A New Day

I think I’m falling for Kenya. Last night Jake and I watched “I Dreamed of Africa”, which really made me excited to go there!! It seems kinda adventorous, which is the scary part for me. I’m not necessarily one that enjoys taking risk by nature.

I love the terrain. I think i love the culture. The people are beautiful. I really like Swahili and want to begin learning it more. I mean, i’m not even sure what i’d do there! I’m just drawn. And I know that Jake has the desires to do translation stuff in africa…and nairobi, kenya has a international seminary there where translation is one of the degrees one could get. The tuition is inexpensive compared to American seminaries, which is a fun benefit!! (aka, if we saved up before we went, we wouldn’t have to go into debt at all for the degree).

I’ve been spending the last hour or so googling different things about Nairobi….oh dear! It seems so wonderful!! The Lord has awhile to guide us and direct us in this though….it doesn’t seem like we’d be going tooooo soon, which is good because I’m enjoying the place the Lord has me ministering now. I wouldn’t want to jump ahead of Him. I still have a lot to learn– spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

God is really taking Jake and I through the fire of adversity. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, they say. (who is “they”?? *smile*)…. aye aye aye. Sometimes the grief seems so deep. I’m learning a lot about suffering, and the need and goodness of it. I long to follow Christ, imitating Him and bringing glory and fame to His Name. How can I imitate Him if I avoid suffering? His life was filled with suffering…He had no place to lay His head…he was often filled with grief, and i’m sure He was lonely at times (wait, can God be lonely??)….Jesus knew what it was like to be rejected again and again…He knew what it was like to stand up for something that few could understand, and he suffered immensley on the cross, taking all of the sin of mankind so that we might LIVE. Ahhh, how wonderful! but…how hard as we try and follow in His steps.

Our lives are to be marked with suffering….i’ve been a believer for 9 years, and this is the first sense of deep suffering that I’ve felt. The first time that I couldn’t stop standing up for something, or “kiss and make up” with someone, or manipulate a situation so the suffering could end. The first time I’ve had to surrender to God again and again, awaiting the outcome, and trying to live fully everyday in the in-betweens. Always hoping. Always trusting. but still knowing that things don’t have to get better.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 11th, 2006 at 6:26 pm and is filed under culture, marks of a follower. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.