Sometimes life in mission work is frustrating. Some days I want to quit and go back home, find a 9 to 5 and settle down to raise my 2.5 kids and live the American dream.
Sometimes. Only for a moment.
There is nothing wrong with that life for those to whom God has called, but I knew a long time ago, I could never do that. The moments that I want to walk away and move to a place that gets my sarcasm and where a real donut is never far away. Where a plunger is something you use in the toilet and you don't have to live in a house with more security bars than a small town jail. These moments God quietly shows me that I am wallowing in a maudlin self-indulgence.
If I am crucified with Christ and my life is no longer my own, then all thoughts of sacrifice and deprivation are deceptive and hellish at best.
It is not always easy, but when a student that has truly been a child of hell the entire last term looks at you for the first time with clear eyes and a bright smile and clarity in his soul...
Well, let's just say the thoughts of that donut turn to ash and anything you thought you laid down to be here rusts and fades into the dirt and weeds again.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Time-lapse...
Sometimes life is like a time-lapse shot in a nature film. Life has lately been that way, so I suppose you won't mind if the catch up on how life is going also follows somewhat of a time-lapse kind of momentum.
The dining room...
The fireplace...
The living room will come next...
The dining room...
The fireplace...
The living room will come next...
To summarize...
Tomorrow starts a new school term.
That in itself is a very loaded paragraph so I needn't say more on that subject. This past week has been a very busy week for me; much less of a holiday and much more of my own personal version of "Extreme Home Makeover" without the volunteers. I encouraged Delani to go and visit her mother for the one week we had off because otherwise she wasn't going to see her until next April since we plan to go to the US for Christmas. It turns out her mother will come visit in November, but only for a weekend so I am very glad that Delani went. I spent the week (minus last weekend) working on things that desperately need finished in the house.
She is home now and I am sitting on the front porch watching the late afternoon sun lay long shadows across the lawn. I was contemplating all that I have done on the house we live in and all we will still need to do. Every time that I do this I am overwhelmed at God's provision and goodness. It has required a lot, but it has been such a wonderful learning curve in the process.
There is a long list of first things for me with working on this house; brick-laying, plastering, laying tile, making tongue-and-groove flooring, building a cabinet, and making a bed from scratch with steel. Anytime I want to think myself terribly clever for any of these things, God reminds me of all the help He sent along. Little bits of advice from older wiser men that you forget. Perhaps it was one little bit of advice, but without it, the entire project would have been a flop.
God has provided the funds. Like the bed I just finished. Friends of ours gave us money to be used on a bed or just what we needed. It was around $130. I used it to buy steel and with a lot of work, we had a nice bed for less than $200 dollars that should be on its feet longer than me.
We have had the invaluable help of several people, mainly Steve Geise. Steve Geise is perhaps one of the most helpful, kind and godly men I have the privilege of knowing. When he knew that we needed help with the house so that we could get moved in, he cheerfully offered his services. He prepped the walls of most of the house (no small feat since they looked like a road map of cracks) and painted better than any professional I have seen. Every time I stop and think what would have happened if he hadn't been willing to do that, I realize that we would probably still be living in our friend's guest room with our belongings spread between four houses. He also helped me, along with Bro. Bokang, to strip the carpet glue off of the wood floors. That was a terrible job and he did it cheerfully, even staying late with me at times.
Any work I have done has had to be after ministry hours which doesn't leave much time and requires strength and stamina. God has given both in abundance. We have certainly not been building a palace over here, but simply trying to fix up a missionary's house with limited funds and God has provided.
So, sorry if it has seemed to some of you that spoke to me, that the house was all I do. Sorry to those of you who haven't heard from me if I seemed ungrateful for funds sent or prayers offered or words of encouragement. I am very sorry if it has come across that way. We are very, very grateful for all that our friends and family are doing for us so that we are able to minister here in Ladybrand.
We will try and keep posted a little more. If life ever slows down, I will try and start putting my many jumbled thoughts to "paper" once again. God bless.
That in itself is a very loaded paragraph so I needn't say more on that subject. This past week has been a very busy week for me; much less of a holiday and much more of my own personal version of "Extreme Home Makeover" without the volunteers. I encouraged Delani to go and visit her mother for the one week we had off because otherwise she wasn't going to see her until next April since we plan to go to the US for Christmas. It turns out her mother will come visit in November, but only for a weekend so I am very glad that Delani went. I spent the week (minus last weekend) working on things that desperately need finished in the house.
She is home now and I am sitting on the front porch watching the late afternoon sun lay long shadows across the lawn. I was contemplating all that I have done on the house we live in and all we will still need to do. Every time that I do this I am overwhelmed at God's provision and goodness. It has required a lot, but it has been such a wonderful learning curve in the process.
There is a long list of first things for me with working on this house; brick-laying, plastering, laying tile, making tongue-and-groove flooring, building a cabinet, and making a bed from scratch with steel. Anytime I want to think myself terribly clever for any of these things, God reminds me of all the help He sent along. Little bits of advice from older wiser men that you forget. Perhaps it was one little bit of advice, but without it, the entire project would have been a flop.
God has provided the funds. Like the bed I just finished. Friends of ours gave us money to be used on a bed or just what we needed. It was around $130. I used it to buy steel and with a lot of work, we had a nice bed for less than $200 dollars that should be on its feet longer than me.
We have had the invaluable help of several people, mainly Steve Geise. Steve Geise is perhaps one of the most helpful, kind and godly men I have the privilege of knowing. When he knew that we needed help with the house so that we could get moved in, he cheerfully offered his services. He prepped the walls of most of the house (no small feat since they looked like a road map of cracks) and painted better than any professional I have seen. Every time I stop and think what would have happened if he hadn't been willing to do that, I realize that we would probably still be living in our friend's guest room with our belongings spread between four houses. He also helped me, along with Bro. Bokang, to strip the carpet glue off of the wood floors. That was a terrible job and he did it cheerfully, even staying late with me at times.
Any work I have done has had to be after ministry hours which doesn't leave much time and requires strength and stamina. God has given both in abundance. We have certainly not been building a palace over here, but simply trying to fix up a missionary's house with limited funds and God has provided.
So, sorry if it has seemed to some of you that spoke to me, that the house was all I do. Sorry to those of you who haven't heard from me if I seemed ungrateful for funds sent or prayers offered or words of encouragement. I am very sorry if it has come across that way. We are very, very grateful for all that our friends and family are doing for us so that we are able to minister here in Ladybrand.
We will try and keep posted a little more. If life ever slows down, I will try and start putting my many jumbled thoughts to "paper" once again. God bless.
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