Okay so let's see...
We are gonna start today with some pictures. I have been good about remembering to take pictures since James left and you guys will reap the reward...
This is a meeting to discuss coffee business stuff. More to come on that soon.
Kukuh having some difficulties
The following are from a camp held for 40 some odd schools...
The camp was really fun. The kids were creative and funny and overall I would say it was a huge success.
Ferii and I went to an arcade and just had a good ole time.
A few of us went to Fire Mountain to a church service the other day. Most of these pictures are on Facebook.
Church on Fire Mountain
The view. Pictures can't really capture how amazing it was, but don't say I didn't try.
I had more pictures but the internet has come to a screeching halt and it now takes 10 minutes to upload one picture. No thank you. Sorry guys.
Okay so onto the next thing. Living here has been incredible. I feel like I am a part of this place now. Getting to live in this country for an extended period of time has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. It is the ultimate adventure. I mean, I know now-a-days you can't really go parading off into the wild unknown with a loyal companion carrying some great burden and fighting off hordes of monsters to ultimately save the world (cough LOTR cough), but I would say that doing this is pretty darn close.
Let me break it down for you...
I did in fact go parading off into the wild unknown. I knew little to nothing about this country before I came. It was a mystery to me. A beautiful one at that. And James, well yes, James was Sam. Or I was Sam. It doesn't matter, just trying to stick with the comparison here. It says a lot about someone's character when they can just up and leave their home and job and comforts to go to another country for a few months just cause their friend asked. Now that I think about it, you are Sam. Loyal, dear, precious Sam. But seriously, I am thankful for having someone like James to come and share in this adventure while he could. (Don't get used to that shower of praise, James.)
As for the burden, well, I suppose if I were to get really spiritual I could find an answer for that. But I am feeling a bit more on the light hearted side today and I feel like the answer to that is rather obvious. So onward we go...
The hordes of monsters have taken different forms. They have come in language barriers that hinder me from getting into good conversation with the people here. They have come from somewhere deep within myself as I begin to see all this filth that the Lord is pulling out of me. They have come in the form of cultural differences that can leave you frustrated and confused. But mostly, they have come in the shape of rice. Tiny, awful, sticky little pellets that leave my tastebuds heartbroken and unsatisfied.
Now, I am not about to save the world. However, this trip has most certainly changed my life. I was asked recently what I have learned so far? One thing I have learned...
And for some reason I was stuck on it. One thing? It should be easy right? To pick one thing I have learned out of so many. But I couldn't give an answer and even now it is hard to find just one thing I have learned. And to be honest, I don't think I can give some really awesome answer that will blow your minds.
And that is because mostly what I have learned has been about who I am as a person. I came here with the goal to just learn. To learn a new language, a new culture, and what it really looks like to live in a Muslim country. Those were my intentions. Those were my goals.
And upon arriving here I have done most of those things. I am learning a new language and slowly beginning to understand a new culture. I have been given opportunities that I would only dream of in the states. Opportunities like sitting in the homes of devout Muslims and listening to them talk. Speaking at Muslim universities about what Americans think about Islam and how we can learn from each other. Hearing the call to prayer five times a day and being reminded of where I am. Eating lunch and dinner at local people's side-of-the-road restaurants and building friendships with Muslims through that.
And these things I am thankful for. But I have begun to learn other things as well. I am learning how far I can be pushed. The cultural differences are more than I can begin to explain. And in these differences I am learning patience and understanding. I am learning to not take the reigns all the time and just sit back and follow.
I am learning that it is not okay to just sit back and be lazy with my time. Especially my time as it concerns the Lord. I am not sure if it is the enemy here or what, but I find it INCREDIBLY difficult to spend time with Jesus. And that doesn't even make sense, right? You guys are probably like, uh aren't you on the mission field? Come on man get it together!
I was reading Romans today and came across this: "Do you suppose, O man- you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself- that you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance." (2:3-4)
I read that (mainly the latter part of it) and was immediately convicted. How often do I put off time spent with my savior and do a number of other things only to think to myself, well God is full of grace and kindness, He will overlook this one time I skipped out. I skip out and go about my day prancing along like a smiling fool thinking I am fine and dandy. I sin and say that He is overflowing with grace. And day by day I am worn down and tired and finally I wonder why?
His kindness towards us is made for one thing: to make us look back to Him. It's to make us look at His glory and His beauty and see how good He is. His kindness, His grace, His love and forgiveness does not exist to give us a "sin cushion" it exists to point us back to Him and make us flee our sin and run to His arms.
Usually it is difficult for me to do that. The last thing I want to do once I have messed up or neglected time with Jesus is go right to Him and act like nothing is wrong. That's because I know I am in the wrong and to look at Jesus will only make me feel guilty. And so, usually I do the opposite and just put my head down and trudge through more sin. I walk away from Jesus because I don't understand that His kindness towards me is not to make me feel bad, it's to make me repent.
I do not fully understand it. How can I? It is against the way this world operates. When you wrong someone, there is punishment. There are fierce voices and slanted eyebrows and wagging fingers. But when you wrong Jesus, there is kindness. He is there to say it's all right son, He has open arms, and He helps you stand to your feet once more and face the world knowing that all is well. He levels you with kindness so that you can do nothing but repent. Think about that: kindness so intense that it makes you repent? It blows my mind.
And so I conclude this by saying: I still can't put a finger on one thing I am learning here. Honestly things change so much these days. I am always learning something new that alters the way I think about something else. I am constantly being pushed in ways I never have been which opens my eyes to a part of me I have never seen, thus teaching me more about myself. And all of these things ultimately teach me something new about Jesus. And so I would ask you, those who are still my prayer warriors, to continue to pray that I would learn more of who Jesus is. That is the only thing I want these days. Thank you to all who have partnered with me in this. You guys rule.
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