Called. Humbled. Responsible.

"and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. and those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." romans 8:28-30

i recently attended A&O (assessment & orientation) with world harvest in philadelphia. despite the long days and chilling temperatures, it proved to be a great week. i am happy to report that i've officially been approved to return to south sudan for a 2-year term beginning next fall! i'm excited to return to a team i love and be a part of what God is doing among the sudanese.
the Lord really used my week in philly to confirm his call on my life and renew an excitement in me to walk in obedience to that call. what a blessing to spend time with the WHM staff and hear their personal stories and testimonies of God's faithfulness in their lives. i am so thankful for all the time, prayer, and encouragement they poured into us. at the end of the week, world harvest invited a pastor to give a short sermon for the new appointees. the topic...humility. how appropriate! the Lord seems to always know when i need a good reminder of my self-righteousness tendencies. what a great message for a group of newly appointed missionaries. lest we forget, God has called us to salvation. while we were still sinners, God sent his Son to satisfy the wrath we deserve so we may be called his sons. we offer nothing, yet God gives us everything. how can this not compel us to humility? and yet, i seem to need constant reminders.
david platt's message this morning was from romans 9. a good one to download. he read verses of God choosing us, adopting us as sons. a good reminder that it is not about us, what we bring to the table. it's all about God, the one who calls. in his unfathomable mercy, God called us to be his people. and with this great privilege comes great responsibility. so many times, i fail. Lord, help me live a life worthy of the calling.

Thoughts

what i love about south sudan

community
sitting and sharing
no one is rushed
time with people is treasured

warmth, hospitality
contagious laughter
generous hearts

simplicity
biking, waving
greeting familiar faces
children run,
screaming "how are you?"

the people
their smiles, their love
their friendship

body of believers
everyone singing, swaying
drums beating, women dancing

perseverance through hardship
hope for the future
"God is greater" they say

faith lived out
woven into their lives
refreshing

full of joy
full of hope

my heart is happy
God is good
His faithfulness has no end

I Hate Goodbyes

generally speaking, i hate goodbyes. but when this team throws a goodbye party, i wish it would never end. the night kicked off with a fabulous soundtrack crafted by phil. the table was the picture of fall with fresh-cut flowers from the garden (orange, yellow, and red), bowls of sweet treats, even a carved pumpkin. scott was busy slaving over a deliciously smelling dinner and baking an array of desserts.
the night continued to get better and better, with one surprise after another. it was nothing less than a hit, complete with a whitney houston performance (courtesy of kim, bethany, and christine), a slideshow, clever poems, karaoke with kitchen utensils, and yes, a dance party. do they know me or what?! i felt so loved. what great friends God has blessed me with in this season. i am sad to leave them.

Harvest Training

i'm officially a farmer. ok, not quite, but i did have my first harvesting experience. some of the members of our church came together on friday to harvest "sim-sim," sesame seed. i did my best to prepare for such an experience, making sure i had all the essentials for the labor-intense day ahead of us. hat...check. water bottle...check. sunscreen...check, check. knife...check. a clue about what i'm doing...not so much. in the words of my sudanese friends "mushkila mafi," no problem. luckily we were partnered with a few sudanese women who were more than happy to give us a crash course in harvesting sim-sim, including techniques for bunching and wrapping. i set out to a good patch of sim-sim, fairly confident that this would be an easily acquired skill. within the first 10 minutes, i had managed to rub a blister on my hand and poke my toe with the knife, not to mention my body was now saturated in sweat. but they made it look so easy! they cut and gathered at triple the rate i was going. one of ladies, joscelina, continued to encourage our work and explained, "you are in training. a preschooler does not know all their ABCs in one day. it takes time." i smiled at the truth in her analogy. even as christians, we are still training to be harvesters. though i often feel ill-equipped to share my faith and make many mistakes along the way, God is greater. we cannot do it on our own. how important it is that we partner with our brothers and sisters in Christ as we do His work. God has blessed us here with such a rich community of friends in mundri that partner with us in the harvest. john 4:35 says, "open your eyes and look at the fields! they are ripe for harvest!" i have enjoyed being the student today. there is still so much i have to learn, and i am thankful for the ways God reminds me of that.

