As I write this my house is empty. I live in a nice four bedroom house. Some of the time I live there alone. Other times I live with other guys. Some roommates move in and out as they are only here for a few days or weeks or months. However my primary roommates have now been here several months with several to go. The difference between the two of them and me is that while my work is in Addis theirs isn’t.
A couple months ago they moved to a small town 400 kilometers from where I live. They were there about a month and a half to learn language better. When they left to go I think all parties involved were relieved.
Most of you know I have lived by myself for a long time. Now here I have had two roommates some of the time. It is a stretch at times, for all of us. We are still learning what it looks like to be community. What does it look like for three guys who are very different to learn to live together? Not sure yet, but trying hard to learn.
As I said by the time they left we were at each others throats. Then they returned. I had been told they would be with me about a week. I was so relieved at the short time we would be together. However, things looked different this time. One of the guys returned pretty sick…amoeba in his gut. The three of us not only got along this time, we enjoyed our time together.
Right now I’m sitting in the town they have moved back to. They will be here about a month and I brought them out. I decided this would be a good time to come and spend some time with them here. It isn’t near as big as the city I live in but it is very nice.
We are over 10,000 feet high. The majority of the town life exists down one paved strip of road. Many of the other roads are only dirt. They live in a house with a family. We had dinner with the family tonight. Currently the house is a mess though. They are adding a ceiling and painting all the walls. The work is still in progress. So at the moment the guys are staying at the same hotel I am. The time here has been great. The time together has been such a blessing.
My favorite part of the last two days is to see their excitement for this place and this people. They have a sense of pride and ownership of this place and these people. It is wonderful. They feel about this small town the way I do about my large city. They were so ready to get back out here. We walk the streets and they take turns pointing to landmarks and telling me what it is. They share stories of people and places they have come in contact with. It is exciting to watch the joy the fills their faces when they share.
This is beautiful country and a neat town. But my call isn’t to this place theirs is. How amazing! Each of us is blessed with a passion for a place or a people or a task. Then we have the chance to follow the tug or run from the call. Jonah ran…didn’t go well. These guys have chosen not to run. I hope you are choosing not to run. Follow the master. It is worth the sacrifice.
Join me in lifting up Jacob and John. Lift up others who are faithful in following the call.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Mapping Begins...Again...
Continuously over the last several months mapping has continued to be put on hold. It is my fault more than anyone else’s. I struggle with feelings of inadequacy and overwhelment (Is that a word?) regarding the mapping issue. The program we are using is massive, and I have had no real training on how to use it. The goals and the city we are working with are huge. It would be a large amount of work for a trained anthropologist to dive into and I am neither trained nor an anthropologist.
However there is now a plan in the works for diving into mapping. I will spend two days a week out with a national helper doing nothing but looking for the information we want on a map. Another day or two a week will be spent transferring this information into the computer program. The other days of the week will be used to balance all of the other plates I am attempting to keep spinning in the air.
This week only one day was spent out. Tuesday I went driving in a very small section of the city. I picked it as a start because I assumed it would only take a couple hours and we would call it a short day. I was wrong. Six hours after starting we called it a day. It amazing how closely packed people are in this country. It is hard to believe that the things they are willing to call a house we would barely consider livable. (I will try to include a picture of a house I saw in this post.)
We were able to find some great things but more importantly we were able to meet a few people. I met a young Muslim woman and her child on the dirt road. We were driving with our windows open and she stopped us and asked why we would take their picture but not give them food. We talked for a minute about her and her family and her faith and her child. It was a good day.
We also had the chance to share some food with a bunch of deacons from an Orthodox church. I found something I have never seen before. It is a location where holy water comes from. They come there because they believe the water there can heal them of any disease. On the day we were there a family had brought them food. Apparently a family member had died and the tradition holds that if they would bring food to the church leaders the deceased would then be ushered into the kingdom of heaven. The traditions and rituals that surround the faith are far more than I can count or understand.
It was a great day of mapping. More will happen in the near future. I will keep you in the loop. In the next post I’ll explain why only one day was used for mapping this week.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Quick Update...
Sorry it has been so long since posting. I am still hoping to do the bits on personality characteristics of nationals here. I haven’t had time to write like I wish.
However I did want to update about the turmoil here. Things have been back to normal or busier in the last few days. Shops are reopening, taxis are running, and everyone and their brother are on the streets because they haven’t been in so long.
There have been some rumors that things could get ugly again Monday. The majority of people don’t seem to agree with the possibility. But continue to remember the situation here.
