Eating Food That Looks Back At You

I have a confession. I am truly, utterly, an American. When I eat meat, it looks nothing like the animal it used to be. I go to the store and buy it in nice and neat packages, and most of the time, the bones are even taken out! What a priviledged life I have led!

Well Friday we took a trip to the beach with three sisters. They brought everything we would need for a nice, typically native lunch. They even brought a small gas tank so we could have hot tea and cook the food! We sat down at the table and uncovered the food. Through the steam eyes began to appear; not of the people sitting around the table, but eyes of the fish that had been cooked! There were many whole fish sitting atop vegetables. I have no problem eating meat, but when it's staring back at you - that's unnerving!

The only other thing was that even though I was careful not to eat the bones, it was still crunchy. Maybe it was because I was eating skins, scales, and all. Other than that, it tasted good. Afterwards we had watermelon, so it helped to replace the memory of picking off the sides of helpless fish to eat.

I guess I have just had a very sheltered life, never having to look into the eyes of something I eat. It's just something I'll have to learn to deal with.

Worship in North Africa

I have had the opportunity to attend 2 different churches here in North Africa. They are not "traditional" churches in the least. They are house churches. People do not come to the churches here to be seen, or heard, or to look pious. They come because they love the Lord. While the singing goes on, many people close their eyes. They are singing to their Lord and Savior. I just got this overall impression of true worship. They don't care what they sound like or who is listening.

Many of the natives here give up much when they become Christians, of course come do not, it just depends. One lady I was sitting next to spoke English. She was actually visiting her family here, because she lives in Canada now and her 27 year old son was visiting with her. She appologized to us because she was wearing a sleeveless dress. She told her parents she and her son were going to the beach and did not tell them she was going to church. She had to sneak out of her parents house to go to church. She did not do it for glory; she did it for love for God.

People worship here because they love the Lord. They do not expect any glory from singing well; they sing from their heart. Never before have I had the chance to see people who possibly gave up so much sing to the Lord.

Super Spiritual...or not

As a fellow intern said, sometimes we think that just because we're on the mission field and doing "missionary work" we become this super spiritual person. Well...it doesn't. Never before have I truly seen the need for a strong walk with the Lord. It's funny, but living here, in the States, or whichever continent you choose, it's still a battle just to do the simple things. The difference is that here we are so busy doing missionary work, sometimes it's easy to neglect the one thing I need most, spiritual food and drink. Isn't it funny that the easiest thing to do can also be the hardest? It's not hard to read your Bible everyday, but it is difficult to set aside that time dedicated to the Lord and nothing and no one else. Going to the mission field does not make you a "super spiritual" person. No matter where you live you still have your ups and downs. God has shown me a lot of areas I need to work on: having a strong walk with the Lord is number one.

Never Enough

Our time in this city has almost come to an end. We have one full week left here before we travel through the rest of the country. One thought has greatly consumed me: I haven't done enough. I haven't talked to enough people, I haven't given out the Gospel enough, I haven't met the people I have talked to enough, etc. There is so much work to be done. I understand that the city will not be evangelized in 6 weeks. How much will be done in 6 years? 60 years? One thing is evident: more laborers are needed. All you have to do is look up to see 1.5 million people who are lost and going to Hell if they don't hear and accept the Gospel. Staring into the face of this is burdening, overwhelming, and moving. If we don't go with the truth, how will they hear?

Frogger

A major aspect of life here is just getting around. Most people walk a lot. Crossing the street has never been quite so fun. As long as no one is coming you walk out into the road and cross lane by lane as it clears. One day I had an epiphany as we were crossing the street. It's just like the old video game Frogger!! So if you've ever had to urge to play Frogger in real life, just come visit.

Condemned Already

Today we stood on a hill overlooking the city - only 1/3 of the city actually. Just to give a conservative estimate, about 96% of the people have NEVER heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. If that many have never heard, how many are Christians? Very few.

God has been working on my heart with this very thought. A couple of my fellow interns have already written about this on their blogs - amazing stuff. A few days ago God brought to my mind the verse John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already..." I went to Peru 5 years ago and the preacher preached on this passage. He told us to imagine a red A on everyone's forehead for "Already." All I have to do is look around. Everyone has an A stamped on their forehead for "condemned already." What the Lord has really laid on my heart is the ladies. I don't need to imagine: the sign that they are condemned already is the head covering. Each time I see a lady, her head covering reminds me that she is condemned already.

Between the Dead and the Living Dead

This post was written by my fellow intern. She did such an incredible job writing this.

Today we stood between the dead and the living dead. Behind us centuries of decaying bones, before us millions of decaying lives. From a graveyard we overlooked a city full of people dead in sin, dead in idolatry, dead in a lie.

Eph 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."

The only difference between the living of this city and the dead is that the people here have a chance. They only lack messangers.

Rom. 10: 14b, c "And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

This city of more than of a million is lost and next to no one stands between them and a graveyard of eternal damnation. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Christians are spending their lives on legitimate ministries, but ignoring a needier field.

Ezek. 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."

Is there a man who will stand between this one city, or any city like it, and the grave?

Go with God
--Mira