Visiting Schools

kim, bethany, and i went to visit all the local schools around mundri today. we sat and talked with some of the teachers, listened to their stories, and prayed with them. kim also gave them some teaching materials. we saw several teachers that attended the teacher training. it is good to now have a visual of where they teach and what their classroom situations are like. while visiting one of the schools, it began to rain heavily. the preschool classes, which meet under a tree, were then canceled and the students sent home for the day. some of the classes continued, but i began to realize how difficult it must be to talk over the pounding of the rain on the tin roof. the head teacher explained that they will often stop their teaching and begin singing songs if the rain is too loud. this does not surprise me, as it seems the moru people can manage to make the best out of most situations and find any time is a good time to break into song.
i was especially encouraged by talking with one of the head teachers, who also attended our training. he was telling us that several years ago he wished to go away to university. his family tried their best to get the money for him to go but they came up short, and he was not able to go. there is now a program offered here for university classes. he was recently accepted and will now have the opportunity to further his education through weekend classes. bethany reminded us of the verse in proverbs 16:9 that says, "in his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." this i know to be true in my own life, and i am thankful for the reminder that His ways are not our own.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

my friend, cecilia, is 21 years old. she is a wonderful cook and has a great sense of humor. though her english is not great, my moru is far worse. she tries to teach me new words and mostly laughs as i attempt to repeat them. our conversations are limited but i am thankful for a sudanese friend.
i have enjoyed getting to know more people as my time here comes to a close. it is encouraging to see people i know around town, and it especially lifts my spirits when they remember my name. i have been told i have a difficult name to pronounce. the other night, i met cecilia's mother and friends, and they gave me a moru nickname, citi, which literally means to sit. they said they gave me this name because i have come from america to sit with them for some time. i smiled at the feeling that i have now been inducted into the moru club. now, when i see cecilia, she yells "citi!" and introduces me to her friends as "citi."

Overwhelmed

i am overwhelmed. as each week passes i think i will become less overwhelmed, or maybe my time here would be less of a shock, that i would be less surprised by God. but this is not the case. i continue to be overwhelmed, and perhaps even more as the days progress, at God's goodness. He is so good. i am amazed at God's graciousness in allowing me to be here, allowing me to witness and experience His love for the people of Mundri. God has given me a heart that loves these people, that desires a relationship with them. i think back to just a few months ago when i knew nothing of these people, and now here i am, blessed by each moment i spend with them. i am continually reminded of His faithfulness. i pray that i continue to be overwhelmed by God, that it does not become a thing of the past, that i do not forget how He has prepared and planned every detail of my life, way before i arrived here and even now as i sit here. i am grateful for even just the glimpse of God's plan for me. how good it is to walk in His will!
God continues to reveal himself to me even in the everyday things, not just when i am alone in quiet time. i experience His presence in His creation, in the people that i meet, in my interaction with my team, in a teacher training, in a small group of teenage girls being told they are special, under a mango tree where children listen to the story of creation, even among the wailing at a funeral, God is there.
thank you all for your continued prayers. i have just 10 days left here, and i am beginning to process my time here as well as prepare for my return. God has so richly blessed my relationships here, and it will be difficult to say goodbye. my time in Mundri has seemed to fly by, but strangely enough, i also feel like i've been here forever. i am feeling more and more comfortable here and will miss the routine of life here. i am also very excited to return home, see family and friends and share about my wonderful experiences. please pray that i am able to soak up my time here, that God would continue to teach me and lead me, that i would allow myself time to reflect on my time here, and that God would prepare my heart to leave. i am so grateful for all of your encouraging words and prayers!