Stay on the look out for a Day of Prayer. We want to join together – all of us here with all of our partners around the world – to lift up this country. Our goal is to find a time where people all over the world can be joined together for the benefit of the people here. I’ll give you more when I know it. Also look for a new update letter soon.
Thanks for everything!
However I did want to update about the turmoil here. Things have been back to normal or busier in the last few days. Shops are reopening, taxis are running, and everyone and their brother are on the streets because they haven’t been in so long.
There have been some rumors that things could get ugly again Monday. The majority of people don’t seem to agree with the possibility. But continue to remember the situation here.
Stay on the look out for a Day of Prayer. We want to join together – all of us here with all of our partners around the world – to lift up this country. Our goal is to find a time where people all over the world can be joined together for the benefit of the people here. I’ll give you more when I know it. Also look for a new update letter soon.
Thanks for everything!
Saturday, November 05, 2005
"So Long, Farewell..."
They tell me the hardest thing about this job is having to say goodbye so many times. People flow in and out of here frequently. Volunteers come in and become a part of your life. They fall in love with the people you know and work with and then they are gone. It hurts when they go.
However they are usually only here a short time. Some stay for weeks some stay for months. Tonight I’ll watch another friend leave. She isn’t a volunteer and she hasn’t been here a couple months. Steph has spent almost two years of her life here and it isn’t hard to see she has fallen in love. It is a struggle for her to leave and a struggle for us to see her go.
We met just over two years ago. I was headed here for the summer and she was looking to spend two years in Africa. She wasn’t sure where and we only knew each other through mutual friends. I put a two week team together and our friends connected us. She joined the team and spent two weeks here touching lives as hers too was changed. Nearly two years ago she returned and her impact on this world is evident.
I have never seen a person so committed to living her life completely for the people she is called to reach. She pours out all that she has and then some. She is an example to all followers of living ones life solely committed to the purpose we are called to. She is passionate about following the master and committed to pursuing his call.
Now she is headed home. For a time she will rest and spend time with loved ones. Then without fail she will be gone again. I don’t know where the call will lead her but I know the call will come and I know that she will follow. I can’t wait to hear the stories.
I’ll miss her soon after we drop her at the airport tonight. I’ll miss her smile. I’ll miss her patience. I’ll miss her commitment. I’ll miss her never failing perseverance. I pray before hand for those she will meet on the journey ahead. I pray they are prepared because wherever she goes the truth goes with her. It is impossible to come into her presence and not recognize you have just collided with the master reincarnate.
He awaits the day he will greet her with a, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
However they are usually only here a short time. Some stay for weeks some stay for months. Tonight I’ll watch another friend leave. She isn’t a volunteer and she hasn’t been here a couple months. Steph has spent almost two years of her life here and it isn’t hard to see she has fallen in love. It is a struggle for her to leave and a struggle for us to see her go.
We met just over two years ago. I was headed here for the summer and she was looking to spend two years in Africa. She wasn’t sure where and we only knew each other through mutual friends. I put a two week team together and our friends connected us. She joined the team and spent two weeks here touching lives as hers too was changed. Nearly two years ago she returned and her impact on this world is evident.
I have never seen a person so committed to living her life completely for the people she is called to reach. She pours out all that she has and then some. She is an example to all followers of living ones life solely committed to the purpose we are called to. She is passionate about following the master and committed to pursuing his call.
Now she is headed home. For a time she will rest and spend time with loved ones. Then without fail she will be gone again. I don’t know where the call will lead her but I know the call will come and I know that she will follow. I can’t wait to hear the stories.
I’ll miss her soon after we drop her at the airport tonight. I’ll miss her smile. I’ll miss her patience. I’ll miss her commitment. I’ll miss her never failing perseverance. I pray before hand for those she will meet on the journey ahead. I pray they are prepared because wherever she goes the truth goes with her. It is impossible to come into her presence and not recognize you have just collided with the master reincarnate.
He awaits the day he will greet her with a, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
A Bit Depressed...
I’ve been down the last couple days. Some tough stuff has been going on.
Monday morning I got word that a pastor I know died. I didn’t know Kyle well. We had met a couple of times. I wasn’t involved at UBC, but my friend Mark was and some other friends. When it happened my mind went to Craig. Craig and I aren’t the best of friends either. We know each other. We were in Jason’s wedding together. Craig was great friends with Kyle. Craig often kept Kyle’s three children. Craig loves those kids. Craig loves UBC. Craig loved Kyle. I’ve been depressed the last day or two thinking about Craig and Kyle’s family, and UBC.
