hopeless. I am not hopeless; I have the Almighty God to work despite my inadequacies!

"You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." -Psalm 32:7

Do Your thing, God.