Strangers in a Strange Land

"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind and reveals His thoughts to man, He who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth—the Lord Almighty is His Name(!)." Amos 4:13

To say we are strangers in this world has taken on a whole new meaning! I feel like a child who is just learning everything about the world around him. From treating veggies and fruits to make sure they are safe to hauling pure drinking water; from learning how to respectfully greet people to teaching my house helper, Ruth, how to actually "help; " there are so many new things! On top of that, we never know if we will have electricity, and I am having to stock my kitchen from scratch and figure out what and how to cook with what is available. It is a challenge just to make it through the day and keep up with cloth diapers on two babies, much less get in some time with the Lord and home school.

I think the biggest learning curve right now is meeting and greeting people! Respect is very important here. When I walk out my front door and see a worker or a guest or anyone on the compound, I am expected to stop and say hello or "Sannu." Then I must ask how they are doing and possibly about their home and family. Greetings are drawn out and very important in this culture. For me, a fast paced western girl, it is so hard to remember to take time to greet and not just jump right in to a conversation or if I don't know someone not to just divert my eyes and keep walking.

We are exploring various ministry opportunities right now including working in the remote area with the specific people group we have come to investigate. We have no idea what our role should be and are seeking the Lord for clear vision and direction. The needs here are endless and there are so many directions we could take from training national pastors to reach the bush people to going to them ourselves or even some type of sports ministry. The options are endless and our desire is to hear God's will for us.

I love this compound and the safety and comfort here. There is even a "store" of sorts (see pictures in daily life folder on picasa link) right here on the compound where I can buy all my staple goods. But going to work more directly with the specific group of people we are investigating could mean living in much harsher conditions. I am praying for a selfless attitude in case God calls us to that lifestyle. On the other hand, there are many ways to work with the people and still live in this location. We want to find God's heart and a good balance for our family. Obviously, just caring for our children takes most of my time.

The hard part for me right now is that I LOVE this home and compound and I want to settle in and "nest" here. However, not knowing how long we will be here it would be foolish to spend money and energy getting things we need and getting settle in if we are going to spend several days at a time somewhere else! I am such a "planner" by nature and for now I have to just free fall and be totally flexible and patient--not a natural thing for me! I want to be of use for the kingdom but feel like just surviving and being a good hostess to various visitors is all consuming. I am praying for vision and wisdom for Aaron and opportunities for him to serve out with the people effectively when I can't. May the Lord lead us in a straight path.

I praise Him for the peace we all feel here and the love we have been shown. I love this life despite the confusion and huge learning curve! I am also extremely grateful for the boys easy adjustment and love for all their new playmates, English-speaking or otherwise. Their best friends are actually German boys who are just learning English!

Although the people around our compound can speak English for the most part, it is their second language and our ears are not trained to understand them easily. To be effective we need to learn "Hausa" and possibly the tribal language, especially if we go to the other location, for no one speaks English there. I am grateful that the people in the compound and even my house helper, Ruth, speak English to me, but it is actually a crutch and makes it even harder to get an ear for the local language. We are supposed to start language classes, and I am trying to figure out where that will fit in my schedule as mom and homemaker. I pray that Aaron will be able to serve powerfully and learn the language, and I will bring glory to the Lord by just supporting him and his ministry.

Do you sense in my ramblings that I feel guilty like I'm not doing enough outside ministry? I know I have to give that to the Lord! My original vision of our life and ministry here was for us to work together as a family with Aaron taking us wherever he went so we could spend time with the women and children while he visited with the men. From our adventure on Saturday this plan will be very effective for touching lives and opening doors. Children are such a powerful bridge. The reality, however, is that it is much easier for Aaron to go out each day while we stay home and cook, clean and do school. There must be a feasible balance. Aaron has already been gone several times to work without us and I have much peace and little fear for him and for us while we are apart--unlike what I expected to feel!

So here is a detailed view into my thoughts and my life from Nigeria! I love you all and the ones of you who actually read this whole long boring entry I really love!

Just in case this essay gave you a negative impression, I must say that I absolutely LOVE Africa! I count being here as a privilege and answer to many years of prayer. I just need time to settle in and look forward to having a clearer vision so I can form some kind of "schedule!" (-: I am also so grateful for God's provision concerning every detail and especially our health. We have felt so good this whole time and that makes everything easier.

I must make this scripture my own: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always, having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” 2 Cor 9:8