From what I understand, Kyle was about to baptize in his church of probably over 90% Baylor students. It was Baylor’s homecoming so the numbers were greater. Apparently a microphone shocked him somehow and electrocuted him to death as he stood in the water.
How do things like this happen? How does a 31 year old guy die? How does a man who is passionate about reaching college students die in the midst of a worship service? The questions are more prevalent that the answers. It hurts. I trust God, but I don’t quite understand this and probably never will.
Monday night I lost another friend. She didn’t pass away but she left. She is a national here. She is 22 or 23 and a beautiful girl. Most the women here are beautiful by the way. Yemi left for Dubai. She continuously ran into road blocks here with school and work. She saw no way to improve her life here so she left. She has a responsibility to provide for her family. She has gone to Dubai to be a house worker for a man there. He is 29 and single. He is pretty demanding as I understand. Typically the people that step into these situations have a few guarantees: they will be paid little. They will likely be abused…physically, emotionally, verbally, and probably sexually.
The thoughts of this girl being abused devastate me. She is moving towards faith. She isn’t quite there, but she is asking great questions. She is even getting some persecution from her family because of her questions. Now she is headed to the Muslim world.
The hope is that miracles will happen. The hope is that she will be safe. The hope is that she will meet the master in that place. Join with me in lifting her up.
To add to troubles, today is psycho. Riots have started again. They began yesterday. According to CNN.com 8 were killed yesterday 40 or more were injured. There was more shooting today. The American Embassy is telling us to stay away from some areas of town (one is actually my neighborhood). We are all safe and holed up in our homes, but it is crushing.
The city is in an uproar. We long for peace. We hope for wisdom as compromises are reached among different parties. We don’t have the news sources that most of you are used to. Therefore we don’t know much. We don’t know where trouble is. We don’t see video clips of what is going on. We don’t have newspapers to read about the problems. We merely sit and wait for things to return to normal.
Approach the throne with me.
Monday morning I got word that a pastor I know died. I didn’t know Kyle well. We had met a couple of times. I wasn’t involved at UBC, but my friend Mark was and some other friends. When it happened my mind went to Craig. Craig and I aren’t the best of friends either. We know each other. We were in Jason’s wedding together. Craig was great friends with Kyle. Craig often kept Kyle’s three children. Craig loves those kids. Craig loves UBC. Craig loved Kyle. I’ve been depressed the last day or two thinking about Craig and Kyle’s family, and UBC.
From what I understand, Kyle was about to baptize in his church of probably over 90% Baylor students. It was Baylor’s homecoming so the numbers were greater. Apparently a microphone shocked him somehow and electrocuted him to death as he stood in the water.
How do things like this happen? How does a 31 year old guy die? How does a man who is passionate about reaching college students die in the midst of a worship service? The questions are more prevalent that the answers. It hurts. I trust God, but I don’t quite understand this and probably never will.
Monday night I lost another friend. She didn’t pass away but she left. She is a national here. She is 22 or 23 and a beautiful girl. Most the women here are beautiful by the way. Yemi left for Dubai. She continuously ran into road blocks here with school and work. She saw no way to improve her life here so she left. She has a responsibility to provide for her family. She has gone to Dubai to be a house worker for a man there. He is 29 and single. He is pretty demanding as I understand. Typically the people that step into these situations have a few guarantees: they will be paid little. They will likely be abused…physically, emotionally, verbally, and probably sexually.
The thoughts of this girl being abused devastate me. She is moving towards faith. She isn’t quite there, but she is asking great questions. She is even getting some persecution from her family because of her questions. Now she is headed to the Muslim world.
The hope is that miracles will happen. The hope is that she will be safe. The hope is that she will meet the master in that place. Join with me in lifting her up.
To add to troubles, today is psycho. Riots have started again. They began yesterday. According to CNN.com 8 were killed yesterday 40 or more were injured. There was more shooting today. The American Embassy is telling us to stay away from some areas of town (one is actually my neighborhood). We are all safe and holed up in our homes, but it is crushing.
The city is in an uproar. We long for peace. We hope for wisdom as compromises are reached among different parties. We don’t have the news sources that most of you are used to. Therefore we don’t know much. We don’t know where trouble is. We don’t see video clips of what is going on. We don’t have newspapers to read about the problems. We merely sit and wait for things to return to normal.
Approach the throne with me.
